League of Legends pro bullied in public after poor in-game performance

A struggling League of Legends pro player went to the store only to get bullied by the store’s cashier after a rough game.

Though LoL certainly a popular game in the West, it’s difficult to understate just how popular League of Legends is in countries like South Korea and China.

Chinese pro player Qi ‘PandaC’ Xin was put onto the starting roster for LNG, a team that was struggling with Hu ‘Ale’ Jia-Le, the long-standing starting top laner for the team.

Mounting pressure for LoL pro

LNG has players like Kim ‘DoinB’ Tae-sang, 2019 World Champion mid laner, and Lee ‘Tarzan’ Seung-yong, a jungler regarded by many as one of the best in the world.

PandaC’s been having a rough debut in the LPL, and that pressure to perform is really getting to him. When he’s surrounded by world-class players, his underperformance really stands out.

He could be seen on the verge of tears on stage against Rare Atom, a low-tier team a roster the calibur of LNG’s is expected to beat. However, PandaC’s poor top lane performance in Game 3 of their set against RA was a big part of their unfortunate loss.

Clearly the pressure is getting to PandaC, and his rough performance against RA prompted Ale, the player LNG benched to start PandaC, to tell a story about just how much pressure is being put on PandaC to perform.

LNG Esports

Ale, the benched top laner for LNG Esports

After LNG’s set against V5, one of the best teams in China, PandaC decided to go shopping. But the League of Legends pro couldn’t escape the ire of disappointed LNG fans, getting bullied during his brief outing.

League of Legends bullying spills into real life

The cashier at RAWSON, a grocer in China, told PandaC that he “didn’t do well today”, according to Ale’s retelling on stream.

In a country where LoL is so incredibly popular, it’s a lot more common for pros to run into fans. And, for PandaC, that’s a terrifying prospect.

According to Ale, PandaC is “… afraid to buy food from RAWSON now. If he has to, he will peek from the window first. He wants to make sure that cashier is not in the shop at that moment. If the cashier is there, he will not go in.”

Ale then goes on to defend PandaC, saying that things would be different if PandaC didn’t have to play. Ale focused on his own underperformance and the weight it’s put on this young pro.

For most, getting the chance to play on-stage with the best players in the world would be a dream. For PandaC, it’s quickly turned into a living nightmare. Hopefully things get better for this rookie player as LNG continues to fight for a spot in the LPL Summer 2022 Playoffs.