Perhaps, there are few regions that face as many troubles immediately after announcing their League of Legends (LoL) roster for the ASIAD as the host nation, China. Shortly after the official lineup for the LoL team was revealed, rumors of favoritism arose when Coach KenZhu selected his two pupils from Edward Gaming (EDG), Meiko and Jiejie. The issue of form has left fans skeptical about the duo who previously won at the 2021 World Championship (Worlds).
Just as the “favoritism” issue seemed to calm down, another problem emerged almost immediately. Specifically, it was reported that some players on this roster exhibited behaviors unfit for professional players representing their national LoL team. Attention shifted to JackeyLove, who is known for his fondness for gambling. An old photo of JackeyLove playing with Uzi resurfaced.
However, the climax came on July 3rd (Vietnam time) when the official page of the Tongjiang city government announced that a person with the same name as JackeyLove had been arrested. This prompted Top Esports to quickly confirm that JackeyLove was safe and sound. Nevertheless, many fans remained skeptical, believing it was too coincidental for such timing.
By the end of the day, according to Chinese media, the ASIAD LoL roster from the host nation underwent changes. Accordingly, 369 and JackeyLove have stepped down, replaced by Xun (Jungle) and Elk (AD Carry). Thus, Bin remains the sole Top Laner while the Jungle will consist of Xun and Jiejie. According to LPL sources, 369 stepped down due to a hand injury, while JackeyLove cited personal issues. Many opinions suggest that JackeyLove’s withdrawal is reasonable, as even if he is innocent, he has caused too much trouble, affecting the image of LoL in the populous nation.
Currently, information regarding the new roster for the LoL team is only coming from Chinese media. However, for the audience, a challenging ASIAD is approaching, especially as the team has weakened itself due to unnecessary troubles stemming from within the players’ ranks.