[Updated]: The ESL is banning YouPorn’s pro gaming squad, Team YP

Update 4/25/2016: The ESL has reached out to GameZone with a correction as well as an official statement on the matter. The rule by which Team YP's ban was based on has been in place for over a year and a half. You can find the official statement below.

Advertising pornography is not legal in the markets we operate in, and the vast majority of partners we’re working with have strict “no drugs, no alcohol, no pornography” rules that we’ve contractually taken on board. These aren’t new rules, but ones that have been in our rulebooks for a long time. We have spoken to Team YP manager earlier this year and in that conversation we’ve explained the situation and rules in detail, and offered to look for potential alternatives in a bigger group. At the same time, we’re consulting with our legal teams about this. We will inform the team and the management as soon as we have any updates.

Team YP hasn't played in any of our professional leagues (ESL One, IEM, Pro League), and this wasn't a clear cut case from the beginning. The rule has been put in place and enforced since more than a year and a half ago, and there are more examples of situations where Team YP has been either asked to change name or warned they won't be able to play/qualify for event under the Team YP flag. However, discussions with the teams have been going on for a long time so it is not like we just decided to enforce it now, they just made it public now.

Original Story 4/24/2016: As we all know, eSports has evolved into a juggernaut business. There is so much money to be made by the teams competing as well as their sponsors, that it's no surprise that so many want a piece of the action. Unfortunately for the gamer-friendly adult entertainment site, YouPorn, it seems their attempt at eSports prominence has taken a devastating blow.

The Electronic Sports League (ESL), one of the largest competitive eSports league in the world, has decided to expel Team YP from all competitions due to a new rule that prevents any sponsor that is “widely known for pornographic … or other adult/mature themes and products." This is according to an email that Team YP received from top ESL Officials explaining their ouster.

This is an unfortunate turn of events for the players of Team YP who rely on the team's winnings for their personal income. Getting an eSports team up and going is a tough thing to do, and joining established ones can be even more difficult given the demand.

Let's hope everything works out for the members of Team YP.

Source: [VentureBeat]