LCS segment on TSM drama results in backlash

The North American League of Legends Championship Series faced significant criticism following a pre-game segment that delved deeply into personal drama between star player Peng “Doublelift” Yilang and his former organization TSM. The controversial content prompted widespread community backlash and ultimately required an official apology from LCS leadership.

Hosted by Gabriella “LeTigress” Devia-Allen, the segment attempted to build hype for the 100 Thieves versus TSM matchup by revisiting Doublelift’s championship history with TSM, his transition to Team Liquid, and eventual return to the organization. However, the production team’s decision to extensively cover sensitive interpersonal conflicts between the player and TSM founder Andy “Reginald” Dinh crossed professional boundaries in the eyes of many viewers.

Community response was swift and overwhelmingly negative, with fans expressing concerns about the segment’s appropriateness for an official Riot Games broadcast. The controversy escalated to the point where LCS Commissioner Jackie Felling became personally involved, issuing a formal statement addressing the production misstep.

During the second week of the 2023 LCS season, the broadcast team created a comprehensive recap segment preceding the highly anticipated 100 Thieves versus TSM match. The production focused extensively on North American superstar Doublelift’s complex history with his former organization, attempting to leverage past conflicts for entertainment value.

The segment’s narrative structure traced Doublelift’s championship achievements with TSM, his controversial departure to join rival organization Team Liquid, and his eventual return to the team. However, the production crossed into problematic territory when it began detailing specific interpersonal drama and allegations between the player and TSM leadership.

Most controversially, the segment included specific references to Doublelift’s past accusations against TSM CEO Andy “Reginald” Dinh, with LeTigress explicitly stating: “Doublelift accused TSM CEO and founder Andy ‘Reginald’ Dinh of bullying and verbally assaulting players to the point of mental breakdowns.” This direct approach to sensitive workplace allegations shocked viewers who expected more professional discretion from an official league broadcast.

Retired professional players watching the segment expressed immediate disbelief. Former jungler William “Meteos” Hartman and retired AD carry Zachary “Sneaky” Scuderi, while co-streaming the LCS live, reacted with visible surprise at the segment’s confrontational tone toward a franchised partner organization.

Doublelift’s response to the controversial segment revealed his assessment of the production’s misjudged audience targeting. The veteran player commented that the segment’s content “would be entertaining to somebody who’s, like, seven. But the average LCS fan is probably in their 20s, let’s be honest, maybe even approaching 30 like me.”

This critique highlighted the demographic disconnect between the production team’s approach and the actual LCS viewership. Doublelift further clarified that while he didn’t take personal offense at the segment potentially trivializing abuse allegations, he emphasized that the issues at TSM represented collective experiences rather than his individual narrative alone.

The community backlash manifested quickly through social media platforms, with a highly-upvoted Reddit post reaching the front page of the League of Legends subreddit shortly after the segment aired. Fans voiced concerns about the appropriateness of an official broadcast delving so deeply into interpersonal conflicts between business partners.

Professional esports broadcasting faces unique challenges in balancing entertainment value with professional standards. This incident demonstrates the fine line production teams must walk when covering sensitive topics involving current players and organizations.

LCS Commissioner Jackie Felling addressed the growing controversy directly through an official Reddit statement, acknowledging the production misstep and outlining steps for improvement.

Hey everyone,

Thanks for posting your feedback in this thread. We have been talking to TSM and our internal production team. While this was not intended to be disparaging to TSM and we tried to showcase the new faces on the team and storylines, after reviewing further we do feel like this was a miss and not in the direction we have been wanting to take LCS in terms of lifting up our teams and our new fun/entertaining approach. Hearing from you all helps us understand what resonates with our fans and we are discussing internally how to better support our teams and players in these types of segments as we try new things and continually adjust. Thanks for your feedback and we really appreciate it.

u/JackFelling

Despite the commissioner’s acknowledgment and apology, many fans remained skeptical about the damage control efforts. Community sentiment suggested that the professional boundary crossing had already occurred, with the official response doing little to repair the immediate perception damage.

The incident raises important questions about content boundaries in professional esports broadcasting. As leagues like the LCS continue to evolve their production approaches, maintaining appropriate professional standards while delivering engaging content remains a critical balancing act for production teams and league leadership.

Neither Doublelift nor TSM appeared satisfied with the resolution, leaving fans anticipating further developments in how Riot Games handles similar situations moving forward.

For content creators and broadcast professionals covering similar situations:

• Research player and organization sensitivities before developing content involving past conflicts
• Consult legal and PR teams when addressing sensitive allegations in broadcast segments
• Balance entertainment with professionalism by focusing on competitive achievements rather than interpersonal drama
• Monitor community feedback channels for immediate reaction to controversial content
• Establish clear content guidelines for handling sensitive topics involving partner organizations

No reproduction without permission：Game Guides Online » LCS segment on TSM drama results in backlash Analyzing the controversial LCS segment that sparked community backlash and official apologies