As we know, ASIAD Hangzhou will be the first time that Esports in general and League of Legends in particular are recognized as an official sport competing for medals. Given the significance and importance of this tournament, all countries aim to achieve the highest results. Specifically, in League of Legends, China (the host) and South Korea are the two countries predicted to face off in the final for the gold medal.
However, because Esports is considered a new sport for this tournament, strict regulations have been put in place, applicable to all teams as well as individuals participating in this discipline, including experts and commentators. There have been reports that sensitive terms (“kill”, “defeat”, etc.) are not allowed to be used, and commentators are prohibited from calling players by their familiar in-game nicknames. League of Legends fans have discussed these regulations extensively but can fully understand as this is a formal ASIAD event.
Recently, another regulation was shared by the editor-in-chief of an Esports magazine within the LPL to the community. Accordingly, the Asian Games will not make any exceptions for any player. Even if they are top players or the number one in the world, if they arrive even one minute late for the pre-match checks, that player will be disqualified. This means that if one or two players arrive late, a team will have to compete in a 4v5 situation or could even face a loss.
According to many comments from the League of Legends community, this regulation is understandable when applied to all athletes, not just those in Esports. In fact, some people even “dream” of a scenario where both Chovy and Faker play together if one player from the Korean team arrives late for any reason. One opinion shared: “So if, for example, someone arrives late, we could see Chovy in the Mid Lane and Faker as Support, just like the Vietnamese team, right?”.
Of course, arriving late is very rare, especially given the discipline and strictness of LCK players. But any situation can occur, and unexpected scenarios may arise at the upcoming ASIAD Hangzhou.