Former player kicked during Worlds makes a surprising “comeback”
Perhaps many League of Legends fans still remember the name Maoan – the former player of Beyond Gaming. With no notable achievements, Maoan created the most forgettable milestone in Worlds history by becoming the first (and only) player to be kicked out of the tournament. However, recently fans discovered that Maoan has actually returned for quite some time. In fact, the punishment for this player seems too light.
Specifically, despite being discovered and banned from competition in 2021, less than a year later, Maoan returned to play for Beyond Academy under the new name “1116”. Just four months later, Maoan (now “1116”) returned to BYG’s main team. Currently, he is playing for West Point from the Philippines.
In short, although he was a player directly involved in match-fixing during Worlds, Maoan only received a punishment lasting a few months. Another suspicious point is that this Academy team existed for only… 4 months. This team was formed when Maoan started joining and disbanded at the end of 2022 for him to return to the main team.
Community debates about the case of the “most special” player in Worlds history
For many fans, Maoan’s case can be considered… too light, and BYG has “played tricks” to outsmart Riot as well as the audience. The establishment of the Academy team “helped” Maoan escape Riot’s oversight. After that, he just needed to register under a different name, and this player instantly took on a new identity.
In total, the time Maoan had to endure Riot’s ban lasted less than half a year. For a name directly involved in the act, this punishment even seems somewhat… “unfair” compared to other players who have also “dirtied their hands.”
Of course, currently, Maoan has transitioned to a league even smaller than the previous PCS. And when Riot does not detect it, only the audience’s outrage has no effect on this player.