Foreword: The S16 season has officially started, and the vast majority of players have been paying close attention to the recent competitions. The MSI matches have been highly competitive. As the elimination rounds approach their conclusion, only two teams are left to vie for the final title. The clash between HLE and BLG has captured the attention of gamers worldwide. In the final qualifying match, an awkward incident occurred: during a live broadcast, an official staff member directly grabbed a cheering sign from a fan, which had the pinyin "NI HAO" on it. Is this the spirit of Korean esports?

MSI Korean officials forcibly take away a 'NI HAO' cheering sign

Most players are quite familiar with MSI, one of the world's top-tier events, where every year's competition becomes a global focus. This year's tournament has been extremely intense, surprising many viewers. TES was eliminated with a perfect loss record, G2 defeated several strong teams, even crushing T1, but they were then swept by Lyon. In the final qualifying spot race, HLE and Lyon played a full five games, almost being eliminated. It seems that only BLG has maintained a steady rhythm without major issues.

In this final spot battle, both sides played fiercely. HLE made many mistakes, even throwing away a 10,000 gold lead within five minutes—a rare occurrence in any match. Luckily, in the deciding game, they seized the opportunity, crushing all three lanes early on, not even giving the opponent any chance in the jungle. Otherwise, it would have been very possible that the Korean tournament would have no LCK team in the finals. Before the fifth game started, a strange scene occurred: a pre-match fan activity sparked widespread criticism, once again raising doubts about fairness in esports.

The Korean host invited on-site fans to participate in various giveaways. The fifth game would determine who would secure the crucial final spot. There were many cheering signs in the venue, with Korean fans positioned closer to the front—understandable given the home advantage. However, as the camera panned, a fan holding a "NI HAO Dhokla" sign was directly confiscated by an MSI staff member. Judging by appearance, this fan seemed to be an Asian player, likely supporting the top laner "Indian God King." After the sign was taken away, he was left awkwardly, not knowing what to do with his hands.

There are now two opinions online: one questions the approach of the Korean esports officials, especially since no LPL team was involved in this match—was this behavior really appropriate? The other suggests that "NI HAO" might have discriminatory connotations, prompting the staff to immediately grab the sign. But honestly, would this person mock his own top-tier player? Moreover, the phrase "NI HAO" seems to be a recurring joke from a previous vlog, with no apparent harm. The officials' forced confiscation, however, is puzzling. The authorities have not yet responded, and it will likely be quietly dropped.

In my opinion,

Looking at the cheering signs behind, there were also supporters of Lyon, but the staff did not go and forcefully take any of those. The exact reason remains unclear—everything is just speculation, and the officials have not provided any reasonable explanation. Besides, this staff member has participated in many international events and should not be so unprofessional. Could this be the spirit of Korean esports?

What do you, dear viewers, think about this matter?