This season in LPL, there have been two rather embarrassing events. The first incident involves Viper and the Gunner, whose photo taken at a certain rice noodle shop was stolen. This photo was a special keepsake Viper left for EDG fans, and many EDG fans would spontaneously visit this restaurant to take pictures. However, the restaurant owner recently complained online, stating that a guest claiming to be an EDG fan did not return the photo after taking it. Fortunately, the photo was successfully retrieved with the help of JC.

This absurd situation also made its way to the LCK, where Viper learned about it during an interview. He expressed that it was his fault for leaving behind a photo. During the interview, Viper assured that since the World Championship is being held in China this year, he would return to the restaurant with the Gunner to take more unique photos. This way, even if the photos are lost again, other EDG fans can still take commemorative pictures. (Perhaps Viper himself does not understand why fans would steal such photos?)

Fans successfully filed a complaint.

Aside from the theft of the photo causing a stir in the LCK, LPL mid-laner Shanks has also sparked extensive discussion overseas due to the recent "drinking incident." The issue began when Shanks posted an apology to his AL teammates, but some viewers felt that his apology was too "dismissive" and did not include an apology to the female involved. Consequently, many went to Riot's official social media to protest and complain, with several even writing formal complaints in English to Riot's esports department, hoping the company would take the matter seriously.

Recently, Riot also released a statement in response, indicating they are aware of the situation involving Shanks. They emphasized that they are closely monitoring the public sentiment surrounding the incident. Ultimately, Riot revealed they are in discussions with relevant LPL departments and will provide fans and viewers with an explanation as soon as possible. Many viewers speculated that Shanks would likely face a suspension, as despite his insults, Shanks’ behavior alongside ICON has indeed tarnished Riot's reputation in the esports field.

Of course, many viewers are curious about who AL would replace Shanks with if he were to be sanctioned by Riot. After all, the mid-laner position is crucial for team fights, and in the third phase of LPL, if the peak group teams do not make it into the top four, they will have to compete against the top four from the rebirth group in a knight’s path showdown. (Currently, most viewers are looking forward to RNG's Tangyuan joining AL, as many expect Tangyuan, known as the concept god, to perform well upon joining AL.)

With Riot stepping in to address the issue, the "culprit" ICON finally apologized during a live stream. ICON stated that he had never participated in a "debate live stream" before, believing that the content was merely a playful exchange between both parties. However, he did not anticipate that the female participant would continuously insult him, nor did he expect to respond to her, leading to such a significant conflict. He mentioned that if she felt insulted, he would post a public apology.

Conclusion

I feel that Shanks’ apology is acceptable, especially since AL's recent performance and reputation have not been great. However, it is indeed disappointing that Shanks engaged in such behavior outside of the game, which is unfair to his teammates. Of course, Shanks is quite unfortunate, as he is merely a bystander in this incident and has not insulted anyone, yet he has become the center of public attention. Do you think Shanks will face punishment from Riot in the future?