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League of Legends esports is one of the most followed titles in the industry today and this means that teams and organizations in the landscape are constantly shadowed by their fans. While interacting with favorite players or teams keeps the scene alive and thriving, one has to draw the line between fandom and fanaticism. The Eastern League of Legends scene is notoriously known for fans often crossing the line. Now, some T1 fans have allegedly planned to drive a truck around LoL Park in Seoul, South Korea, hoping to draw the attention of the management, fans, and media. The truck reportedly carries messages suggesting the removal of T1’s League of Legends coaches Choi "Polt" Seong-hun and Kim "moment" Ji-hwan.
What message does the truck display?
On 4th August, Reddit user Oplose posted that some T1 fans are sending a truck to LoL Park right in time for the T1 vs Hanwha Life series scheduled today. The user also attached photos of the truck which carries messages directed at the T1 management. It also has a big screen on one of the sides. The message on one side of the truck read (translated from Korean), “A regressing performance, an underqualified coach who does not prepare for the game. Endured enough.”
The message on the other side lashed out at the two T1 coaches Polt and moment. It said that the head coach was “incompetent” and the other coach was demoted and had acknowledged his “lack of ability.” It further suggested, “The answer is to hire a coach with a career in winning [Worlds]. The 7-year glory made by SKT, the fans are leaving due to the 3-year incompetence of T1 [management].”
According to the original poster, the message refers to coach Moment being demoted from his previous team Jin Air Green Wings in 2019 where the team failed to pick up even a single win and went 0 - 18 in the Summer Split.
The truck being dispatched to LoL Park shows how extreme fans of T1 are. The team is doing really well this split as it is currently placed second in the league with a 12-2 score. The frustration from the fans could be due to the fact that T1 lost the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) 2022 on its home soil. Notably, in the recently concluded Spring season, T1 had a perfect split and even won the Spring trophy.
During the MSI, fans criticized T1 for its drafts and the blame fell entirely on head coach Polt. This has since escalated with the team dropping a couple of games in the regular Summer season.
Following the criticism, T1 CEO Joe Marsh took to Twitter to defend his coaches. He wrote, “We do things as a collective unit @T1LoL, especially during games. That includes pick/ban and drafting. All voices are heard. My timeline is filled with comments about Polt & Moment’s performance. The same coaches that just 2 months ago capped an undefeated LCK run.”
Notably, this is not the first time that T1 fans are sending out a truck to send across a strong message. In 2020, fans fundraised a truck to carry similar messages which drove around important avenues of downtown Seoul, including SK Telecom's HQ and Gangnam.
According to another Reddit post, the following were the messages that were displayed in 2020:
No future for a team that shuts out devoted fans
We, SKT T1 fans, demand a clear and detailed explanation from top management.
A rumor that an unverified head coach and a controversial coach will be hired for T1
The players are not your cash cows.
Unprecedentedly excessive filming of advertisements and commercials during the LCK season
We need a clear explanation from SKT T1's top management about this issue.
Don't hide behind the backs of the players. T1 top management should take responsibility.
Korean organizations taking action against fans and unwarranted toxicity
Esports organizations in South Korea have been putting toxic fans in their place by calling them out and taking legal action. On 19th July, T1 and its legal team filed a criminal lawsuit against those who wrote malicious comments toward its League of Legends star player and mid-laner Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok. The legal team stated that the constant harassment and spiteful online comments have caused Faker, his family, and those around him undue amounts of stress and pain. The lawsuit was filed under the Insult Law of the Criminal Act - Article 311. In such cases, the accused are reportedly fined between 1,000,000 and 2,000,000 KRW (Korean Won) which amounts to $764.58 - $1529.17 USD.
Likewise, KT Rolster also released a statement condemning some of its fans for reportedly sending a weapon to its practice facility. The organization stated that it found many violations of rights which are socially unacceptable while monitoring to protect the rights and interests of its players and coaching staff. “Severe abusive language and accusations directed at the team, dissemination of unconfirmed facts, sending pictures of weapons to players/managers/front desks, delivering boxes of weapons to the practice room, etc. are defamation,” it informed.
