Caster Hoàng Luân likely knows he is indeed making a mistake
As known, in the final days of the LCK 2026 Rounds 1-2 group stage, the League of Legends community eagerly awaited final results, as they heavily impact the Road to MSI phase. However, alongside the intense matches, caster Hoàng Luân has drawn attention and controversy by involving himself in trouble due to a momentary “slip of the tongue,” triggering ongoing “verbal battles” with a segment of Gumayusi’s fans.
However, this time, it seems caster Hoàng Luân has made a mistake. Firstly, joking on a stream channel is completely normal. But posting that joke on his official channel definitely invites opposing opinions. As a veteran caster, Hoàng Luân surely understands this well. During BRO’s match coverage, he hesitated before joking about Teddy attending ASIAD, but eventually said it, and as expected, the reaction was inevitable.
Notably, Gumayusi’s position does not usually cause much controversy compared to Canyon’s, but there are still some fans of other players who are dissatisfied. The reaction from Gumayusi’s fans can be explained in various ways. Certainly, there is frustration having to face negative opinions directed at their player, especially when those come from one of the most influential voices in Vietnamese LoL. At that point, the joke was no longer seen as a joke.
Yet after posting an apology and remaining silent as usual, many were surprised when Hoàng Luân deleted his apology post and chose to “var” directly at the fans. Notably, he brought Smash — a player completely unrelated to the incident — into defending Gumayusi’s case.
But there is a fact that Hoàng Luân likely overlooked when writing his posts: Smash is the player T1’s coaching staff used to replace Gumayusi. In that context, regarding Smash’s drama last year, Gumayusi’s fans refrained from intervening to avoid escalating the issue. It is unlikely that one player’s fandom would support another player who replaced their idol on the bench.
Another factor is Hoàng Luân affirming himself as “the most impartial in the LoL scene.” In reality, this is unnecessary at this moment. Whether or not he is impartial will be judged by his actions and the audience’s evaluation. His repeated affirmations in some ways resemble Gumayusi’s fans or any player’s fans persistently providing evidence that their player deserves ASIAD and opposing dissenting opinions.
While condemning those fans’ reactions as affecting others and becoming overly sensitive, the caster inadvertently behaves exactly the same. For a seasoned caster who has faced hundreds or thousands of opposing opinions throughout his career, this reaction clearly surprises many and is not beneficial for Hoàng Luân.
Clearly, not all Gumayusi fans attack Hoàng Luân. But currently, even unrelated people or those who did not intervene in the drama must witness their player being criticized. Those (probably) defending Hoàng Luân do not directly target Gumayusi fans. They bring up old stories about Gumayusi from when he was still a trainee to respond to his fans. This situation has gotten out of control.
Perhaps now caster Hoàng Luân should remain silent or speak out to end the controversy
Up to now, the dispute has escalated beyond the scope of the caster’s “slip of the tongue” drama. The matter may only end when Hoàng Luân himself addresses it. However, how he expresses himself could determine whether the issue concludes or takes a new direction.