Prominent esports entity Riot Games has imposed a 12-month ban on Kim 'Clid' Tae-min
A leading player of the LCK, Kim 'Clid' Tae-min, has been banned by Riot Games for 12 months following his conviction for engaging in improper conduct. The suspension arises in the aftermath of an investigation into sexually charged messages that Clid allegedly sent to several women, including a minor.
Details of the Incident
In June, a Twitter user named 'Seoyeon' publicly shared several explicit DMs received from Clid, in addition to a selfie from the player. Seoyeon also claimed that her complaints about the incident were ignored by Hanwha Life Esports, Clid’s team.
Riot's Investigation and Verdict
Riot Games conducted a thorough investigation which included a review of the leaked messages and confirmed the statements from the player himself. They concluded that the complaints about Clid were unfortunately not provoked, but rather, rejected behavior from him. After reviewing the evidence, they found unacceptable conducts including making sexual comments to underage women.
The Suspension
Riot's Investigations Committee deemed it necessary to take strict action against the player due to his recognized stature as a professional gamer. Recognizing the severity of the matter, the committee settled on suspending Kim 'Clid' Tae-min from participating in the LCK and LCK CL for a duration of 12 months.
Appeal Provision
The imposed ban allows for an appeal. Clid has a 14-day window to file an appeal against his suspension to the South Korean Esports Fairness Committee. In the absence of an appeal, the LCK's judgment becomes final. The ban prohibits Clid from participating in any international or domestic League of Legends esports league, essentially covering all LoL activities for an entire year. This casts doubt on his professional future, especially at the age of 24.
Clid's Gaming Career
The 24-year-old Korean player had an impressive gaming career that kicked off in 2019, with his association with SK Telecom T1. He played a crucial role enabling the team to reach the semi-finals of MSI and Worlds that same year. Clid continued to play for various teams such as Gen.G and FunPlus Phoenix before eventually joining HLE in late 2022. Following the public disclosure of his messages in June, Clid became sidelined from HLE's key lineup. As a result, Clid missed the opportunity to participate when his team claimed fourth place in the LCK Summer 2023 and third in the LCK Regional Finals, therefore, missing out on Worlds 2023 qualification.