Maoan’s Betting Scandal at CKTG 2021
The 2021 World Championship was perhaps the most memorable for the League of Legends community. First, it was held at the peak of the pandemic. Next, for the first time in its history, EDG won the championship title. But equally notable: it was the first time in the history of the World Championships and international League of Legends tournaments that a player was suspended during the tournament for involvement in betting. That player was Maoan, the former mid-laner of Beyond Gaming.
Maoan’s actions not only affected BYG’s reputation but also that of the World Championship and especially the PCS region. Once seen as the “weaker” region in the League of Legends scene, Maoan’s incident further fueled negative perceptions about PCS. Following the incident, Maoan was kicked out of BYG (according to the team’s owner), and his former teammate Doggo expressed concern that Maoan might be thinking recklessly. Currently, the name Maoan has almost disappeared from the League of Legends scene.
The Canna – T1 Transfer Controversy
One of the most talked-about dramas in the LCK transfer market at the end of the 2021 season was the controversy between Canna and T1. The manager of the former T1 top-laner accused the team of pressuring and fabricating stories about Canna wanting to leave T1, while also preventing him from joining DWG KIA. Meanwhile, T1 claimed that Canna had expressed his desire to leave three times, even right before an important match at CKTG 2021. This incident sparked debates among T1 fans, Nongshim RedForce, and even Canna’s sister got involved.
The drama only ended when T1 announced the termination of Canna’s contract and bid farewell to him. His new destination is NS, which can be seen as the best resolution for all parties involved. Given the trouble caused, staying at T1 would only have piled on immense pressure for Canna in the new season.
FPX.Bo’s Betting Scandal
In Spring 2021, FunPlus Phoenix’s jungler Tian encountered health issues and the young player Bo was called up from the second team as a replacement. Bo performed exceptionally well, contributing significantly to FPX’s winning streak. Many fans were confident that Bo could fill the shoes of the 2019 World Championship MVP and become the new jungler for the Phoenix.
However, FPX later announced that Bo had confessed to participating in match-fixing during his time in LDL, and the LPL organizers proceeded with an investigation. A network was uncovered, and Bo, although somewhat coerced, could not escape punishment. He was banned from competition for four months. Since then, this young player’s career has ended before it even began. After his return, FPX players refused to let Bo replace Tian. Other teams in the LPL were unwilling to take on a player with a scandal. There were even reports that FPX had to find a way for Bo to join PCS, but to this day, he still has not found a new team.
Zeros Given a Global Ban for Irresponsible Comments
Spring 2021 could be considered one of the most dramatic periods, not only for the global League of Legends scene but also for VCS specifically. Besides Bo’s betting scandal, another more notable event was the global ban related to irresponsible comments regarding the Covid-19 pandemic. The punishment given to Zeros sent shockwaves through the Vietnamese League of Legends community and garnered international attention. The reason was that no player in League of Legends history had ever received a global ban for such behavior.
The punishment was deemed excessive and sparked much controversy, but it did not sway Riot’s decision. Zeros himself did not show remorse afterward and frequently attacked his former team GAM Esports whenever given the chance, even though the incident might not have been related to him. Zeros was even accused of “biting the hand that feeds him” when he expressed regret for “switching to SE”.
As the VCS Winter 2021 was about to start, Zeros unexpectedly expressed his desire for clemency but could not sway Riot and the VCS organizers. It can be said that perhaps in the esports community in general and the League of Legends scene in particular, no one can surpass (or even wishes to surpass) the negative “record” of the “Demon King 2k” from the VCS region.
