A Challenger team admits to using a substitute player
A player for Escalate Legion Gaming, currently ranked seventh in the North American Challenger Ranked 5’s ladder, shared an account over a two-day period as the team tried to qualify for the North American Challenger Series Summer Qualifier Tournament. In order to secure a top 10 placement and be eligible for the next step, the team brought in another player through the account.
Riot Games punished another Challenger team for a similar violation in the past. Cloud9 Tempest used their coach as a substitute player during the 2015 Challenger Series Spring Finals and faced an indefinite suspension. The team lost their spot in the North American Challenger Series until the ban was lifted on May 11.
Account sharing goes against Riot Games’ Terms of Use. The rules explicitly state that players are not allowed to share their accounts with anyone.
Escalate Legion Gaming’s team owner admitted to the account sharing, explaining that two of their players had moved to Team Coast three days prior to the ladder lock. This left the team with limited time to find replacements and achieve a top 10 placement, so they resorted to using substitutes in Ranked 5s to meet both goals.
“Most competitive teams have broken the TOS at one point or another. This is unfortunately relatively common in the challenger scene due to stresses placed on teams prior to ladder lock.”
“I had a decision to make: Either we give up after losing two of our players, or we tryout players while doing Ranked 5s. Everyone on ELG deserves a chance at the LCS level and I wasn’t going to let Coast hold them back from that. I’m the one that made the decision to do it and any punishment should be casted on myself and myself only.”
Update July 10, 2:50pm CT: Riot Games released a ruling on July 2 regarding Escalate Legion Gaming, banning all players and management from being affiliated with Challenger and LCS teams for the remainder of the 2015 calendar year.
Photo via Riot Games/Flickr | Remix by Jacob Wolf
Challenger team, substitute player, account sharing, Riot Games, Terms of Use, Challenger Series, disciplinary action, team owner, ladder lock, Ranked 5s, LCS level, punishment.