LCK shifts to prerecorded matches amid DDoS attacks

League of Legends Champions Korea was forced to resort to a delayed broadcast following several DDoS-related technical interruptions during games. 

South Korea’s LCK is the most decorated regional tournament in the League of Legends pro scene. As the home base of dominant teams and World Tournament winners such as T1 and DRX, the South Korean pro league attracts dedicated viewers from all around the globe. 

However, the action-packed matches have been recently plagued with lengthy technical pauses. While many LoL fans await the newest strats and team plays in LCK, the round-robin leg of the tournament experienced time-outs for as long as six hours. 

After LCK’s further investigation, officials determined that the game-breaking ping spikes and delays were due to DDoS attacks. Upon confirmation, the organization announced that all forthcoming games will be prerecorded instead of the usual live streams. 

Week 6 Tickets & Broadcast Announcement pic.twitter.com/yG1wCPVaxJ

DDoS attacks behind LCK’s multiple technical breaks

LCK has reported “chronic ping issues” since the February 25 game between DRX and DK. Players reported ping spikes amid the match, resulting in extended delays and multiple tech pauses. 

While most fans expected the situation to be resolved after the 40-minute break, the issues persisted until the match between T1 and FearX. The constant technical time-outs led to the dismay of players, organizations, and fans who had tickets to witness the live show. 

Pause strikes #LCK again, this time for @T1LoL vs @FearXBusan

Earlier this week, @LCK announced that BRO vs KDF encountered issues due to suspected DDOS issues. pic.twitter.com/CFt37p3yuz