In any professional sport, as well as in Esports, the issue of corruption (match-fixing, betting scandals…) is an act that must be eradicated and dealt with thoroughly. These actions not only affect the results of one or two matches, but the entire sport will be impacted. More concerning, the damages and consequences they bring can have long-lasting effects on the future, even for those individuals or teams not involved in the incidents. A prime example is the LDL – the second most prestigious tournament in China, only behind the largest league, LPL.
However, this tournament has been embroiled in controversy, and the issues have persisted for many years. Specifically, LDL is always regarded as the second most professional League of Legends tournament in the land of a billion, but for a long time, LDL has also been associated with negative issues related to match-fixing and corruption. Not far back, in 2021, the jungler Bo from FunPlus Phoenix confessed to his match-fixing behavior. Notably, Bo’s actions occurred when he was still in LDL and after he was promoted to FPX’s main roster; if Bo hadn’t come forward, it might not have been discovered.
After Bo’s incident, many other names have gradually surfaced over the years. These cases sometimes involve individual players, but at times, entire teams as well. Specifically, in August 2022, LDL punished and banned all members of two teams, Team Orange and TWELVE, for match-fixing.
Perhaps it is precisely because the issue of match-fixing in this tournament is becoming persistent and increasingly difficult to resolve that LPL and Riot are considering permanently closing the league. Specifically, according to the usual schedule, at this time, LDL should have already launched its Spring 2024 season (the LDL Spring 2023 began on February 4, but prior to that, it had been heavily promoted and updated on all platforms). However, everything remains strangely quiet. Even the LDL Weibo page has not shown any welcoming activities or signs that a new season will begin.
Perhaps, the LDL tournament this year does not need to start early, but there is also the possibility that LPL and Riot plan to overhaul the entire tournament system. Regardless of the reason, if LDL truly has to suspend, it could significantly impact the League of Legends scene in the land of a billion, as this tournament provides a significant number of young players for teams in LPL and other regions.