The esports industry offers young people a chance to prove themselves and gain popularity. Constant attention and interest from fans affect players in different ways. Sometimes, the pressure becomes too much, and they end up on the wrong side of the law.
In this article, we've gathered well-known cases where esports players had legal troubles, and some even ended up behind bars.
Lee Life Seung Hyun began his professional StarCraft II career in 2011. By 2012, his matches were being broadcast on South Korean television, allowing him — at just 15 years and 11 days old— to become the third-youngest player to reach such a milestone.
Throughout his esports career, Life earned over $470,000 in prize money. He claimed victory at the 2015 Global StarCraft II League Season 1: Code S, the 2014 WCS Global Finals, and the 2012 GSL Blizzard Cup, and he finished second at the 2015 WCS Global Finals. These are just a few highlights of his impressive pro-scene achievements, marking him as a highly successful player.
However, everything changed dramatically on January 29, 2016, when the Korean eSports Association (KeSPA) released an official statement announcing that Life was under investigation. The Changwon District Prosecutor’s Office had launched a probe into his involvement in match-fixing. In April, a report confirmed that Seung Hyun, another player named Cheong Bbyong Woo Yong, and 11 brokers were found guilty of organizing fixed matches. These rigged games took place during the KeSPA Cup.
The court sentenced Life to 18 months in prison and fined him $58,000. Additionally, he received a lifetime ban from participating in Korean esports events. ESPN later named this scandal one of the most disappointing events in esports in 2016.
Brazilian player Chaienne shAy Victorio competed professionally in Counter-Strike starting in 2008. Over the years, she played for teams like mibr Girls, paiN Girls, Keyd Stars Female, and several others. With GamerHouse.Girls, she placed fourth at the ESWC 2011 Women’s tournament. After retiring from competitive play, she transitioned into a career as an influencer.
From 2013 to 2017, shAy co-owned an online store. During this period, lawsuits were filed against her and the business by customers who claimed they never received their purchased items or a refund. Although shAy admitted fault, she placed most of the blame on Renato Silva Savoia — her former business partner and ex-husband.
A court in São Paulo sentenced both of them to 116 years in prison. However, due to Brazil's legal limit on prison terms, the sentence was reduced to the maximum of 30 years. Following an appeal, shAy’s sentence was further reduced to 3 years and 9 months. Instead of prison time, she was assigned community service.
British esports professional Lorcan Lorcz Elliott began his career in 2020, primarily working as a coach or analyst for various League of Legends teams. In December 2022, he joined FlyQuest Academy, where he remained until November 2023.
On August 12, 2024, charges were brought against him. In September 2024, it was revealed that Lorcz had pleaded guilty to 22 child-related sexual offenses. It was also uncovered that he had sent indecent images to minors. Following a court ruling, Elliott was sentenced to 4 years and 8 months in prison.
Malcolm Germsg Chang Wai Kiat, a Singaporean player, was the captain of the VALORANT team Resurgence. He was sentenced to four months in prison and fined 400 Singapore dollars after pleading guilty to intentionally losing a match in order to win a bet.
Germsg admitted to the offense, which occurred during the Epulze Royal SEA Cup in September 2020. At the time, Wai Kiat owed money to another player, Ryan "Dreamycsgo" Tan. It was Tan who proposed that Germsg place bets on his own team losing their match against BBI, as a way to repay the debt.
Malcolm received 3,000 Singapore dollars from Dreamycsgo’s brother and placed five bets on the outcome. Resurgence lost to BBI with a score of 2–0, and Wai Kiat played a notably poor game. His subpar performance also negatively influenced the rest of the team, as he was their captain and shot-caller. In total, Germsg earned 7,019 Singapore dollars from the bets, out of which he personally received 2,700.
Riot Games also conducted an internal investigation. As a result, both Germsg and Dreamycsgo were banned from all Riot-organized tournaments for 36 months. The remaining Resurgence players received shorter suspensions.
Hunter SicK Mims is a professional player who first made his name in CS:GO before transitioning to VALORANT. The American competed for notable teams such as Team SoloMid, Complexity, and Sentinels. His VALORANT career was quite successful — most notably, he won the VALORANT Masters Reykjavík in 2021.
However, in March 2023, news broke that SicK had been arrested at a car dealership in Texas. The incident stemmed from a dispute with staff and his refusal to leave the premises. Following the arrest, Sentinels suspended him from the roster but publicly committed to supporting him during that time.
Later, media outlets reported that Mims had been arrested a second time, again related to unlawful entry into a car dealership. His behavior was attributed to struggles with mental health. It was later confirmed that SicK had been admitted to a medical facility to address these issues.
South Korean player Lee Yaharong Chan-ju had a fairly successful career in League of Legends. He even competed at the 2022 World Championship and the Mid-Season Invitational as part of the DFM roster.
However, on June 1, 2024, the esports world was shaken by news of Yaharong’s arrest in Vietnam on suspicion of murder. Reports stated that Chan-ju had checked into a hotel with the victim, and after she allegedly refused to engage in sexual activity, he suffocated her with a pillow. Media outlets also reported that after committing the act, he attempted to take his own life by jumping from the 65th floor of the hotel, but was intercepted in the elevator before he could do so.
In an interview, Yaharong’s father claimed that his son committed the crime due to mental illness, not drug use. He revealed that in 2023, Chan-ju had been exempted from South Korea’s mandatory military service due to being diagnosed with bipolar I disorder.
As of now, no official verdict has been confirmed. It has only been reported that Yaharong has been extradited back to South Korea.
American streamer Paul Ice Poseidon Denino has faced multiple legal issues over the years.
In June 2023, Denino was arrested in Bangkok, Thailand, after performing a sexually suggestive private dance on his girlfriend’s lap during a livestream at a hotel restaurant. The hotel management viewed his behavior as disrespectful and in violation of Thailand’s laws on “distribution of obscene content.” Under local law, such actions could have led to a prison sentence of up to five years. Ice Poseidon spent some time in detention before being released on bail of $12,000. In August, the criminal case was dropped, and he left the country.
However, by September 2023, Denino found himself in legal trouble again — this time in Australia. During a livestream, he and fellow streamer Sam Pepper invited a sex worker to their hotel room, allegedly as part of a prank targeting a third streamer. When the woman realized she was being filmed, she attempted to leave the room, but they reportedly tried to stop her. Local police arrested both men on suspicion of sexual assault. They were later released without charges being filed.
Kurtis Toyz Lau
Kurtis Toyz Lau reached the pinnacle of the League of Legends scene by winning the second-ever World Championship as a member of Taipei Assassins. His career also included multiple victories in various splits of the Garena Premier League, which once served as the main league for Southeast Asian teams. After retiring from professional play, Toyz took on roles as a coach and manager for the organization G-Rex.
However, in September 2021, his career came to a halt when police in Taichung, Taiwan, arrested him on suspicion of marijuana trafficking. During the trial, Lau pleaded guilty to possession of a category two narcotic with intent to distribute. He was sentenced to 4 years and 2 months in prison. Toyz attempted to appeal the ruling, but the appeal was denied. As a result, he began serving his sentence in May 2024.
This case — and many others — highlight how esports professionals, like anyone else, can make serious life mistakes. Often, underlying issues such as mental health struggles are overlooked, making it all the more important to pay close attention to one’s psychological well-being.
