Former teammates of SofM and a group of players, along with 2 teams, face penalties for match-fixing

A major match-fixing scandal in the LDL league has just been exposed.

In recent days, the global League of Legends (LOL) community, both generally and particularly in the populous nation, has experienced a significant shake-up. In the second-tier LOL tournament in this region - LDL, another substantial match-fixing case has been unveiled, involving numerous individuals.

The issue of match-fixing has long been a troublesome problem in the LOL community in the LPL region, especially in the LDL tournament - a competition designed for young players to refine their skills, mentality, and preparation before moving up to the main teams. Notably, according to some investigations, not only young players but even former players who competed in the LPL like JingYi, Why... are also implicated.

A total of 28 players, staff, and 2 teams have been penalized. Among them, players such as JingYi, Why, Severe, and Asura are permanently banned from participating. Some teams, like FunPlus Phoenix Blaze (the second team of FunPlus Phoenix), have affirmed their cooperation with Riot and the LPL organizing committee to conduct investigations into those names not yet brought to light. Noteworthy among them is Asura, who was once a teammate of SofM for a brief period at LNG Esports.

The LDL tournament has long been seen as a competition where players frequently violate rules related to cheating and match-fixing. Sometimes, these incidents are so cunning that if the players themselves do not confess, they may never be discovered. An illustrative case is the situation of the player Bo from FunPlus Phoenix in the past. He admitted to cheating while competing in LDL and subsequently ended his professional LOL career in the populous nation.

This bold move may still not entirely cleanse the professional League of Legends environment in low-level tournaments in the LPL region. However, the community will have reasons to be concerned when the very young players - the future of League of Legends here, are the ones getting involved and jeopardizing their promising careers.