In a surprising turn of events, League of Legends games would no longer be enjoying an official broadcast on Chinese platforms. The decision comes as a repercussion to the controversial GenG incident that unfolded last year.
Summary
- Official LCK broadcasts won’t be available in China due to fallout from the GenG incident.
- GenG’s participation in MSI raises question about its broadcast.
- The decision might lead to a significant decrease in viewership.
Implications of the GenG Incident
GenG’s statement affirming Taiwan as a country continues to reverberate in the League of Legends community. While the incident was initially treated as a misstep, the recent consequences have been far-reaching and impactful. As ‘Background_Idea_2733‘ sarcastically puts it, ‘Only three things are certain in life. Death, Taxes, and GenG fumbling internationally.’
Effect on Viewership
Many fans shared the sentiment that this would result in a significant decrease in viewership. With large viewer numbers coming from China, this might indeed impact the entire LCK scene. As highlighted by ‘Poxel‘, ‘That will be a decent decrease.’
Political Implications
The issue has even sparked political discourse, including ‘Telstar18Size5‘ who critiqued GenG’s handling of the situation and ‘MSTRMN_‘, who pointed to ‘Bitter Chinese nationalism.’ All these reflect a sentiment of frustration in the gaming community on the current situation.
As the story unfolds, the LoL ecosystem loses out on a key demographic, raising important questions about freedom of expression and the intermingling of politics in esports. The situation paints a stark picture of the impact political discourse can have on the digital battlefield of esports. It begs the question if games like League of Legends should even be on the frontline of such issues.
