SoNNeikO claimed that in reality, ATF and Skiter attacked him

Akbar "SoNNeikO" Butaev stated that he did not threaten Ammar "ATF" Al-Assaf, and in reality, the Team Falcons player and Oliver "Skiter" Lepko were the ones provoking the conflict.

He shared his version of events and provided evidence to back up his claims on his Telegram page.

"In one of the games, he called me 'braindead.' That hurt me. I wrote to him on social media and said that when we meet, I would teach him some manners. I was emotional, I admit that I was harsh, and I apologize for my tone and wording. I didn’t physically threaten him, and I'm attaching screenshots of the conversation to clarify what really happened"

Based on the conversation, it’s clear that SoNNeikO did not threaten ATF with violence, despite earlier circulating rumors. Furthermore, SoNNeikO mentioned that at the hotel, he simply wanted an apology from ATF, but instead, the insults intensified, with Skiter joining in on the attack.

Credit: SoNNeikO

"I approached him with a smile, in a friendly manner. I put my hand on his shoulder and gave him a friendly hug so that he would perceive me in the same friendly way. I asked him, 'Do you remember why we had this conflict? Do you remember what you said to me?' His answer shocked me: 'Yes, I remember, you're braindead'

I was surprised because I expected him to explain himself or apologize. I was also shocked by the provocative behavior of his teammates, who, of course, started defending him. Skiter was the most active in this. I asked him to give me the opportunity to talk to Ammar. I suggested that we move to the side to talk privately and without others around. Maybe this was perceived as an invitation to a fight, but my intention was to talk.

In response, Ammar started shouting, 'Hit me, come on, hit me right here,' and his teammate Skiter added fuel to the fire, calling me **** and provoking a fight. The conflict escalated unexpectedly, and my team intervened, pulling me aside, after which we left"

Furthermore, according to SoNNeikO, Skiter insulted not only him but also a PGL staff member who was nearby. SoNNeikO is confident that the tournament organizers have proof that there were no verbal or physical threats from his side.

"After that, Team Falcons told the organizers that I had allegedly threatened Ammar with physical violence, which is not true. I'm sure PGL has recordings from the cameras showing that there were no threats—neither verbal nor any provocative movements. The only physical contact was my hand on his shoulder, and that's it"

So far, PGL and Team Falcons have not commented on the situation, but this information drastically changes the perception of the incident.