Recently, the penalties related to the largest match-fixing scandal in League of Legends history were announced, with 25 names remaining on the list. The heaviest penalty is a permanent ban from professional League of Legends, while the lightest is an 8-month suspension. Notably, some players who were once admired by fans for their talent and professionalism have now “fallen from grace.” These individuals not only jeopardize their own careers but also disappoint their mentors, older teammates, and especially the fans who have lost all trust, leaving only disappointment behind.
One of the players who has disappointed fans the most is Froggy. The Mid Laner was expected to be the elite generation following Optimus, and Froggy even became famous in the League of Legends community for his image of sleeping in the competition chair with a satisfied expression, which has become a widely circulated meme. For Coach Ren, he also actively nurtured the younger player – his student at Saigon Buffalo. However, one of the players that fans hoped would remain clean has now been implicated for 36 months.
Recently, Froggy has raised concerns among many fans due to signs of psychological instability. Specifically, in a recent stream, he switched to ranking up on the LEC server. In fact, during a Q&A session with viewers, Froggy stated that after the penalty, he would move to compete in the LEC because he has “been kicked out of the VCS.”
However, the reality is that this possibility is almost impossible. First, Froggy is currently preparing to turn 22, meaning that when his penalty ends, he will be 25 – an age considered quite old in the professional League of Legends scene. In fact, many players have retired at this age. Next, the penalty lasts for 3 years, which means Froggy will not compete in a professional environment for three consecutive years, and there is no guarantee that he can maintain his performance just by streaming.
Moreover, not competing also means that Froggy will not make any further marks in the professional League of Legends scene to have a chance of being noticed by teams. Furthermore, Froggy has been banned from competition due to match-fixing (according to Article 3 of Riot’s Global Code of Conduct). And almost no team will accept a player who has “fallen from grace” into their roster, even at lower tier levels.
Froggy’s attempts to rank or play League of Legends may currently just be to alleviate his longing for the game. Because it seems that Froggy himself realizes that his situation makes it very difficult to return, if not almost impossible. Even in the VCS, there might not be a place for him, not to mention the international scene. Furthermore, Froggy needs to maintain his composure to find a better path for the future, at least during this current penalty period.