Richard Lewis (journalist)

In late 2015, it was reported that broadcasting conglomerate Turner would be launching a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive professional league, called ELEAGUE, which would be aired weekly on the American television channel TBS.{{cite web |last=Schwartz |first=Nick |date=Sep 23, 2015 |title=Turner buys into eSports with creation of new 'Counter-Strike' league |url=https://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/09/turner-new-counter-strike-league-esports}} Lewis was invited to be a host for the league in 2016.{{cite web |date=May 23, 2016 |title=ELEAGUE Season 1 - Richard Lewis: "Turner respect the sport" |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKjJWH0N_F4 |publisher=HLTV.org}} In April 2018, Lewis announced that after two years with ELEAGUE he would be leaving as the full-time host to pursue other opportunities.{{cite web |last=Van Allen |first=Eric |date=Apr 7, 2018 |title=Richard Lewis Leaves Full-time Hosting Job At Eleague |url=https://compete.kotaku.com/richard-lewis-leaves-full-time-hosting-job-at-eleague-1825082237 |publisher=Kotaku}}

In November 2015 at DreamHack Winter 2015, police were called following a physical altercation between Lewis and Alliance Dota 2 player Jonathan 'Loda' Berg. On Twitter, Berg claimed he was strangled by Lewis, and Lewis responded saying he acted defensively when confronted by Berg who should not have been allowed backstage. Lewis told PC Gamer he apologized to Berg and that the police found it reasonable he felt threatened by Berg's actions. Police confirmed an assault was reported but no charges were filed.{{cite web |last=Thursten |first=Chris |date=Nov 30, 2015 |title=Police called to DreamHack Winter 2015 over alleged assault |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/police-called-to-dreamhack-winter-2015-over-alleged-assault/ |publisher=PC Gamer}}{{cite web |last=Good |first=Owen S. |date=Dec 1, 2015 |title=Backstage fight at esports tournament reignites in social media |url=https://www.polygon.com/2015/12/1/9829576/dreamhack-fight-loda-breitbart-richard-lewis-assault |publisher=Polygon}} DreamHack responded saying that Berg "aggressively approached" Lewis, and while the two were yelling at each other, Lewis was the first to initiate physical contact by grabbing Berg's neck when he felt threatened. DreamHack intended to ask both Berg and Lewis to leave, but after apologizing to each other they were allowed to stay, however, DreamHack announced they would no longer work with Richard Lewis. "We cannot condone violent behavior at our events."{{cite web |last=Thursten |first=Chris |date=Dec 1, 2015 |title=Richard Lewis "initiated physical contact" according to DreamHack |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/richard-lewis-dreamhack-esports-update/ |publisher=PC Gamer}}

In July 2018, ESP Gaming announced that Richard Lewis would serve as Director of Talent and oversee the on-air personalities for a new multi-genre esports tournament series called the "World Showdown of Esports (WSOE)."{{cite web |url=https://www.vpesports.com/featured-news/fight-card-style-world-showdown-of-esports-tournament-announced/ |title=Fight Card-Style 'World Showdown of Esports' Tournament Announced |date=July 10, 2018 |first=Steven |last=Cropley |publisher=VPEsports |accessdate=Nov 21, 2018 |archive-date=November 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121121741/https://www.vpesports.com/featured-news/fight-card-style-world-showdown-of-esports-tournament-announced/ |url-status=dead }}

In October and November 2021, Lewis was the desk host of the PGL Major Stockholm, the first CS:GO major in two years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite news |last=Biazzi |first=Leonardo |date=4 October 2021 |title=PGL Stockholm Major talent lineup revealed |url=https://dotesports.com/counter-strike/news/pgl-stockholm-major-talent-lineup-revealed |access-date=9 February 2024 |work=Dot Esports}}

In October 2022, Lewis became a contributor to a new esports media network Last Free Nation co-founded by Christopher "MonteCristo" Mykles and Duncan "Thorin" Shields.{{Cite news |last=Šimić |first=Ivan |date=11 October 2022 |title=MonteCristo and Thorin launch media network Last Free Nation, featuring major esports personalities |work=Esports Insider |url=https://esportsinsider.com/2022/10/montecristo-and-thorin-launch-media-network-last-free-nation |access-date=28 September 2023}} Lewis hosts "The Four Horsemen" podcast with Mykles and Shields.{{cite AV media |people = Christopher Mykles, Duncan Shields, Richard Lewis |date = 23 February 2021 |title = Should LCS REMOVE player REGION LOCKING? - The Four Horsemen S1E1 (feat. Danan) |type = Podcast |language = en |url = https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzBq1zjrpqShBf9bPPqh_bjuuFtogVpKy |access-date = 9 February 2023 |publisher = Last Free Nation |via = YouTube}}

