Following an incident of toxic behavior in a recent ranked game, LPL team EDward Gaming, or EDG, will be fining top laner Zhao "Aodi" Ao-Di. Aodi may also be facing further disciplinary measures from the LPL, the Chinese top-level professional league for League of Legends.
An announcement regarding Aodi's penalties come from a post made to EDG's Weibo account, which was then translated by Kevin Kim, of Korizon Esports. According to their statement, EDG will be deducting Aodi's salary for the month, including any potential bonuses.
Considering the fact that Huang "XiaoXiang" Xiang recently replaced Aodi as top laner on EDG's starting line up, Aodi is not likely to play much before LPL's Summer Season comes to a close. The series is scheduled to conclude the second week of August.
The incident that has resulted in Aodi's punishment occurred during a ranked game on the Korean server. Playing on Aodi's team at the time was 17-year-old Ryu "Keria" Min-Seok, a support player for team DRX (formerly known as Kingzone DragonX and Dragon X), of League of Legends Champions Korea, or LCK, the premiere professional league for League of Legends in Korea.
At one point, after Aodi had asked for Keria's assistance in two-vs-two skirmish, Keria was helping his mid laner with a blue buff on the top side of the map. This led to Aodi venting his frustrations with a barrage of hostility in the team chat, including reports of comments such as, “i give you mom die,” and, “FK you,” among others.
Keria, who had been streaming at the time, has a large and ardent fan base. This, along with the fact that the Korean esports community makes it a point to look after their younger players, has led to a large and fast response to Aodi's treatment of Keria. Due to the vocal protests of said community, EDG has been prompted to take quick action against Aodi.
Ultimately, such responses to players' unsportsmanlike behavior can only be a good thing. Consistent corrective action coming from both teams and leagues will only serve to foster an environment in professional gaming that is actually professional.
Sources: Dot Esports, Kevin Kim/Twitter