Further allegations against Maniac show pattern of inappropriate behavior

Following allegations on social media on Wednesday of inappropriate behavior by Counter-Strike 2 desk host and commentator Mathieu “Maniac” Quiquerez, multiple other women as well as eyewitnesses who spoke to Dust2.us have accused Quiquerez of groping, kissing, and non-consensual touching.

Eight sources have come forward to provide more details about Quiquerez's actions at a G2 Esports-sponsored June 16th afterparty in London following the BLAST Premier: Spring Final. Three of these sources went on the record, while five requested anonymity due to their roles in the esports industry and fear of professional repercussions. BLAST - the organizer of several events where incidents in this story allegedly occurred - and Quiquerez did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

On Wednesday, two industry professionals, Hannah Marie and Daisy Powers, claimed that Quiquerez engaged in inappropriate touching, groping, and harassment at the afterparty at the June 16 event. Following Quiquerez’s response to Marie’s allegations, esports talent Jack “Jacky” Peters, who is Powers’ fiancé and worked alongside Quiquerez at the BLAST event, released a four-minute video on X corroborating Powers’ allegations, while making additional allegations towards Quiquerez.

After those allegations, another woman, Heidi Darragh, spoke to Dust2.us and accused Quiquerez of inappropriately touching her throughout that June 16th evening. “Throughout the event, I was warned to stay away from [Quiquerez],” Darragh told Dust2.us, claiming that friends told her that Quiquerez often became intoxicated and harassed women during these types of events.

“I tried to avoid [Quiquerez], but I didn’t know who he was or what he looked like, so inevitably, he came up next to me to dance with me,” Darragh said. “He then grabbed the side of my face and pulled me towards him to whisper something in my ear. My friends saw this and pulled me away from him, and from that point on, they made sure they stood on either side of me while we all still had fun.”

After that, Darragh said, Quiquerez allegedly approached her to dance again, but was confronted by her friends.

“I was taken aback by this man who I did not know, grabbing my face and pulling me so close to him,” Darragh explained. “I was just trying to enjoy my night, so I tried not to think anything of it after that. Now, hearing about all the other experiences people have had with him, I again am so thankful to have people who stopped it from getting any further.”

In speaking to Dust2.us, four others who attended the London event, including Counter-Strike 2 pros Cai “CYPHER” Watson and Rhys “Rhys” Stumbles, claimed they witnessed Quiquerez behave inappropriately towards Daragh and two other women. Stumbles, for his part, said he personally intervened to separate Darragh from Quiquerez throughout the evening.

“He kept coming up very drunk to [Darragh] and getting way too close,” Stumbles told Dust2.us. “This led to later in the night him coming up behind her and slapping her ass, then walking away smiling at her. … For the rest of the night I was having to body block this girl away from [Quiquerez] since he kept trying to come back to her.”

In his recollection, Watson echoed Stumbles’ version of events, claiming that Quiquerez’s statement and portrayal of that night was not accurate.

Quiquerez’s behavior at the Lafayette event venue in London appears not to be isolated to a single night. On Wednesday and Thursday, multiple women came forward to Dust2.us to share their experiences with Quiquerez over the past few years, which includes sexually suggestive messages over Instagram.

In one instance, the analyst messaged one woman who said she was 17 at the time.

The messages, which the woman provided to Dust2.us, show Quiquerez asking in June if she was excited to turn 18 soon. Before 6 a.m. Central European Time on Oct. 2, 2023, the day after the conclusion of the ESL Pro League Season 18 final in Malta, in which Quiquerez worked, he messaged that woman again after she had turned 18. She did not respond. Five hours later, he followed with an apology for being “horny.”

Dust2.us has also learned of three other incidents involving Quiquerez where he allegedly acted inappropriately with women.

One woman, who has worked in the esports industry for years and requested anonymity, spoke to Dust2.us about two incidents involving Quiquerez. The first incident was during IEM Katowice 2022, where the woman alleged that Quiquerez groped, held, kissed, and dragged her around the venue while she appeared visibly intoxicated and not able to take care of herself. It’s not clear if others witnessed her account. However, one of that woman’s confidants spoke to Dust2.us and said she had privately relayed that story prior to speaking to Dust2.us on Wednesday and Thursday.

The second incident occurred at the 2023 HLTV Award Show afterparty, where she alleges Quiquerez once again harassed her while he appeared intoxicated. Both the woman and her then-partner said that when he stepped away to order drinks, Quiquerez brought the woman to the dance floor and touched her inappropriately.

They say two others intervened but that she did not make a scene at the party in fear of retaliation. “I’ve worked too hard to lose anything because of him,” she told Dust2.us.

Dust2.us spoke to a representative of HLTV who said that they were unaware of the incident. Of note, HLTV.org and Dust2.us are related entities through Better Collective.

In another incident at the 2022 BLAST World Finals, three witnesses told Dust2.us that Quiquerez was physically removed from the venue due to inappropriate behavior towards another woman. Two on-camera talent working the event, who have requested anonymity due to the nature of their jobs, described that Quiquerez continued to harass that woman throughout that evening by groping and attempting to kiss her.

While the woman was in a circle of friends, Quiquerez danced right next to her, rubbing his body over hers while touching her, they alleged. After a prolonged period, Quiquerez was removed from the venue by multiple other talent members.

Dust2.us has continuously contacted Quiquerez for comment on the alleged incidents; however, he has not responded to any of our requests.

Edit: The article previously included some misleading dates and context surrounding when Quiquerez messages the woman on Instagram. This has since been updated to be more clear and accurate.