Massive Scandal in the LPL: Top Esports Jungler Suspected of Match-Fixing

The esports community has been rocked by news coming from the Chinese organization Top Esports (TES). The club has officially launched an investigation into its jungler - Yang Zijian, who plays under the nickname naiyou, regarding violations of fair play principles and professional ethics.

Below is the full translation of the club's official statement published on the social network Weibo:

Official Announcement of the Top Esports Esports Club (Translation)

"On the evening of March 2, 2026, after the conclusion of the first stage of the competition, due to the abnormal performance of the jungler Yang Zijian (ID: naiyou) during the match, an investigation was launched into a violation of fair play principles. The League management was informed of this situation.

During the internal investigation and evidence gathering by the club, it was discovered that Yang Zijian (ID: naiyou) is suspected of serious violations of the club's corporate rules and professional ethics, as well as improper conduct affecting the fairness of the competitive process. The club has submitted all currently available materials to the League for further review by the disciplinary department. The League's disciplinary committee has already joined the investigation. We will take the strictest measures regarding this incident, based on the results of the League's investigation.

Our club always adheres to the principles of fair competition and resolutely opposes any violations that affect the fairness of the competition. We will apply the harshest sanctions to any internal violations. We thank the fans and partners for your oversight. The club will learn a lesson from this case and will continue to build a healthy and positive team."

The investigation was launched immediately after the lower bracket match of the Winter Playoffs against Weibo Gaming, in which Top Esports suffered a 2-3 defeat. Naiyou's suspicious actions in this series became the reason for the internal review.

The situation took an even more serious turn after a live broadcast by the team's head coach - Poppy. During the stream, the coach shared shocking details: according to him, naiyou admitted to match-fixing in every game that TES lost during these playoffs.

Coach Poppy expressed deep disappointment with his player's actions:

"This makes me really upset. How far could we have made it if he hadn't match-fixed? I can't even imagine..."

At the moment, the case has been fully transferred to the LPL disciplinary committee. The player faces a lifetime ban from professional esports if his guilt in manipulating match results is conclusively proven at the League level.