One of the biggest sporting events of the year – the Asian Games 2022 (ASIAD 2022), which was planned to take place in Hangzhou, China, has officially announced its indefinite postponement. The reason given is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Chinese Olympic Committee stated that they will announce the return date for ASIAD 2022 in the future.
This is truly a major shock to the world of sports in general and to Esports and League of Legends in particular. This marks the first time that Esports, specifically League of Legends, had the opportunity to compete for medals at an Asian Games. Furthermore, at the 2018 Asian Games, China’s League of Legends team defeated the South Korean team. Fans in South Korea were certainly hopeful that their team would seek revenge in this return. Additionally, winning a gold medal at the Asian Games would exempt Faker from mandatory military service under South Korean law.
However, with the official postponement of ASIAD 2022, this will have serious implications for Faker’s career. Currently, the legend of the League of Legends world is 26 years old, and if ASIAD 2022 is postponed to 2023, Faker will then be 27 years old. Reaching the age for mandatory military service is one thing, and no one can be sure that the “Demon King” will maintain his current level of performance into next year.
In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic still being complicated, it is understandable that China is implementing strict measures to control the situation. Even at the LPL Spring 2022 tournament, when the pandemic began to show signs of resurgence, teams immediately switched to online play. Recently, the LPL was given special permission by Riot to compete online instead of gathering in Busan like other teams.
With ASIAD 2022 postponed, Faker’s goals for this year now only include MSI 2022, the Summer Split 2022, and the World Championship 2022. And “Demon King” himself is likely one of the most disappointed, especially as he is already on the decline of his career and preparing to fulfill his military obligations under South Korean law.