to be a Vici Gaming insider on Baidu detailed a long, semi-plausible rumor that Yu "XiaoWeiXiao" Xian would join Vici Gaming after his ban expires in February. This rumor already trended toward implausibility given the likelihood that XiaoWeiXiao has declared himself a North American resident, and with the announcement of Easyhoon's acquisition, it's been completely dashed.

The rumor did, however, include the alternative story of Easyhoon joining Vici Gaming, which has since been proven. Under this clause the self-proclaimed insider said that Mata would transition into a coaching position. Chinese netizens have since gravitated toward that aspect of the rumor. With the termination of Mata's contract with Vici Gaming and LGD Gaming's close relationship with the team, the hope is that he will coach LGD.

Mata has previously claimed hewould prefer to either retire or play, however, and I don't grant much credence to the suggestion.

Upcoming Events: International eSports Federation

Also known as the 7th esports World Championship, IeSF celebrates lesser known international esports talent. This includes players from countries like China and Korea, but also teams from countries you wouldn’t normally associate with League of Legends, such as Iran, South Africa, and Tunisia.

Participating teams hail from Australia, China, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), Indonesia, Iran, Israel, South Korea, Mongolia, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, and Tunisia. Three games will be played, including League of Legends, Hearthstone, and Starcraft II.

Winners will be dictated by points earned. Last year, South Korea came in first with 347 points, with China trailing in second at 216. The Chinese did not,