Is LNG Scout going to Worlds 2024? EDG lawsuit explained

LNG fans were waiting with bated breath to see if Scout can make it to Worlds 2024 despite an ongoing legal battle with EDward Gaming, the team he won Worlds 2021 with. And, after weeks in limbo, we finally know whether or not he’ll be able to make it to the event.

Considering how important Scout is to LNG, missing Worlds 2024 would be crushing blow for the team. He’s one of the best mid laners in the LPL and has made a career for himself after one of the worst major league debuts of all time with T1.

Due to an ongoing legal battle with EDG, concerns started the moment LNG qualified that he wouldn’t be able to travel to Europe for Worlds 2024. Why is the team he won Worlds with suing him, though?

Here’s everything you need to know about the EDG lawsuit against Scout and who was set to replace him on LNG for their Worlds 2024 run.

Why is EDG suing Scout?

Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games

Scout was once supposed to replace Faker on T1.

EDward Gaming’s lawsuit against Scout is over the player allegedly agreeing to join an LCK team while still under contract with the Chinese organization. This legal battle is still going on more than two years later, with Scout’s agency choosing to counter the suit according to EDG’s general manager.

He also claimed that Scout’s agency, SuperGent, didn’t make the mid laner or LNG aware that the travel ban was still in place going into the final, going out of his way to blame the agency for this dispute. “The outrageous routines of this agency are really a mess,” he claimed.

SuperGent publicly called out EDG, claiming that the suit made it harder for the star mid laner to focus and publicly stating that he was banned from leaving the country.

“We have shared the information about the travel ban with the LPL and LNG, and the LPL and LNG have asked EDG for cooperation, but EDG has consistently feigned ignorance,” the company claimed.

Though the details around this lawsuit are messy at best, the result is the player will be unable to leave the country as long as he’s embroiled in this legal battle.

There is, however, a glimmer of hope. Scout is in the process of trying to appeal the travel ban and buying his way to Worlds 2024 directly by paying off EDG. He allegedly has the money cleared to settle his travel ban, and there’s a good chance Scout will make it to Worlds 2024.

Scout had this to say: “Hello everyone, I’m Lee Ye-chan. I’ve never been affected by public opinion or rumors before, I decided to officially post this because this is indeed the first time I’ve felt sad because of something outside of the game, I’m also a little depressed and I’m very sorry to have worried everyone. I can completely understand why everyone is disappointed in me, I feel that the only thing I can do now is to face the things in front of me and focus on the game first, I’ll definitely explain myself to everyone in the future. Thank you everyone.”

Is LNG Scout going to Worlds 2024?

Yes, Scout will be going to the event. After weeks worth of speculation and rumors around his legal battle with EDG, he’s rallied enough funds to pay his way past the travel ban and make it to Worlds 2024.

He apologized for the uncertainty and confirmed that he’s resolved the issue. He’ll be able to play at Worlds 2024 with no restrictions, and LNG’s team will be going to the event as intended. However, this only comes after he had a replacement set in stone.

In an official announcement by Riot, we learned JDG’s Yagao will be stepping in to replace Scout as an emergency sub if Scout can’t make it.

“Riot Games have been informed that [LNG] player Scout is temporarily restricted from traveling to Worlds 2024. Given this exceptional situation, LNG has been granted approval to field an emergency substitute,” Riot wrote in their statement.

Riot additionally explained that usually a team would be allowed to utilize a player who was either a free agent or had not participated in the last split as a substitute.

Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games

Yagao was set to replacing Scout on LNG at Worlds 2024.

Despite having played for a long time, he’s still at the top of his game as a mid laner. Rivaled only by other LPL stars like knight, Rookie, and Scout himself, Yagao is a mid laner known for his consistency and prowess across a wide pool of champions, traditionally being known as a control mage player.

And, while it’s unfortunate for Yagao that he won’t be able to get a ticket to Worlds 2024, it’d be no surprise to see him make it to next year’s international on his own.