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Riot outlines approach to politics in LoL esports

Global head of LoL Esports John Needham has "reminded our casters and pro players to refrain from discussing any of these topics on air".

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The World Championships for League of Legends are going on at the moment, but with Blizzard attracting attention with their ban of Hearthstone player Ng 'Blitzchung' Wai Chung - who showed support for the Hong Kong protesters in a post-match interview recently - developer Riot Games has made their stance clear.

John Needham, Global Head of League of Legends Esports, provided a statement on the LoL Esports Twitter page that said that the aim is to focus on the matches and the games being played.

"We serve fans from many different countries and cultures, and we believe this opportunity comes with a responsibility to keep personal views on sensitive issues (political, religious, and otherwise) separate," he writes.

"These topics are often incredibly nuanced, require deep understanding and a willingness to listen, and cannot be fairly represented in the forum our broadcast provides. Therefore, we have reminded our casters and pro players to refrain from discussing any of these topics on air."

Needham also adds that Riot has staff in areas of unrest, and that it's important not to "escalate potentially sensitive situations". Later on he adds that he hopes League of Legends can be a "positive force that brings people together" as well.

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League of Legends
Photo: Riot Games

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