- LPL Mid laner Teacherma gets warning from League over Platinum III rank on Chinese Ionia server.
- Team WE could have a hard time if Teacherma is benched for ongoing LPL Summer Split.
League of Legends professional teams are usually full of high ranking solo queue players. Team WE’s player Teacherma is currently ranked Platinum III on the elite Chinese Ionia server and has been issued a warning by LPL officials that his pro-status will be revoked unless he reaches the minimum rank of Diamond I. According to a Reddit thread, Teacherma's stream revealed that he's stuck in Platinum at the moment and is grinding to climb.
Platinum players make up 9% of the base, which may seem low but professional teams usually draft from Diamond and above. LCS, LPL and the other leagues have rules which expect players to attain a certain minimum rank. LPL rules currently expect players to reach a minimum rank of Diamond I on the Ionia server before June 14 to play on a pro team. Teacherma is currently at a high rank on the Korean server but the LPL requirements say the D1 ranking must be obtained on the Ionia server. The server is extremely competitive and is considered the second-best in the world, only behind the Korean server.
What Teacherma losing pro status could mean for Team WE in the LPL
Teacherma allegedly got a warning from the league's officials that he may be stripped of his professional status. This would result in him not being able to play for his team in the ongoing LPL Summer Split. Team WE - previously known as World Elite - is currently third in standings with a record of 7 wins and 3 losses.
If Teacherma is benched, it could mean trouble for Team WE who will want to continue their 3-1 series score in the Summer Split. Team WE beat EDward Gaming in Week 1 and Invictus Gaming in Week 2. Although his averages for statistics like creep score, gold and XP difference at 15 minutes into the game may not be great, his contribution has been felt in games. He has been an important part of WE’s draft, impacting sidelanes with picks like Galio and Aurelion Sol. WE made it to the LPL 2020 Spring Playoffs, beating eStar before losing to Top Esports. Losing Teacherma could prove fatal to WE’s playoff hopes before they even begin.
(Also Read: A Rundown of the LPL 2020 Spring Split)
Many pro players are expressing their displeasure with this rule, saying that solo queue should not be a metric for how good a player is. Cloud9’s top laner Licorice has said before that he doesn't play much solo queue, finding that it isn’t a good way to practice. Other popular MOBAs like Dota 2 do not put such restrictions on players and teams. As of now, no top pro has ever had their status revoked because they didn’t reach the minimum rank requirement so only time will tell how WE will resolve this issue.