The League of Legends Champions Korea has issued its first esports sanction of 2026 by fining Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk 800,000 KRW for repeated in-game verbal abuse.
The decision follows an investigation conducted by the LCK office ahead of the 2026 season. As part of the process, officials reviewed the game account histories of all players registered on the unified roster to identify any instances of unethical or unhealthy behavior.
During the review, Riot Games’ team responsible for monitoring in-game conduct flagged sanctions previously issued to Ruler, a veteran AD carry for Gen.G. The LCK office determined that these sanctions constituted a repeat violation under league regulations. According to the LCK officials, Ruler was first warned on March 18, 2025, after receiving a chat restriction for verbal abuse during the 2025 integrated roster account review.
A subsequent violation occurred on Oct. 2 this year before Worlds 2025, when Ruler was again restricted from chatting for seven days for similar conduct. This second offense triggered a financial penalty under the LCK Penalty Index. Based on Articles 9.2.6 and 10.1 of the LCK Rulebook, which govern in-game sanctions and penalty targets, the league imposed an 800,000 won fine on the player.
The LCK Penalty Index allows fines of up to one million won or competitive suspensions for a second offense involving in-game verbal abuse. A third offense carries penalties of up to three million won and or a suspension from play for up to 10 games.
The LCK has confirmed that Ruler has the right to request a retrial through the eSports Fair Trade Commission within 14 days of receiving written notice of the penalty. If no retrial is requested within that period, the sanction will be finalized.
The ruling reinforces the LCK’s stance on maintaining professional standards of conduct as the 2026 competitive season approaches. Gen.G and Ruler are set to face DRX on January 15 in the LCK Cup 2026, with a place at the year’s first international event, First Stand in Brazil, on the line.
