World-famous preventing sport champion SonicFox walked out of the 2025 Mortal Kombat 1 Finals earlier than the medal ceremony, saying it was the “worst match” they’d ever competed in.
The Mortal Kombat 1 Professional Kompetition Finals befell over the weekend of September 26 – 28 in Mexico Metropolis, bringing collectively the world’s finest gamers to duke it out in a fruits of a months-long aggressive circuit that started in January.
Eight-time Evo champion Dominique ‘SonicFox’ McLean was one of many gamers who had certified for the Finals throughout the 12 months. The truth is, they even gained final 12 months’s MK 1 Finals, and was first within the League’s international standings for 2025.
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Nonetheless, issues on the Finals acquired off to a rocky begin. On social media, opponents claimed that the venue was affected by a number of points, with heavy rains within the space inflicting leaks that dripped down on commentators throughout the stream.
Manufacturing issues plagued the stream, with mistaken language tracks getting performed over casters throughout their evaluation and stream overlays being left up at inopportune occasions.
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On prime of that, others reported that points with seeding pressured organizers to reset a number of brackets totally, delaying the competitors and irritating gamers.
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Nonetheless, probably the most egregious concern befell throughout one of many greatest matches of the match. SonicFox was dealing with off towards Kanimani within the Prime 8 when manufacturing workers interrupted their struggle mid-match to repair an audio downside.
Whereas an innumerable quantity of glitches and snafus have occurred at esports tournaments all through historical past, to cease gamers mid-game is principally unparalleled. The stoppage triggered them to restart the set, throwing SonicFox off their sport and leading to a fifth-place end.
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SonicFox refuses medal after Mortal Kombat Finals manufacturing woes
McLean vented their frustration on X, calling the Mortal Kombat 1 Professional Kompetition Finals the “worst match” they’d ever been to. They even left the constructing earlier than receiving their medal in protest.
“Bro they actually stopped Kani and I mid match to repair audio as a substitute of ready after the spherical. I’m really so over this match,” they wrote. “I believe that’s the primary time I’ve ever genuinely, GENUINELY, been pissed at an occasion and it killed my momentum totally.”
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“I used to be biting my tongue all the weekend, however they’ve managed to f**okay up actually each potential step, from the seeding to the venue falling aside to actually interrupting me and Kani mid-set. At this level, I don’t actually care. I simply wanna depart.”
Commentator Evan Hashimoto additionally chimed in, writing of the match stoppage: “They actually broke the most important rule of aggressive integrity, holy sh*t. That is simply one of many worst occasions of all time. I’m genuinely so unhappy for gamers and casters.”
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Up to now, the match has not issued a public response to the backlash, leaving each gamers and viewers demanding solutions. Notably, Mortal Kombat creator Ed Boon was in attendance, however hasn’t but remarked on the scenario both in-person or on-line.
As beforehand talked about, that is removed from the primary time technical points and messy group have ruined a match expertise. In April 2025, Valorant’s premier EMEA League was pressured to close down its stream after technical points prompted a number of pauses throughout the competitors, making matches unplayable for Staff Liquid vs. Karmine Corp.
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