FlyQuest president and chief gaming officer Chris “PapaSmithy” Smith has publicly apologized to Marc “Caedrel” Lamont and other League of Legends costreamers after a controversial video from earlier this year resurfaced during the LCS playoffs.
The dispute dates back to April, when FlyQuest published a video examining the growing role of content creators and costreaming in Western League of Legends esports. The discussion quickly became controversial after Caedrel was prominently featured in the video’s thumbnail and was presented as a central example in the debate.
Five months later, the issue returned to the spotlight when Caedrel openly rooted against FlyQuest during its playoff series against Team Liquid, describing the matchup as a “generational hatewatch.” Team Liquid went on to sweep FlyQuest 3-0 and secure its place at the 2026 World Championship.
With FlyQuest facing an elimination series against Shopify Rebellion on Sept. 25, PapaSmithy addressed the controversy publicly and acknowledged that the organization had mishandled the original video.
PapaSmithy admits FlyQuest mishandled the costreaming video
PapaSmithy accepted responsibility for FlyQuest’s handling of the controversy.
He said the organization had intended to create a nuanced discussion about the economics and future of costreaming, but acknowledged that the video and its presentation failed to communicate that intention.
The thumbnail, which prominently featured Caedrel, became one of the most criticized elements of the video. The video also went through title changes, at one point being titled “Did Content Creators Bankrupt Esports?”, further contributing to the perception that the organization was targeting creators rather than simply examining the business model.
PapaSmithy said FlyQuest’s intention was never to disparage Caedrel, his community, or costreamers more broadly.
Instead, he stressed that the organization has significant respect for the role creators play in keeping League esports audiences engaged.
The debate over costreaming
The original FlyQuest video appeared at a time when costreaming had become one of the most important developments in Western League esports.
Costreaming allows creators to watch official competitive matches while providing their own commentary and analysis to their audiences. For major personalities, these streams can attract audiences that might not otherwise watch the official broadcast.
Caedrel has become one of the most prominent examples of that model. His costreams regularly attract large audiences during major League of Legends competitions, making him an influential figure in the way fans consume the esport.
That has also created an ongoing debate around the relationship between creator-led broadcasts and official league broadcasts.
Costreams can introduce competitive League of Legends to new audiences and provide an alternative viewing experience. At the same time, viewers watching a creator’s stream are not necessarily watching the official broadcast, raising questions about advertising, sponsorship value, audience measurement, and the long-term commercial model for esports.
The FlyQuest controversy highlighted how sensitive that discussion has become, particularly when organizations and creators have overlapping commercial interests.
Caedrel’s “generational hatewatch” brings the issue back
Despite the controversy being months old, the issue clearly remained relevant to Caedrel.
Before FlyQuest’s playoff series against Team Liquid, Caedrel told his audience he would be rooting for Team Liquid, directly connecting his stance to the earlier FlyQuest video. He subsequently described the series as a “generational hatewatch.”
Team Liquid then completed the result Caedrel had been watching for, sweeping FlyQuest 3-0 and qualifying for Worlds 2026. FlyQuest was sent to the lower bracket, where it now faces Shopify Rebellion in an elimination match.
The situation also created an unusual consequence for FlyQuest: a controversy originally centered on audience growth and costreaming had become part of the narrative surrounding its own playoff matches.
PapaSmithy acknowledged that irony in his apology, pointing to Caedrel’s ability to bring new viewers to League esports. He said it was deeply embarrassing that some of those viewers were now particularly invested in watching FlyQuest lose because of a controversy the organization itself had helped create.
FlyQuest apologizes to creators and players
PapaSmithy also made it clear that the apology was not limited to Caedrel.
He specifically praised Caedrel and Christian “IWDominate” Rivera for the communities and audiences they have built around competitive League of Legends. He also apologized for the toxicity that followed the video and said FlyQuest had unintentionally placed creators in the middle of a controversy they did not create.
That included FlyQuest-affiliated creators LS, Basil, and Grim, as well as the organization’s LCS players.
According to PapaSmithy, none of those individuals endorsed the video, and criticism surrounding it should be directed at FlyQuest rather than at the players competing for a place at Worlds.
The distinction is important given how quickly the original costreaming debate became personalized. What began as a discussion about the business and future of esports broadcasting eventually led to criticism and harassment directed at individuals connected to the conversation.
FlyQuest unlists the original video
FlyQuest has now unlisted the original video.
PapaSmithy explained that the organization initially kept the video available as a record of its mistake. However, FlyQuest eventually concluded that leaving it online was being interpreted as a sign that the organization still stood behind its original messaging.
The decision to unlist it accompanies PapaSmithy’s broader clarification that FlyQuest does not oppose Caedrel or costreaming.
Instead, the organization is acknowledging that the way it chose to raise questions about the future of esports broadcasting overshadowed the underlying discussion.
Costreaming remains a major part of League esports
The controversy is unlikely to settle the broader debate surrounding costreaming.
Creator-led broadcasts have become an increasingly important way for fans to consume competitive League of Legends, particularly when personalities offer a different style of analysis, entertainment, or community interaction from the official broadcast.
At the same time, the sustainability of official broadcasts remains an important issue for tournament organizers, teams, broadcasters, sponsors, and publishers. The April discussion demonstrated how difficult it can be to balance those interests without turning a structural conversation into a dispute between individual creators and organizations.
For FlyQuest, however, the immediate priority is now competitive. Following its 3-0 loss to Team Liquid, the team enters its Sept. 25 series against Shopify Rebellion with its Worlds hopes on the line.
Whether the apology puts the costreaming controversy behind the organization remains to be seen, but PapaSmithy’s statement represents a clear acknowledgment that FlyQuest’s original approach failed to communicate the nuanced discussion it intended to have.
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