In March 2024, Lewis was the desk host for the first Counter-Strike 2 major PGL Major Copenhagen.{{Cite web |title=Unveiling the Voices Behind PGL CS2 Major Copenhagen 2024: Desk Hosts, Stage Host, and Content |url=https://press.pglesports.com/298996-unveiling-the-voices-behind-pgl-cs2-major-copenhagen-2024-desk-hosts-stage-host-and-content |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=press.pglesports.com |language=en}}

In January 2015, Lewis broke the story that two professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams, iBUYPOWER and NetcodeGuides.com, were conspiring in a match fixing scandal for financial reward in 2014. Valve, the game's developer, later permanently banned the players involved from any tournaments organized by the company.{{cite news |last1=Lewis |first1=Richard |title=New evidence points to match-fixing at highest level of American Counter-Strike |url=https://dotesports.com/general/news/match-fixing-counter-strike-ibuypower-netcode-guides |access-date=9 February 2024 |work=Dot Esports |date=16 January 2015}}

In 2015, Lewis reported that moderators of the League of Legends subreddit had signed non-disclosure agreements and received free swag from the game's developer Riot Games, and that several former moderators were later hired by the company, despite public statements that the subreddit was fully independent from Riot.{{cite web |last=Lewis |first=Richard |date=Mar 28, 2015 |title=League Reddit mods signed non-disclosure agreements with Riot Games |url=https://www.dailydot.com/esports/reddit-moderators-riot-games-league-of-legends-nda/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160517041336/https://www.dailydot.com/esports/reddit-moderators-riot-games-league-of-legends-nda/ |archive-date=May 17, 2016 |publisher=The Daily Dot}}{{cite web |last=Lewis |first=Richard |date=Mar 31, 2015 |title=A look at the relationship between Riot Games and the League of Legends subreddit |url=https://www.dailydot.com/esports/riot-games-league-of-legends-subreddit-relationship/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160525214504/https://www.dailydot.com/esports/riot-games-league-of-legends-subreddit-relationship/ |archive-date=May 25, 2016 |publisher=The Daily Dot}} A month later, a moderator for the subreddit announced Lewis's content was indefinitely banned from the subreddit after alleged harassment from Lewis's fans.{{cite web |title=Subreddit Ruling: Richard Lewis |date=22 April 2015 |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/leagueoflegends/comments/33g6xs/subreddit_ruling_richard_lewis/ |publisher=Reddit}} Lewis disputed the allegations of abusive behavior, and argued that he had never asked his followers on Twitter to harass Reddit users.{{cite web |last=LeJacq |first=Yannick |date=Apr 23, 2015 |title=The League Of Legends Subreddit Is Having A Rough Month |url=https://kotaku.com/the-league-of-legends-subreddit-is-having-a-rough-month-1699807333 |accessdate=Nov 20, 2018 |publisher=Kotaku}}

In September 2020, Lewis became the first editor-at-large of Dexerto.{{Cite news|last=Kent|first=Mike|date=September 11, 2020|title=Dexerto names Richard Lewis as first Editor-at-Large of Dexerto.com|work=Dexerto|url=https://www.dexerto.com/press/dexerto-names-richard-lewis-as-first-editor-at-large-of-dexerto-com-1418185|access-date=September 11, 2020}} He resigned from his position in March 2023 citing creative differences.{{Cite tweet |user=RLewisReports |number=1632054176715874308 |title=Talked about it on stream last night but for those that didn't know after 4 great years I'll be leaving Dexerto. It's my choice and totally amicable. Just creative differences in a changing landscape. Frees me up for more content creation and long form journalism.}}

