Professional video game player sues ‘fans’ that slandered his mother
Top professional video game player Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok has filed a lawsuit against a group that has repeatedly harassed him and his family.
Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok, who is a legend in the popular video game League of Legends, has filed a lawsuit in South Korea against a group of individuals that are dead set on harassing him and his family.
The suit was filed on July 19, specifically against the “John Does that have continuously and repeatedly harassed Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok online.”
League of Legends is a massive hit across the globe. Sporting an average of 180 million players monthly, with a peak of over 32 million in a single day, the multiplayer online battle arena has no lack of fans.
Faker is considered one of the best players in the game, having played competitive League of Legends for nearly a decade and winning countless awards — and he’s a superstar in South Korea.
Partnering with Korean law firm APEX Law, Faker’s lawyers spoke candidly about the ongoing suit: “We are filing criminal lawsuits only towards those that repeatedly and habitually left malicious comments, as [Faker] felt that these individuals need to be severely sanctioned. As such, there will be no plea nor favourable arrangement deals.”
What kind of comments could spark such a response? Unfortunately, specifics are scarce. According to the attorneys, being too specific may reveal the identities of those being targeted by the lawsuit. “To give examples…slanders targeted towards Faker’s mother and drawings that would be considered unspeakably foul.”
In support of its star player, esports organisation T1’s CEO, Joe Marsh, showed support for the lawsuit, claiming that there is a “fine line between fandom and fanatical” and that recent behaviour from the individuals in question “crosses the line.”
If found guilty, the targeted parties would be subject to a fine of anywhere from 1 million to 2 million Korean Won — about $1100 to $2200 AUD. However, the law does have provisions for jail time for more serious offences, and APEX Law is seeking the extra penalties judiciously.
This is just another in a string of recent actions against habitually awful individuals by companies. Bungie, the developer of the popular first-person shooter Destiny 2, recently brought an individual to court for making death and arson threats against specific members of the development team.
Some League of Legends professional teams have found themselves on the receiving end of some harassment claims and fines as well. Team SoloMid, one of the most popular esports organisations in the world, recently received a suspension for one of their team leaders for harassment claims as well.
Original reporting by PC Gamer.
Written by Junior Miyai on behalf of GLHF.
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