Buzz
Once Again, Faker's Influence is Demonstrated
In recent days, the LoL community's attention has been on Faker facing game sabotage while climbing ranks. The culprit, Top Esports' top laner Qingtian, has sparked intense debate globally and within LCK and LPL. Everyone is eager to see how TES, LPL, and Riot will handle Qingtian's case, particularly after Faker's strong intervention.
Recently, both TES and LPL have announced penalties for Qingtian. TES revealed a one-month salary deduction for Qingtian, while LPL imposed a fine of 50,000 CNY (approximately 180 million VND) and suspended him for 2 matches. Immediate application of the punishment would mean missing matches against Weibo Gaming and Invictus Gaming. Additionally, Qingtian's Korean ranked account will be suspended until December 31, 2022.
Furthermore, LPL's announcement disclosed Qingtian's repeated display of toxic behavior and severe verbal abuse during rank climbing, indicating that this incident could be considered the final straw.
However, amidst this incident and LPL's announcement, the LoL community once again witnesses Faker's tremendous influence. As acknowledged by LPL, Qingtian's toxic behavior is not new, and he has undoubtedly been reported before, if LPL's reports are accurate. Moreover, toxicity and game sabotage have plagued LoL for a long time, especially in the Korean ranked scene, where even LPL pros like Uzi and Doinb have encountered it. But it took the direct intervention of 'President' Faker for responsible parties to take decisive action.
Certainly, Faker alone cannot eradicate toxicity in gaming, especially from a significant portion of players from LPL. However, this incident may signal the time for Riot to truly prioritize building a healthy gaming environment for both casual gamers and professional players worldwide.
