LPL English, the unofficial co-streaming group, has called for further disciplinary action against Cui ‘Shanks’ Xiao-Jun following the alleged online harassment of a woman on a livestream.
As a result of the action, Shanks was fined three months of performance-related wages (bonuses), and later promised to reflect on his actions; however, LPL English have stated that the severity of the punishment does not align with historic precedents, arguing that a suspension from play would be more appropriate.
AL’s statement regarding the matter focused on Shank’s lack of professionalism, with Shank’s own apology on the matter making no mention of the girl or harassment. The onus for both statements instead was the potential harm Shank’s actions could have caused during a period of competition.
It is important to note that LPL English (@LPL_english) is not the official English account for the LPL (@lplenglish). Instead, it is a group of co-streamers built from the ashes of the previously official LPL English broadcast.
Following the announcement of the transition of LPL streams away from official broadcasts to a co-stream model, LPL English was established to fill the gap.
Why did AL Shanks face disciplinary action?
Content warning: Some readers may find the contents of the following section upsetting
Shanks was one of a group of players who joined a debate stream around the topic of sex work. The players allegedly harassed a female participant on the stream who was arguing against sex work. The players allegedly targeted the woman over the course of the next few hours of the livestream.
Retired midlaner, Xie ‘ICON’ Tian-Yu allegedly wrote in the chat, “Would you dare to post your address?” followed by “I will find someone to k[knife emoji]ll you.”
As part of the debate, LNG Esports ADC, Li ‘LP’ Fei, allegedly targeted the woman, stating, “Back in the old days, women like you would’ve been viewed as a disgrace and beaten to death with heavy sticks.”
Shanks is not accused of saying anything as threatening, however, the Chinese player was allegedly part of the harassment and asked her, “Can I be good enough for you?” while posing as a construction worker. That is in spite of the player using his main account, where he was clearly identifiable to onlookers.
As a result, the woman involved has allegedly threatened legal action due to the harm caused to her reputation. Additionally, ICON was banned from co-streaming LPL, however, the ban seems to be of a temporary nature.
What did LPL English say?
The body of the image reads:
“LPL English staff are aware of the recent actions performed by AL Shanks and several former LPL pros. More than five of these players joined an active live stream debate, made sexist and racist remarks, including death threats, and bullied one young woman publicly. We on LPL English are disappointed in the lack of disciplinary action levied by the teams and the league against these individuals.
Studies have found that women are more likely than men to experience severe forms of online violence, such as cyber harassment and stalking (Brody and Vangelisti 2017).
The following are all disciplinary actions executed in the past:
- 2016: Saint Gaming fined Otto 2 months’ total salary for “insulting EDG fans” on Weibo
- 2020: Leyan fined 3 months of total salary for testing or abusing a solo queue bug (Vici Gaming was also fined)
- 2020: eStar fined Wei one month of total salary for taking Ignite instead of Smite in a pro match (It was bugged)
We find it ludicrous that these more extreme fines can be levied for the above transgressions, but recorded video evidence of consistent harassment has only warranted a three-month bonus salary fine against Shanks by AL.
LPL English will still continue to cover AL games, but we think it would be unfair to do so without drawing attention to this issue. If learning about the behavior of some of our current/former players has decreased your enjoyment of LPL games, know that we recognize your frustration and disappointment. We’re hopeful that fan voices can still be heard to promote action from the league and to lead to a more inclusive and welcoming community in the future.”
The news points to a League in disarray due to its players’ actions. The harassment was closely followed by the news that FunPlus Phoenix star milkyway was suspended indefinitely due to alleged misconduct.
Darragh Harbinson is an esports writer specialising in Counter-Strike. He has written for Esports News UK, Esports Insider, UKCSGO, Dexerto, and Rush B Media.