Chinese esports organisation Top Esports has confirmed an ongoing investigation surrounding its League of Legends LPL player Yang ‘naiyou‘ Zijian.
According to an official statement posted on the team’s Weibo account, Top Esports’ jungler is currently under investigation following ‘unusual performance’ and potential violations of fair play.
The statement explains that the club has discovered the player is suspected of “seriously violating club rules and regulations and professional ethics, and engaging in improper conduct that affects the fairness of the competition.”
As a result, the team reported the player to the league and has called the LPL’s disciplinary team for intervention.
The Unusual Build in Game 5
The investigation seemingly revolves around the elimination series between Top Esports and Weibo Gaming on March 2nd, which saw the former knocked out after a long five-game series.
Naiyou, who was playing Skarner in the last game, drew scepticism after purchasing several magic-resistance components in his build, despite Weibo Gaming having a major lead on ADC player Zhao ‘Elk’ Jia-Hao, who was playing Jinx. In most scenarios, players would look to reduce the enemy’s damage by buying armour items. However, it cannot be confirmed if this is the reason for the investigation.
Moreover, following the end of the series, Top Esports top laner Bai ‘369’ Jiahao defended his teammate on social media: “I’ve seen a lot of malicious comments about the jungler and support, and I really can’t help but say something. How can newcomers achieve results and have the confidence to make a name for themselves if they keep saying that there are no new talents in the LPL?”
Top Esports’ statement continued: “Our club has always adhered to the bottom line of fair competition and resolutely resists all violations that affect the fairness of the competition.
“We will deal with internal violations strictly and severely. We thank our fans, partners, and the public for their supervision. The club will take this as a lesson, uphold its professional aspirations, and build a compliant, healthy, and positive esports team.”
LPL’s Previous Investigations on Fair Play
This isn’t the first instance of a player being involved in potential misconduct. Earlier last summer, former FPX jungler Cai ‘Milkyway‘ Zi-Jun was suspended after disclosing confidential information on drafts during the 2024 Demacia Cup.
Before him, Zhou ‘Bo’ Yang-Bo was also suspended in 2021 for alleged match-fixing. A year later, the player joined LEC team Team Vitality.
Outside of the LPL, Riot Games suspended League of Legends Circuit Oceania (LCO) player Dai Phu ‘Hoopa’ Mong in January 2025 for twelve months due to match-fixing breaches.
Editor’s note: Top Esports’ statement has been translated into English from Chinese; as such, there may be slight variations.
