Kudos, LoL: Pro Player Banned for Unsportsmanlike Conduct

No player is immune to Riot’s banhammer — not even the pros. We’re lookin’ at you, IWillDominate.

The member of the League of Legends pro group Team Dignitas has been given the boot on account of his “persistent tendency to engage in verbal abuse and insults, his lack of cordial demeanor, and his treatment of less-skilled players,” according to a forum post by LoL’s Vice President of eSports.

The League of Legends Tribunal handed down the judgement on Tuesday after the player’s ninth visit. Even after eight previous warnings, IWillDominate, real name Christian Rivera, saw a 30 percent increase in his harassment score in just five months.

You big dummy. How goofy do you have to be, especially as a professional, to buck the highly publicized initiatives that League of Legends is implementing? 

The Tribunal that reviewed Rivera’s numerous incidents goes hand-in-hand with Riot’s effort to make League of Legends a more welcoming community. From the game’s producer, Carl Kwoh:

 “We’ve looked at our own game and said ‘This is not a great experience and we want to try to handle this problem.'”

Kudos to Riot and League of Legends for taking a concrete and definitive step to clean up their game.

UPDATE: IWillDominate responds to his ban.

Today I was informed by Riot that I will be suspended for 1 year of the Season 3 Championship Series. Although the ruling is extremely tough, I agree with Riot that player sportsmanship is a serious matter, and I want to apologize to anyone that I’ve offended in-game and my fans. I fully understand that pro players are viewed as role models and should act accordingly. I’d like to thank my teammates and the whole Dignitas organization for the amazing year that I have spent with them and wish the team the best of luck going into season 3. Personally, I will not let this end my dreams of being a professional League of Legends player. During my suspension I intend to keep my mechanics in top form and remain a competitive jungler. After my suspension I hope to rejoin the championship series and once again compete at the highest level. League of Legends is my life, and I will do everything in my power to play as long as possible.