LoL Superstar Faces Lawsuit Risking Worlds 2024 Qualification

LNG Esports’ star mid laner Lee ‘Scout’ Ye-chan could potentially miss the 2024 League of Legends World Championship due to legal issues arising from his time with EDward Gaming, his former team.

Scout successfully qualified for Worlds 2024 with LNG Esports after the LPL 2024 Regional Finals held on August 31. This tournament would mark his second international appearance with LNG, provided he is permitted to compete.

As reported by the Korean news outlet Daily Esports, EDward Gaming may attempt to prevent him from traveling despite his qualification.

The organization has been engaged in civil litigation with Scout since 2022, requesting a travel ban for the player. Initially, EDG sued the South Korean League of Legends star for negotiating with other teams while still under contract.

This represents EDG’s second legal proceeding against Scout, as they appealed the court’s initial ruling and included a potential travel ban as part of their legal challenges.

EDG Scout — Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games

Scout was a member of EDG for seven years before departing after the 2022 Worlds.

The first lawsuit against Scout involved a contract dispute; he reportedly made an agreement to join an LCK team while still bound to EDG. Although he was ultimately allowed to sign with a new Korean team during the 2022 offseason, he later returned to China to compete for LNG Esports in the LPL.

As per the report, Scout’s opportunity to attend the tournament hinges on EDG’s actions regarding the enforcement of the travel ban. LNG Esports is scheduled to begin its Worlds journey on the Swiss Stage on October 3.

If Scout is unable to participate, LNG will need to secure an emergency substitute, especially since their current substitute player is a jungler.

As of now, neither Scout, LNG Esports, nor EDG have released statements regarding the ongoing situation. Potential candidates from the LPL who could replace him and are not attending the World Championship include Zeng ‘Yagao’ Qi, Song ‘Rookie’ Eui-jin, or the currently team-less Kim ‘Doinb’ Tae-sang.

Scout led EDward Gaming to a Worlds title in 2021 and has been a prominent figure on the team since 2016, helping them qualify for the international tournament five times during his tenure. However, EDG was not pleased with how he departed from the organization.

Since joining LNG, Scout has played a key role in helping the team achieve a top-eight finish at Worlds 2023.

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