Image: Riot Games, Official JD Gaming X (formerly Twitter) account
If Scout's travel ban is lifted, he can still compete.
There are only a few days left before the League of Legends World Championship 2024 kicks off, and LNG Esports are still facing difficulties as their mid-laner, Lee “Scout” Ye-chan, has been handed a travel ban. This restriction is pending the resolution of an ongoing legal case filed against him by his former organisation, EDward Gaming.
To address this, Riot Games has provided a temporary solution by granting permission for JD Gaming’s mid-laner, Zeng “Yagao” Qi, to step in as an emergency substitute. This announcement was made on the official LoL Esports X (formerly known as Twitter) page on Thursday, September 19.
Historically, teams have had to rely on substitute players already signed to their roster or free agents who hadn’t participated in the most recent competitive split.
However, Riot Games said that this is the exception to the rule, and is a case-by-case decision, adding that it "is never the preferred option when addressing roster-related issues.”
They also added that each scenario undergoes a thorough review and must be approved by Riot Games Competitive Operations to ensure competitive integrity and fairness.
Why is Yagao Stepping in for LNG?
Normally, LNG would be expected to field a substitute from within their own roster. However, due to current visa restrictions for Chinese players, the available pool of those eligible to travel has been limited.
Players from China, among other countries, are required to apply for a Schengen visa to enter Germany and France, where the Play-Ins, Swiss Stage, and the earlier phases of the Knockout Stage will take place. Should LNG advance to the Grand Final, the team would also need to secure British visas to compete in the United Kingdom.
Given that visa approval can take up to three weeks or even longer, with the competition starting in less than a week, the available options have been narrowed down to players who can travel immediately. With Yagao and LNG having come to an agreement, Riot Games has allowed him to temporarily join LNG as their mid-laner.
Yagao is widely regarded as one of the top mid-laners in the League of Legends Pro League (LPL), competing alongside other renowned players like Zhuo “knight” Ding, Song "Rookie" Eui-jin, and Scout himself.
He has been with JD Gaming since the start of his career in 2017, winning several regional titles. In 2022, he transferred to Bilibili Gaming, where he helped the team secure second place at the 2023 Mid-Season Invitational and a third-fourth place finish at Worlds 2023.
He then returned to JD Gaming in 2024, where JDG placed third in both the Spring and Summer Splits before being eliminated by Weibo Gaming 3-2 in the LPL Regional Finals.
According to Riot Games, if Scout’s travel ban is lifted during the tournament, he will be able to fly to Europe and compete as LNG’s mid-laner, replacing Yagao. Teams will be given at least 72 hours notice before Scout is expected to play in his next match.
Scout’s name remains available for players to select in the Worlds 2024 Pick’Em categories, leaving fans hopeful that the star mid-laner may still be able to participate at some point during the competition.
