Dylan Koch, a professional Call of Duty player better known as Nero, was abandoned by his team, the Carolina Royal Ravens. Although the team did not identify a reason in its announcement, Koch’s response suggests his firing is related to a series of embarrassing Discord DMs leaked earlier in the week.
“Sorry, I have a real life” posted Koch. “Many players communicate primarily online, through Twitter and DMs, and the way people speak in those spaces can be very different. That said, what was sent clearly wasn’t received appropriately, and I understand that. I just wish this could have been handled privately instead of becoming public.”
Sorry, I have a real life. Many players communicate primarily online, through Twitter and DMs, and the way people speak in these spaces can be very different. That said, what was sent was clearly not received appropriately, and I understand that. I just wish it could be…
– Néron (@NEROPOLSON) April 3, 2026
In the leaked DMs, Koch opens the conversation by asking the other party whether or not she would “consider Esex,” adding that he hoped she wouldn’t “take it the wrong way” and that he “always wanted to try it.” Koch is very quickly chastised by the individual for his unwanted advances, and the esports player speaks at length apologizing for his behavior, attributing it to lack of sleep. The recipient disclosed the exchange on X, but has since deleted their account due to the fallout.
The 24-year-old only joined the Carolina Royal Ravens in late 2025, a month before the Call of Duty The championship season has started. Regardless of their review process, the Ravens decided it was best to part ways with Koch before the next break.
“Today we say goodbye to [Nero] as we release him from our active roster,” posted the Royal Ravens. “We would like to thank Dylan for his time here over the last two splits and wish him the best for the future.”
Ambushing people’s DMs to provoke late night cybersex isn’t great. No matter how many hours of sleep or how embarrassing it is, everyone needs to be able to recognize when it’s finally time to disconnect.
