League of Legends team disqualified for using emotes

Luke Warr Published June 2, 2024

A League of Legends team was disqualified during a tournament for using an emote, leaving fans outraged.

League of Legends remains a top dog in the esports scene despite the rise of younger titles. Of course, the reign hasn’t been without difficulties. Incidents like LCS players being sent to “closets” in favor of Valorant playoffs, and the loss of an iconic voice for the LEC when Quickshot left the company, shook longtime fans of the product. LoL esports has cultivated a unique culture that has evolved from the early days. While politeness is appreciated, fans have come to expect and even appreciate some flair.

However, one local League of Legends tournament in the Philippines still can’t handle first blood emotes.

Filipino LoL team West Points Esports disqualified for using emotes

After getting first blood, the automatic emote that followed led to the automatic disqualification of West Points Esports.

The organizer of the event banned emotes during play to prevent toxic behavior but did not account for automatic emotes. One of the players managed to snag the first kill of the game, but instead of celebrating, the game kicked the errant player immediately as the automatic first blood emote triggered. Notably, the organizer asked the opposing team, Viridis Arcus of De La Salle University, if they wanted to continue and give West Point Esports a chance. The opposing team said no, and the disqualification decision was held. Other emotes were allegedly used throughout the tournament as well, but those went unreported.

The decision sparked outrage on Filipino social media. Fans asked why the organizers asked permission from the opposing team at all. Instead, the organizers should have owned up to their mistake and let the game continue. Some even accused Viridis Arcus of being “spoiled brats” due to their association with a famous university in the Philippines.

Are emotes banned in League of Legends esports?

Emotes are typically not banned in League of Legends esports tournaments.

Many questioned the necessity of the banned emotes rule in the first place for a local tournament. After all, even events such as Worlds don’t have rules specifically targeted at the use of emotes. Flashing emotes at the very end of intense matches can happen during international games. If nothing else, emotes are likely seen as etiquette, though spamming them in a serious game is considered bad manners.