As we know, in the first “Super Classic” of the second round of the LCK Spring 2022 group stage, T1 defeated DWG KIA 2-0. On a day when ShowMaker was not himself, DK also lost their strength as Canyon was left to carry the team alone. The easy victory was somewhat surprising but entirely reasonable when looking at the performance of both teams.
However, the audience was also focused on the drama surrounding the match, particularly at the beginning of game 2. Specifically, as soon as the match started, Faker noticed that his headset had issues that prevented him from communicating with his teammates. However, Faker did not receive timely support from the referee, and it wasn’t until he tried to pause the game and accidentally pressed Flash that the game was stopped to resolve the issue.
According to LCK’s subsequent announcement, there was a misunderstanding between the referee and the players regarding the headset issue. The LCK organizers explained that the referee’s initial delay in resolving the issue was due to the belief that it was an audio filtering mechanism of the headset. Once it was confirmed that the headset was indeed malfunctioning, the LCK referee intervened and the final decision was to reset game 2 according to the chrono-break rules.
Recently, the released mic check between the referee and Faker has revealed another perspective on the incident. Specifically, when Faker discovered the mic issue, he immediately reported it to the referee. However, at that moment, since the game had just started, instead of pausing the game immediately to address the issue, LCK requested the players to wait 2-3 times even though Faker and Keria repeatedly asked to stop the game for assistance. Only later did the referee inquire about Faker’s headset issue, and ultimately, the game was paused only when Faker accidentally pressed Flash.
The delay in resolving the referee’s issue revealed through the mic check has further raised doubts among the audience regarding the professionalism of LCK. Some spectators even posed the scenario that if DK had invaded the jungle early, the result could have been different, and LCK would face trouble if T1 lost this match due to the headset issue not being addressed in time.
Additionally, there are opinions suggesting that by releasing this evidence, LCK has adjusted it to lessen the “guilt” of the referees in particular and the LCK organizers in general.
Moreover, there is also a “conspiracy theory” suggesting that Faker is now just a “stepchild” of LCK, but this argument is entirely unreasonable as Faker remains a legend and a “view-pulling machine” for LCK. Furthermore, T1 is currently in good form and is a strong candidate for the LCK Spring 2022 championship. It can only be attributed to the negligence and lack of professionalism from the LCK organizers. According to reports, LCK will seek disciplinary action from the referee committee of the Korean e-sports association (KeSPA) against the referee in this match.