Korean esports organization KT Rolster has stood up for its players after reports of the team being abused online and even being sent dangerous goods such as weapons to their office, hinting at the possibility of legal action.
KT Rolster is one of the most recognizable names in Korean esports. Though not the best, the organization has a long history, stacking an admirable amount of achievements over the years.
However, reports and rumors have recently circulated about fans sending the team abuse, even taking it a step further with dangerous fan mail.
KT Rolster players, coaches, and staff have reportedly received violent threats, packages, and false rumors spread across the community by overzealous fans.
After much deliberation, the organization has pushed back. “While trying to protect our players and staff, we discovered many violations that were socially unacceptable beyond a simple expression of opinion,” they said in a July 17 post according to a translation.
“Serious accusations were directed at the team as well as rumors, including sending threatening photos to players and delivering boxes of dangerous goods to the practice room.”
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Though the post didn’t specify what the contents of mailed packages were, they were threatening by nature according to the team.
“As a result of some of the fans’ actions, KT Rolster members feel anxious and unsafe, and it’s feared this will negatively affect players and fans.”
The reasoning behind the threats and hateful comments are not concrete either.
KT Rolster hasn’t taken any legal actions yet, but stated that if these events continue, they will be forced to do so to ensure the safety of their staff and players. This includes suing fans for defamation and assault as well as laying criminal charges, which can carry prison sentences up to seven years in South Korea.
However serious, this is not the first example of fans overreaching. Back in 2020, T1 faced hefty criticism when icon Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok was benched, with the organization forced to step in with legal threats.
