Introduction: The S16 season is just around the corner, and the vast majority of players have been paying attention to the recent offseason. Over the past few days, all LPL pro players have been training rigorously. Numerous industry insiders have talked about their professional journeys during live broadcasts. A decent top laner from the LPL region recently publicly stated that he was cheated out of 400,000 by a good friend, with many borrowers never returning the money. Sometimes, it’s even awkward to confront them. Meanwhile, insiders also noticed that T1’s partnership with Mercedes-Benz has been terminated. This major car company has not only left the LPL but also withdrawn from the LCK. It seems League of Legends might really be in decline now.

Well-Known LPL Top Laner Scammed out of 400K

Most players still pay considerable attention to the LPL region. The rapid growth of the esports industry over recent years has boosted the popularity of competitions, but the LPL has faced many challenges. The lack of outstanding new players has caused the overall performance of the LPL to decline. Last season, the region didn’t even make it to the finals, prompting many adjustments, including stricter punishments for professional players. If a player gets into trouble, not only will they face severe consequences, but their agents and teams will also be held accountable. Honestly, this kind of management should have been implemented long ago, as the LPL’s oversight has been too lax.

Recently, a well-known LPL top laner, Ale, revealed some details during a live stream. He said he was scammed out of 400,000 by friends and bluntly admitted that even the closest friends often stop being friends after borrowing money. He mentioned several others who borrowed money too. The amounts involved were quite large, sometimes tens or even hundreds of thousands. If the debts aren’t repaid soon, he’s planning to take more serious action. Nowadays, lending money is almost like giving it away—nine out of ten borrowers never return it. What kind of friends are these? Honestly, losing 400,000 and still choosing to let it go suggests the relationship must be complicated—maybe the friend is female.

Ale also said he’s decided not to pursue the matter further, possibly due to some behind-the-scenes reasons. But it’s worth stating that professional players do indeed earn well. Ale was once joked about as a “50-dollar top laner,” but back when he played for EDG alongside Uzi, his value was probably quite high. It’s likely his annual salary reached several million without issue. Some fans even found a video of “Xiaogou” responding about the S8 tournament, saying that when he left, he planned to do a real S8 review with fans, revisiting the matches between RNG and G2. If people actually watch that, the excitement would explode since that game remains a sore point for many all-Chinese team supporters.

It’s unclear if the decline in League’s popularity is too severe, but the LPL’s main sponsor, Mercedes-Benz, has left. Not only did they withdraw from the LPL, but they also canceled their sponsorship of the T1 team. Previously, BMW sponsored T1 for three years without winning a single championship, while Mercedes-Benz’s three-year sponsorship coincided with three consecutive championships, even giving Faker his own custom car. Perhaps the returns weren’t sufficient, which might explain why even T1’s sponsorship was canceled. The esports industry may indeed be heading into a cold spell. If the LPL continues on this path, who knows what might happen...

Goodbye, Yone

It’s surprising that Ale was scammed out of 400,000 by a close friend and lent out so much money. It just shows how much professional players earn during their competitive peak, benefiting from the boom period. Even a “50-dollar top laner” has a decent salary. Currently, it seems the minimum monthly salary for pro players is around 20,000 RMB, with those having some skill earning over 50,000. Top-tier pros might make tens of thousands per month, not including signing bonuses.

What do you, the viewers, think about this situation?