Dallas Fuel Owner Addresses EFFECT's Leave of Absence on Twitter

Dallas Fuel Star DPS player Hwang "EFFECT" Hyeon has been on a leave of absence since late April, as the talented Tracer player had returned to South Korea to take a break and relax from the pressures of being an Overwatch League player. Mike Rufail, owner of the Dallas Fuel, recently took to Twitter to address the leave of absence by EFFECT and the team's efforts to help support their talented Overwatch League player. 

Regarding Effect’s absence from the team: we have been working with him to make sure he can get himself ready to come back and play again. I assure you all that we take our player’s mental health into deep consideration. +

— Mike Rufail (@hastr0) May 11, 2018

With the issue of player mental health in the Overwatch League being a major topic of discussion, as other players, such as Do-hyeon "Pine" Kim of the New York Excelsior, have also taken leave of absences to focus on their mental health, Rufail stated that the organization takes its "player's mental into deep consideration." 

Our staff has worked very hard this season to assist our players during distress and we have provided outside professional help to assist the team. +

— Mike Rufail (@hastr0) May 11, 2018

Rufail wold also go on to state that the staff of the Dallas Fuel "has worked hard this season to assist our players during distress and we have provided outside professional help to assist the team." Other teams in the Overwatch League have worked to provide avenues to aid players in mental health related areas, such as the Shanghai Dragons having hired a sports psychologist to assist its players during the season. 

In this specific case, we have allowed Effect to rest for many of the games this season and will continue to let him rest until he is ready to compete again. I can’t tell you when that will be, but I will say that we have been doing whatever we can to make sure he is happy.

— Mike Rufail (@hastr0) May 11, 2018

The Dallas Fuel owner ended his statement stating that team is allowing EFFECT to rest for as many games until he is ready to play again. Rufail confirmed that there is no set date that Dallas Fuel fans can expect to see EFFECT back competing with the team. 

With the Dallas Fuel having a 3-7 record in Stage 1, a 2-8 record in Stage 2 and a 1-9 record in Stage 3, the team will need EFFECT to rebound from its lackluster inaugural season in the Overwatch League in Stage 4. 

(cover photo courtesy of Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment)