League of Legends: The first eSports Nations Cup has taken an unexpected turn, with allegations of interference in the South Korean qualifiers, and the LCK region may withdraw from the compe

The Esports Nations Cup will be held from November 21 to 29, 2026, in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. It is another grand event that brings together the world's top esports players. Unlike the Esports World Cup, this competition will be about fighting for national glory. It has generated a lot of discussion, especially after each region announced its main lineup and coaches. The audience is very much looking forward to seeing what kind of sparks will be generated and whether the entertainment value will surpass that of the Esports World Cup.

League of Legends is one of the events, but unexpectedly, at the last minute, news broke that the LCK officials and organizers had a falling out because of interference in the Korean selection process? Withdrawing from the competition in its inaugural year is a really unsightly situation, especially considering that this region is arguably the leader in the scene. The popularity of T1 alone is enough to surpass everyone else; consecutive championship titles, the world's number one team, an impressive record—they seemed like a formidable opponent. However, no one expected this unexpected turn of events, with T1 potentially withdrawing from the competition at any moment. What exactly happened?

ENC disregarded the official LCK roster and secretly contacted players to negotiate agreements.

It's said that the LCK has officially announced their head coach for this season, the same as the Asian Games, Hiran. Fans' request is simple: they want to see ZofGK's lineup. The five players reuniting and fighting together would definitely be a top contender, indicating that they are the national team. It's reasonable for the LCK to consider them the best lineup. However, ENC is interfering with the Korean team's selection, as they already have a suitable candidate in mind. Therefore, the Korea eSports Association sees this as a provocation and a violation of the fair national selection process, indicating that they will withdraw from the competition.

The first edition of the tournament was missing the top region in the industry, which was quite embarrassing. It was thought that ENC would calm down and obediently comply, since its popularity would help the event. Otherwise, it would have lost a lot of viewership. Who knew that the official behavior was so aggressive, directly bypassing the Korea eSports Association and contacting players and coaches to discuss the matter. This disrespectful behavior was unacceptable, and LCK directly announced its withdrawal from the tournament until ENC apologized. Furthermore, participants who were not officially certified were not allowed to display the Korean flag as a national symbol.

ENC really shouldn't have made private agreements with the players. After all, not everyone is willing to give up national honor and risk being criticized by the entire nation for prize money. Would you dare to take that risk? Faker wouldn't have violated the LCK's rules. Without his participation, the game's popularity will inevitably plummet. There are only two possibilities in the end: the ideal LCK roster will successfully participate, or they will withdraw from the competition altogether.

Image source: Internet