Photo: LoL Esports
League of Legends is one of the most developed esports scenes in the world and it always attracts a lot of spectators according to its competitions. But the general public often only has access to the tip of the iceberg. Behind the scenes, there are always a lot of actors who are busy… Whether it’s for transfers, event organization or sponsor negotiations, discretion is essential so as not to ruin everything. Information is synonymous with power but also with money and everyone tries to ensure that their secrets are well kept.
But who says secret also says risk of leaks. The leaks have become real businesses for some, such as the journalist LEC Wooloo. However, there are also involuntary leaks, which come from the mouths of actors who are a little too spontaneous, who sometimes forget that in stream, there are thousands of people in dire straits. Among the most talkative personalities, we could cite Jankos the G2 jungler in Europe. Its Chinese counterpart, Doinb (LNG) is also a funny thing. The former world champion is outspoken and he often says too much… But even if it makes us smile, he revealed that his leaks were not without consequences and that he had been punished in return.
Dates, transfers, remote MSI… Doinb is unstoppable
Doinb revealed on stream that he was fined for previewing the Date of recovery of the LPL Summer Split. For this little prank, he still paid nearly 7,500 dollars… It’s expensive to blunder and next time, the midlaner may try to hold his tongue. But knowing a little Korean, we imagine that it will be complicated. In the past, he had also leaked big transfers to Chinese teams. Before the MSI and while the playoffs were not yet over, he also announced before everyone else that the Chinese champions would most likely play from home because of the schedule. Hunt the natural and it comes back at a gallop.
Last month, he paid nearly $9,000 in fines for leaking confidential information. Since 2019, he estimates that he has paid nearly hundreds of thousands of Yuans for his unexpected outings… It is difficult to estimate the exact sum, but 100,000 Yuans is the equivalent of 15,000 dollars. He therefore disbursed a sum that can be placed within the range $30,000 – $135,000.
The difference between the leak and the opinion can sometimes be very fine
Some will wonder why Riot Games fines Doinb, when the latter can indirectly advertise League of Legends tournaments. We are not at Riot so the exact answer is inaccessible But for obvious reasons of communication and promotion, companies like to keep maximum control. To make a maximum of statistics on announcement and hype videos, you might as well keep the secret and have a true exclusivity.
But one leaker as Doinb presents a case that can quickly become thorny. As a pro player, he necessarily has access to confidential information, whether through Riot Games, other players or his own team. When he speaks, he must therefore walk on eggshells. Even when he expresses a mere opinion, some may take his word as absolute truth. In any case, the best way to avoid slipping is to keep quiet.