Popular Korean pro player Song “Smeb” Kyung-ho has apologised today, after an announcement that he would be punished for account sharing. The KT Rolster Star top laner took to social media to explain that he had used another player’s account during a period of time between 2014 and 2016, revealing that the account was given to him, not purchased. The star went on to acknowledge the wrongdoing and stated that he was prepared to accept the consequences.
KT Rolster, the team Smeb is currently signed to, outlined their plans for Smeb to undergo 20 hours of community service as punishment for the account sharing, stating that they would accept any further punishments sanctioned by Riot Games.
Fan reactions to the news on sites such as reddit seemed almost incredulous that a player would face community service for an issue as minor as account sharing, but others were quick to point out the legality of the situation in Korea. The creation of accounts for games such as League of Legends are tied to an individual’s KSSN (Korean Social Security Number), and as such, using another player’s account can constitute minor identity theft. It’s possible that KT Rolster is attempting to head off any further punishments by taking such a strong stand early on, but Riot Games has yet to comment on the issue.
For more League of Legends action, check out the last of the tie-breaker matches from the NA LCS, where Cloud9 managed to take down Clutch Gaming in the battle for seeding heading towards playoffs.
