In the League of Legends, the Korean coach Kim “cvMax” Dae-ho (30) is considered a genius who can shape LoL teams from scratch and bring them to the top. However, a scandal overshadows his career: He is alleged to have choked a player. Now the final judgments are in.
Why is cvMax considered a genius in LoL? The thirty-year-old is a newcomer to the LoL scene. Most coaches were former professionals. cvMax came out of nowhere but convinced the manager of a second-tier team in 2017 to give him a chance.
In just two years, cvMax led “Team Griffin” from the second Korean league to the top of Korea and even made it to the World Championship. He accomplished this by discovering excellent new players and shaping them into top players in a short time.
When Team Griffin disbanded due to a scandal, cvMax switched to “DragonX” and pulled off the same stunt again. He rebuilt an average team and led it to the LoL Worlds 2020.
Coach banned for life from LoL – Fans outraged
This was the major break: In 2019, his time at “Griffin” ended disgracefully. Shortly before the Worlds 2019, cvMax was fired.
Later, accusations surfaced that he had grabbed and choked his own top laner Sword due to dissatisfaction with his performance.
Griffin was also shaken by further scandals: Allegations arose that things went wrong with the young star player “Kavani” regarding contracts and transfers.
The phase ended with cvMax being banned for life from LoL and Team Griffin practically disbanding.
This was the turning point: The ban of cvMax outraged Korean fans. They considered cvMax a strict but fair coach – and the alleged choking victim, Sword, someone who seeks blame elsewhere.
With a large wave of signatures, they forced the release of cvMax, who then continued his career: 200,000 people signed the petition for cvMax’s release.
However, long investigations followed in the cvMax case, resembling a court trial. Sword filed a civil lawsuit as well.
In front of the sports court, players and coaches testified that cvMax became loud during training, even touching the chair on which players sat and shaking it, but no one could really testify to the “choking”.
5 months ban and $901 fine for LoL coach
This is how it turned out: The hearings are now concluded and the judgments are known:
- The sports court, the “South Korean Esports Fairness Committee,” has suspended cvMax for 5 months. He is not allowed to coach any team until May 2021, so his job at DRX is currently on hold, with an interim coach taking over for him.
- A civil court has fined cvMax one million South Korean won, which is $901 (approximately €746).
It is currently unknown whether cvMax will accept the civil court’s judgment or appeal it. In an interview with Inven, cvMax stated that he would consult with his lawyer.
The case of cvMax has been a focus for us at MeinMMO for 2 years. For more details on the players he helped develop and how the fans campaigned for his release, read here:
LoL: Coach banned for life for violence against players – Can now win Worlds
