As we reported, the League of Legends community in general and fans of T1 in particular have decided to stand up for justice for their idol. Accordingly, Korean fans are continuously urging T1 to take legal action against individuals who engage in online harassment towards players, especially Faker.
(Cyberbullying or cyber harassment is a form of bullying or harassment done through electronic means. As the digital realm continues to develop, the incidence of cyberbullying among young people is increasing. This bullying behavior includes spreading rumors, personal attacks, harassment, revealing personal information, and using hate speech to label the target. Such bullying behaviors are repetitive, directly harming the mental health of victims, leading to increased negative emotions, anxiety, and can result in depression or even suicide).
LoL: T1’s Head Coach Shares Incredible Pressure Following Faker and Teammates’ Loss in LCK According to Coach Kim, T1 players (or even former SKT members) always endure a lot of insults when they perform poorly. These do not stop at ordinary critiques or expressions of disappointment but are accompanied by severe offensive, threatening, and abusive language: “How come I don’t receive a single message after T1 wins? I get about 20 or 30 messages whenever T1 loses. People just create accounts to insult…”
Recently, Faker’s grandmother also became a target of attack from an extremist with a message right on a donation: “Your grandmother must be so proud to have a useless grandchild like you.” At that moment, both Faker and fans were incredibly shocked, especially since the community understands very well the influence of his grandmother on the Demon King.
With the effort of sending emails from the League of Legends community in Korea – and a few from Chinese fans, T1 has begun collecting evidence of online harassment against the team and individual members from all sources and all countries.
After a period of waiting, T1 has recently taken further steps to demonstrate their commitment to resolving this issue. Accordingly, T1 worked with the responsible Lawyer and Prosecutor at the office this afternoon, confirming that there would be no forgiveness or leniency for insulting and defaming the players and their families, especially Faker, while also thanking the Korean fan community for their assistance in gathering evidence of defamatory comments during this time.
It is known that on October 6th, T1 officially filed a lawsuit through a law firm with the Central Seoul Prosecutor’s Office against individuals involved in online harassment of the team’s players. Naturally, this firm stance from T1 has somewhat soothed the team’s fans in general and Faker’s fans in particular, after many similar incidents before.
However, some fans believe that this is still too late compared to what the players have had to endure. It is hoped that T1’s lawsuit will set a precedent for other teams to confidently protect the rights of their members, as well as serve as a stern warning to anyone intending to insult or defame others.