LCS team Team Liquid sparked controversy this week when the organization imported North American ADC Keith “Yuri Jew” McBrief to replace Korean player Chae “Piglet” Gwang-jin. The move has ignited furious debate over whether native North American players can be considered “real” professional players.

“On the surface, it may seem like Korean League of Legends players are superior,” said one region equity knowledge technician. “But if you remove aspects like speed, accuracy, decision-making, teamwork, and practice, North American League of Legends players can play computer games just as well as Koreans.”

“When I watch the NA LCS, I want to see the best managers and coaches that North America has to offer,” commented r/leagueoflegends user RamphastidankMemes. “When staff slack off and import NA players, it shows that they’re more dedicated to fans than to winning.”

Former CLG PR spokesperson, Christopher “MonteCristo” Mykles commented, “While importing NA players seems like a good move in the short term, it can lead to long-term communication problems, as most North American players speak neither Danish nor Korean.”

Earlier this week, Liquid manager Steve “JokaSteve” Perino, known for his hands-on management style, was seen trying to help Chae play on stream. It is suspected that this may have been an early attempt by Perino to see if he could effectively replace Chae with an average North American, simulating the confused mashing of many NA players.

Fans have expressed concern for McBrief, as North American players undergo considerable stress when traveling dozens of miles from their home country to their new gaming houses. On arrival, many succumb to culture shock, as they are unused to playing seriously or winning games.

A significant portion of the LoL community has called for stricter “region locks,” which would keep NA players where they can have the biggest impact, in the audience of the LCS studios.

