As we reported in a previous article, the Chinese League of Legends community is currently shaken by the match-fixing scandal involving Rogue Warriors’ jungler, Weiyan.
Immediately after receiving allegations regarding this player’s unusual behavior during an RW match at the LPL Spring 2020, Riot Games China promptly initiated an investigation and subsequently released a statement regarding the penalties for the individuals and organizations involved as follows:
On March 25th, the League of Legends Professional League’s Disciplinary Committee received a notification regarding Rogue Warriors’ jungler Weiyan violating tournament regulations (match-fixing, match manipulation). The committee launched an investigation to clarify the matter. Once everything was clarified, the committee issued the following punitive decisions:
According to the investigation results, evidence collection, and verification from related parties, the disciplinary committee determined that player Weiyan participated in illegal betting activities related to the professional League of Legends tournament for profit, violating Article 11.3 of the “2020 League of Legends Professional Tournament Rules.”
Deliberately manipulating match outcomes for unjust profit, violating Article 11.2.17 of the “2020 League of Legends Professional Tournament Rules.”
Based on the nature and severity of the incident, the disciplinary committee decided to announce the punishment: a 24-month ban on player Wang “Weiyan” Xiang, effective from March 27, 2020 – March 27, 2022.
During this period, Weiyan will not be allowed to participate in any activities related to League of Legends, including attending professional tournaments, amateur tournaments, and even streaming games.
Additionally, Rogue Warriors – Weiyan’s team – is also held accountable for “lax personnel management,” and is fined 3 million Yuan (nearly 10 billion VND).
Furthermore, the disciplinary committee is continuing to expand the investigation, as there are suspicions that the betting ring Weiyan participated in may involve other names in the professional League of Legends scene.
This can be considered one of the harshest penalties in the global Esports scene due to violations related to match-fixing, cheating, and match manipulation. For Weiyan, being barred from any involvement with League of Legends for two years effectively ends his competitive career, and even his only lifeline as a streamer is not permitted.