TJ Sports Issues Lifetime Ban to TES Player Yang “Naiyou” Zijian

Key insights

6 slides

Player banned

TJ Sports issued a lifetime ban to a Top Esports player for match-fixing.

Yang “Naiyou” Zijian is prohibited from participating in any competitions or events associated with Tencent, Riot Games, and TJ Sports.

Coercion revealed

Bookmakers coerced the player to continue misconduct using prior match-fixing as leverage.

The player's involvement in illicit activities originated during his tenure in the League of Legends Development League (LDL).

Investigation Detail. Investigations revealed that Zijian’s prior involvement in match-fixing within the League of Legends Development League (LDL) was used by bookmakers as leverage to coerce his continued cooperation.

Prior case

This disciplinary action recalls a 2020 match-fixing scandal involving Rogue Warriors.

The organization Rogue Warriors was fined ¥3 million RMB ($434,062 USD) in that incident.

Historical Context. This disciplinary action serves as a reminder of the 2020 precedent where the organization Rogue Warriors was fined ¥3 million RMB ($434,062 USD) following a match-fixing scandal involving player Wang…

1 / 6

Ask AI about this article

Summary

TJ Sports has imposed a lifetime ban on League of Legends player Yang “Naiyou” Zijian following confirmed instances of match-fixing. The disciplinary action prohibits the player from participating in any competitions or events associated with Tencent, Riot Games, and TJ Sports. Investigations revealed that Zijian’s involvement in illicit activities originated during his tenure in the League of Legends Development League (LDL), where he was subsequently coerced by bookmakers to continue his misconduct under threat of exposure.

In response to the findings, Top Esports (TES) terminated Zijian’s contract, withheld all outstanding salary and prize money, and reserved the right to pursue legal damages for breach of contract. While TJ Sports acknowledged that the organization acted proactively by reporting the issue and providing evidence, it issued a formal warning to the team regarding internal management failures. The league emphasized that the organization’s oversight allowed the misconduct to persist undetected, serving as a broader warning to all teams within the League of Legends Pro League (LPL) regarding the necessity of robust player management.

This incident highlights ongoing competitive integrity challenges within the Chinese esports landscape. The situation draws comparisons to a 2020 case involving the organization Rogue Warriors, which resulted in a significant financial penalty of ¥3 million RMB. The current action underscores the league's commitment to enforcing strict standards across its professional and developmental circuits to mitigate the influence of external betting entities on match outcomes.