A pro of League of Legends (LoL) ends his career. He feels that his Japanese team blackmailed him with the residence permit and basically kidnapped him. The team was punished, but the penalty is far too mild for the player.
What happened? The South Korean LoL pro Jeon “Dara” Jeong-hoon announced that he will end his career as a professional player. He cites events that occurred during his time in Japan as the reason. They have deeply disturbed him. The 22-year-old South Korean is currently a support player for the team SCARZ Burning Core. However, he was with the Japanese team Rampage from May 2015 to November 2017.
What’s going on in Japan? As Kotaku reports, foreigners in Japan must carry their “Resident Card” at all times. This is a kind of residence permit. They must be able to present it if requested by the authorities at any time. If they cannot do this or refuse, they face fines or even imprisonment.
Team says: “A misunderstanding”
What happened to Dara? The team for which Dara played at that time is said to have withheld these “Resident Cards” to blackmail and pressure foreign players. Dara accuses the team Rampage of having withheld these cards and using them as leverage against him. Allegedly, the team leader said, “This card belongs to the team.” The team also made efforts for Dara to join another team.
This is what happened to the team: The team “Rampage” was punished by the Japanese League of Legends League (LJL): now under the new name “Pentagram.” The executives were banned for 3 months. In addition, their games were counted as losses.
What does the team say about it? The team says it was a misunderstanding in communication. They only withheld the card while waiting for confirmation from the immigration authority. They find the penalty very harsh, accept it, but want to prevent such incidents from happening again.
LoL pro says: “My spirit is broken”
What does Dara say? He says: He was yelled at and threatened there. He felt powerless in the foreign country Japan. He had hoped for a formal apology, but none came. Therefore, he now feels sad and foolish for having hoped at all. He is disappointed that he lives in a world where such behavior only led to a 3-month penalty.
His spirit is broken. He has headaches and takes medication. He can no longer play and is returning to South Korea.
More about the world of League of Legends:
League of Legends: Nervous LoL coach talks himself into dismissal