In 2022, Lewis broke the story that a former TSM coach was soliciting payments from prospective players in exchange for ensuring they would be added to the roster.{{cite news |last1=Lewis |first1=Richard |title=Sources: TSM League coach Peter Zhang fired for alleged financial irregularities |url=https://www.dexerto.com/league-of-legends/sources-tsm-league-coach-peter-zhang-fired-for-alleged-financial-irregularities-1787150/ |work=Dexerto |date=20 March 2022 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Lewis |first1=Richard |title=TSM investigation confirms coach’s inappropriate behaviour around player salaries |url=https://www.dexerto.com/league-of-legends/tsm-investigation-confirms-coachs-inappropriate-behaviour-around-player-salaries-1834086/ |work=Dexerto |date=27 May 2022 |language=en}} Later that year, Lewis broke the story that TSM was looking to sell their franchised LCS slot,{{cite web |last1=Lewis |first1=Richard |title=TSM recently considered selling LCS slot |url=https://www.dexerto.com/league-of-legends/tsm-recently-considered-selling-lcs-slot-1887092/ |publisher=Dexerto |language=en |date=28 July 2022}} which they later did in 2023.{{cite web |last1=Datuin |first1=Sage |title=Where TSM should go after leaving LCS |url=https://esi.si.com/league-of-legends/tsm-leave-lcs |publisher=Esports Illustrated |access-date=9 February 2024 |language=en |date=21 May 2023}}

In March 2023, Lewis broke the news about the imminent launch of Counter-Strike 2.{{Cite news |last=Roth |first=Emma |date=5 March 2023 |title=Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is reportedly getting a major update soon |work=The Verge |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/5/23626439/valve-counter-strike-global-offensive-source-2-update |access-date=28 September 2023}}

In Fall 2021, Lewis began working as a lecturer at the University of New Haven, teaching an online course for student in the school's Master's in Esports Business program, alongside Declan Hill.{{Cite web |last=Chmiel |first=Renee |date=17 November 2021 |title=Renowned Journalist to Teach Esports Integrity Course at the University |url=https://www.newhaven.edu/news/blog/2021/renowned-journalist-to-teach-esports-integrity.php |access-date=28 September 2023 |website=University of New Haven |language=en}}

In 2016 Lewis was awarded the "Esports Journalist of the Year" award by Esports Industry Awards.{{cite tweet|number=800640112614895617|user=esportsawards|title=You have chosen @RLewisReports as your #eSports Journalist of The Year!|date=Nov 21, 2016}} In 2019, Lewis won the award a second time. In his 2019 acceptance speech, Lewis criticized gaming outlets such as Kotaku and Polygon for gatekeeping the games industry.{{cite web |last=Tamburro |first=Paul |date=November 18, 2019 |title=Richard Lewis uses Esports Awards 2019 speech to call out Polygon, Kotaku, and Waypoint |url=https://www.gamerevolution.com/game-culture/617520-richard-lewis-uses-esports-awards-2019-speech-to-call-out-polygon-kotaku-and-waypoint |accessdate=November 18, 2019 |work=Game Revolution}} In 2020 Lewis was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Esports Industry Awards.{{Cite web |last=Ashford |first=Alex |date=2021-08-17 |title=Richard Lewis {{!}} Esports Awards |url=https://esportsawards.com/richard-lewis-2020/ |access-date=2024-02-28 |language=en-GB}} In 2023 Lewis won his third Esports Journalist of The Year Award.{{cite news |last1=Gardner |first1=Matt |title=Esports Awards 2023 Winners: Faker, Team Vitality, Riot Get Top Honors |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattgardner1/2023/12/01/esports-awards-2023-winners-t1-team-vitality-riot-take-top-honors/?sh=7686475c7eb1 |access-date=December 1, 2023 |work=Forbes |date=December 1, 2023 |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Previous Winners - 2023 |url=https://esportsawards.com/previous-winners/esports-awards-2023/ |website=Esports Awards |access-date=21 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241121102900/https://esportsawards.com/previous-winners/esports-awards-2023/ |archive-date=21 November 2024}}

Lewis was a close friend and roommate of Maria "Remilia" Creveling, the first woman to play in the League Championship Series. He was the first to publicly announce her 2019 death.{{Cite news |last=Wolf |first=Jacob |date=28 December 2019 |title=Remilia, first woman to compete in LCS, dies at 24 |work=ESPN |url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/28383021/remilia-first-woman-compete-lcs-dies-24 |access-date=28 September 2023}}{{Cite news |last=Hitt |first=Kevin |date=31 December 2019 |title=Reflecting on the Passing of League of Legends Esports Pioneer Maria 'Remilia' Creveling |work=The Esports Observer |url=https://archive.esportsobserver.com/remilia-passing-opinion/ |access-date=28 September 2023}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://richardlewis.substack.com/ Richard Lewis's Substack]

{{Professional Counter-Strike competition}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Richard}}

Category:British Twitch (service) streamers

Category:Esports commentators

Category:Esports journalists

Category:Living people

Category:Place of birth missing (living people)

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)