Introduction: The S16 season is approaching, and the majority of players have been paying attention to the recent offseason. The LCK region experienced considerable player transfers this time, but some elite teams chose to keep their rosters intact, with Gen competing again with the same lineup. It was expected they wouldn’t face many issues, but an official notice from LCK sparked widespread discussion online. The first penalty announcement of 2026 revealed that Gen’s AD carry Ruler’s account was banned, along with a fine of 800,000 KRW. Surprisingly, this was his second offense involving toxic behavior, and some reports even say he begged others not to report him during the game.

Ruler banned again by LCK officials

Most players are quite familiar with Gen, one of the top teams in the LCK. In recent years, Gen has invested heavily, assembling a "galaxy squad" every transfer season. Their S15 roster was incredibly strong, dominating the LCK from the second stage onward and even breaking SKT’s previous winning streak record. Many expected them to shine at this year’s World Championship, but problems arose in the semifinals where Gen was eliminated by KT, missing the finals and allowing T1 to claim their third consecutive championship.

After two of Gen’s core players completed their military service, the team resumed regular training. Unexpectedly, a penalty notice on Korean forums became a hot topic. Ruler was banned again and fined 800,000 KRW. Last year, Ruler was banned once before by LCK for insulting Life during ranked games. That incident caused quite a stir, with coaches and Chovy feeling awkward and Duro laughing uncontrollably. Who would have thought the same issue would happen a second time?

According to reports, this ban stems from an incident while playing Soul Arena with T1’s support player Keria. They were having a great time laughing when Ruler accidentally sent a curse word to all players instead of just the team chat. His teammates reported him, and despite his humble apologies and pleas not to report, the other party confirmed they had already filed the report. The official statement said that around October 2nd, during the game, the same behavior occurred again, resulting in a seven-day chat ban and the 800,000 KRW fine.

It’s unclear if Ruler’s strong personality in real life carries over into the game, causing him to lack restraint. Meanwhile, T1 recently dealt with an official staff member who repeatedly belittled Faker’s achievements and legacy, even claiming Faker should have retired in 2022 and that LCK doesn’t need him anymore, praising Chovy as the true god of the game and suggesting LCK would be better off without Faker. T1 acted swiftly and dismissed the staff member. Considering this person was employed by T1 yet insulted the team’s shareholder, not holding them accountable would have been quite lenient.

Farewell thoughts

Who would have imagined that the first penalty of 2026 would be against Gen’s AD carry Ruler? The 800,000 KRW fine is roughly equivalent to 13,000 RMB, which may not seem very high. However, given the experience of players like Xiaoleyan with fines, it’s clear that the LCK holds players to strict standards. Any report is taken seriously and punished. In contrast, in the LPL region, such incidents might often be overlooked if unnoticed.

What are your thoughts on this matter, everyone?