Riot Games has issued a statement regarding the accusations and promised to fully cooperate with law enforcement.
Inactive VALORANT professional player Ava “florescent” Eugene has been accused of sexual assault by a former Game Changers competitor, who claims to be a friend of florescent’s former partner.
Florescent made history as the first woman to join a Tier 1 VALORANT league, signing with Apeks for the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) 2025 season in the EMEA region.
She had been considered one of the most promising prospects for 2025, following a string of standout MVP performances in the Game Changers circuit. Although she stepped away from the team in April citing personal reasons, she remained widely regarded as one of the league’s top players.
However, on 17 May, former Game Changers pro Marceline “karie” Carson—who claims to be a mutual friend of florescent’s partner, brought forward serious allegations via X (formerly Twitter). Karie shared the allegations on behalf of her friend, referred to in the document as “Brick”, detailing their experience with florescent.
Karie shares initial allegations against florescent on behalf of Brick
In the first document, Brick claimed she participated in sexual acts that were, at that point in time, consensual even if she felt pressured into it by florescent.
In the account, it shared that on 3 January 2024, Brick went to florescent’s house despite making it clear beforehand that she didn’t want anything sexual to happen. While there, florescent allegedly ignored Brick’s repeated refusals and physical discomfort, leading to sexual activity that Brick did not consent to.
Later that day, when Brick tried to leave, florescent allegedly pressured her again despite Brick saying no multiple times. After nearly half an hour of resisting, Brick gave up, feeling powerless and unable to leave. These events form the basis of the sexual assault allegations against florescent.
Brick issues personal statement with further allegations
A follow-up Google Doc posted by karie on 18 May, nearly 12 hours after florescent’s tweet, shared what seems to be Brick’s direct statement where she described the relationship as “toxic and coercive.” Brick also cited instances where florescent allegedly manipulated her into staying, refused to leave during attempted breakups, and repeatedly disrespected her boundaries.
She also addressed an incident where she believed she was pregnant, after florescent allegedly dismissed using protection, saying florescent later used it to falsely accuse her of manipulation.
Screenshots and dated messages included in the statement document several of these events, including a September 2023 encounter at the Canadian National Exhibition where Brick claimed she was misled into intimacy under false pretenses.
The most serious allegation stems from 3 January, 2024, when Brick says florescent pressured her into a sexual encounter despite repeated verbal refusals.
She claimed florescent restricted her phone access, dismissed her boundaries, and continued making advances until she gave in, describing the incident as a violation of her autonomy. Brick said she confided in a friend immediately after and included screenshots and a video clip from that week as supporting evidence.
She concluded by saying it took months of therapy to understand the dynamics of the relationship and that she chose to speak out now to reclaim her voice.
Two other ex-girlfriends of florescent reached out to Brick and shared similar allegations. One, identified as Mika, described her relationship with Florescent as emotionally draining and psychologically coercive, sharing screenshots and statements about her experiences. Another ex-girlfriend, who chose to remain anonymous, also shared her account of emotional manipulation and neglect. These testimonies collectively portray a pattern of abusive behaviour by Florescent, prompting calls for accountability and support for survivors.
It’s important to note that these allegations haven’t been posted by the victim herself, with karie putting together the Google doc and claiming Brick would come forward when she’s ready with the full set of accusations.
Florescent responds to sexual assault allegations
On 18 May, florescent released a statement on X (formerly Twitter) in response to the sexual allegations posted by karie:
In response to the allegations, florescent issued a statement denying the accusations, saying they are taking the matter seriously and seeking legal guidance. “I strongly deny any and all accusations of sexual assault,” she wrote. Florescent added that they are “currently treating this matter with [their] full attention” and are looking into “immediate legal assistance” to determine how best to proceed, including what can be shared publicly and how to clear their name.
She also stated, “I wish I could provide evidence for the public to see immediately, but I have been asked to refrain from sharing at this time for my own safety.” Florescent concluded by requesting privacy for those involved, writing, “I ask that you please respect the other party’s privacy at this time.”
Riot issues statement on florescent
Riot released a statement on the matter on the official VCT X account on Monday (19 May):
“On May 17, we were made aware of the sexual-assault allegations made against a competitor,” the statement wrote.
Riot described the allegations as “among the most serious an individual can face” urging “anyone with relevant information,” to get in touch with law enforcement. The developer also added that they will “cooperate fully with any legal investigation and assess whether these allegations affect the individual's future eligibility.”
Riot did not mention florescent’s name throughout the statement. However, by doing so, they drew the ire of the VCT community, because in cases like those concerning Jay “Sinatraa” Won and other male players in VCT and other Riot titles, their names were already included in the announcement.
X user keniwyd called Riot out in their reply, sharing VALORANT Esports NA’s post in 2021 about Sinatraa’s allegations, saying, “ya’ll not keeping the same energy smh.”
Sinatraa was barred from competitive play in 2021 as soon as the allegations came to light, as opposed to florescent, who as X user mjrmonkey pointed out, how Riot said “we’ll see if they’ll still be eligible to play again.” Some others, like X user cryocore also called the VCT X account “hiding comments for [three] whole hours.”
However, another X user pointed out that perhaps the reason why Riot did not name florescent in the allegations was because the player was “no longer active” so it might not “impact any future Riot events” unlike when dealing with allegations made against active competitors.
Florescent announced a break for the remainder of VCT 2025 just last month, only three weeks before the sexual allegations against her surfaced online.