In the LPL Spring 2022, Huanfeng was one of the most consistently performing players on the Weibo Gaming roster throughout the regular season. However, the marksman born in 2001 could not maintain that perfect form towards the end of the regular season and into the playoffs. Notably, the match against JD Gaming can be considered Huanfeng’s worst performance this Spring. If Huanfeng had played better, WBG might have had a chance to advance.
But as the Spring 2022 season ended for WBG and the players are resting to prepare for the upcoming Summer season, Huanfeng finds himself in trouble. Recently, Huanfeng’s ex-girlfriend, known by the nickname 荔枝 (Lychee), publicly accused the WBG marksman of abuse and insults during their relationship until their breakup. Notably, according to her, Huanfeng had deceived her about having another girlfriend. For those who don’t know, Huanfeng was involved in a “two-timing” scandal during the 2020 World Championship. It is likely that “Lychee” is the so-called “third party” from that time, as she admitted to forgiving Huanfeng for that scandal, and the two publicly confirmed their relationship in November 2020.
Not only did she accuse him of physical abuse, but “Lychee” also claimed that Huanfeng used extremely harsh words towards her. More seriously, according to “Lychee’s” posts on social media, Huanfeng had multiple instances of losing bottles of water he purchased. Therefore, when he saw Fenfen (currently the coach of WBG) drinking a bottle of water he just bought, Huanfeng became angry and told her he would “buy poison and put it in the water of SN players.”
“Lychee’s” post immediately caused a stir in the LPL community. Although this is still just the girl’s claims, it is enough to make League of Legends fans in China feel disheartened. This is not the first time Huanfeng has been embroiled in off-stage scandals. The scandal from 2020 alone was enough to erode fans’ trust in him. If it weren’t for his heartfelt apology letter and support from teammates, notably SofM, Huanfeng’s career might have been severely impacted. Not to mention Huanfeng’s recent slip of the tongue regarding match-fixing—an extremely sensitive issue within the LPL community as well as in esports and sports in general.
Currently, both WBG and Huanfeng have not made any statements regarding the incident. In a recent development, Fenfen also posted with the content “Lost for words” after being caught up in Huanfeng’s drama. It can be said that the LPL Spring 2022 season has not yet ended, but the League of Legends scene in China is already overwhelmed with scandals involving famous players and teams in the region.
