To understand how China accepted capitalism, one should get to know one of the most renowned Chinese leaders, Deng Xiaoping, and his economic reform principle. He carried this out in 1985 and named it, ‘Getting rich first’. Following his famous quote, “The people who have the capability can get rich first.” every Chinese citizen acknowledged the importance of money and this gradually spread throughout Chinese society.

In order to become rich, people started to ignore the law and this naturally led to more materialistic beliefs. The government's policy was to focus more on authority and individual benefits than on law, social duties, or justice; the Chinese people followed this resolutely. This might be the reason why in China, capital is sometimes involved in fields that should not be so strongly affected by money.

Wang Si-cong, the owner of the current first-place LPL team Invictus Gaming, made his pro gamer debut. On the 19th (CST) of August, he started for the matchup against Vici Gaming in Week 9 of the LPL, which was held in Super Brand Mall, Shanghai. Invictus Gaming might have decided that this was a reasonable timing for Wang Si-cong’s pro debut since the team is on the verge of securing first place for the LPL East Region. On the face of it, it seems like a good enough reason for an interesting event match.

However, that match was not all fun and games. While some might consider it an event match, Wang Si-cong’s match was an actual official match; the proving ground of pro gamers was changed into an owner’s playground.

Invictus Gaming stated that Wang Si-cong’s debut was reasonable since he is Master tier in LoL. However, on stage, he did not perform well. After the game, viewers could see that Wang Si-cong’s total dealt damage was 16,000, 3 times less than the opponent bottom laner’s total damage, which was 52,000. Additionally, one of the most prominent bottom laners in China, JackeyLove, changed his role to support and chose Tahm Kench to back up Wang Si-cong. His performance did not seem to be at Master tier level either. He didn’t seem to fully know the range of his ultimate skill. Also, he died after canceling an auto-attack.

Moreover, people have been uncomfortable with the fact that Si-cong can perform in an LPL regular season match because he is the owner of a team. It seems as though money took precedence over performance, which should be the biggest deciding factor. If he seriously wanted to perform in a pro league, shouldn’t he have reached that point through a process that would not be affected by his position or wealth? If his desire was serious, he should have at least gone through tryouts or practiced extensively with the team.

There was a similar case in Korean baseball as well. Heo min, who is known as the father of the renowned Korean game, "Dungeon & Fighter", founded the developing company of the game, Neople in 2001. In 2010, he founded an E-commerce company named Wemap (Wemakeprice).  He also had a strong interest in baseball. In order to learn how to pitch a 'Knuckleball', Heo min traveled all the way to the United States and met Phil Niekro who was known as a 'Knuckleballer' in his pro days. 

His love for baseball didn't seem to stop. Soon he made the first Korean independent baseball team, Goyang Wonders. Heo min then became a player himself by playing in an American independent league team named Rockland Boulders. And now, he will be participating in the KBO (Korean Baseball Organization) league draft. Although he won't be showcasing in the official tryouts because of his shoulder conditions, it is told that he will not have any restrictions in participating in the draft itself. This case might seem similar to Wang's debut, but Heo min clearly made some more 'professional' steps to becoming a pro player.  

Even in China, some expressed negativity on Wang Si-cong’s debut. Edward, the team owner of renowned Chinese gaming team EDG, indirectly criticized Wang’s debut in his personal social media account by stating, “I want to become a pro. However, the Managing Director Aaron said that I lack the performance to be one. EDG’s only goal is to claim the title. An owner should not be able to perform just because of his own desires.”

Wang Si-cong has put in a significant amount of money and effort in order to make Chinese LoL esports a professional sport. He is not only an owner of Invictus Gaming, but additionally owns Banana Culture, which is the broadcaster of the LPL. He is also known for selling his personal stocks and investing in Chinese esports leagues in order to make improvements for Chinese esports.

However, the progress he’s made in helping Chinese esports become like pro sports has been set back because of his LPL debut. Now a lot of people will think of the LPL as a competition that can bend to the whim of team owners. Even if an LPL team wins this World Championship, this thought might not be easily changed.

There are numerous values in this world that should not be swayed so easily by money, such as respect for life, fair competition, and so on. Sportsmanship should also be among those. The effort, respect, and competitive spirit of the pro players should be paramount in any serious sport. This should never happen again if the Chinese esports scene seeks to become a ‘real’ sport.