Korean players in Chinese League of Legends teams: management says yes, fans say no

What do Chinese fans think of Korean players joining their country’s League of Legends teams? The topic has come up once again in Chinese media, but this time it’s being spearheaded by 17173, one of China’s most popular gaming news websites. And now we finally have an answer: Korean players are not welcome.

Subject 1: “The Insec”

On its website, 17173 has a full page dedicated to playing the devil’s advocate. It lists the pros and cons of both sides of the argument, and even includes opinions from some influential members of the Chinese eSports scene:

Tabe (former professional player for Royal Club):

Actually, I’m not a big fan of inviting foreign players. First, as a Chinese team, there should be no Korean players. Second and personally, I wouldn’t know how to solve the communication issue.

Su Xiaoluo (manager for Young Glory and, previously, Invictus Gaming):

Inviting foreign players increases competition and promotes the [eSports] industry as a whole. It also helps with creating a standard for management, as the level of Korean eSports is much higher, professionally, than in China. In addition to their skills, we hope Korean players will bring benefits in other aspects as well.

Eno Li (team owner of LMQ and Star Horn Royal Club)