LCK Matches Disrupted By Severe DDoS Attacks
Massive DDoS attacks have impacted the remainder of this week's LCK matches.
Earlier today, LCK content creator and journalist Ashley Kang announced that the remaining LCK matches this week will all be held privately due to a DDoS attack.
The first attack happened earlier on February 28, interrupting a T1 match. The unpredictable patterns and methods of the incoming attacks forced the game to be paused.
An official LCK update read: "After negotiations with the team, LCK has decided to run game one until completion even if the pauses continue. Meanwhile, T1 vs FOX game two will be rescheduled to another date."
Unfortunately, the DDoS attacks continued to get worse. Eventually, Kang explained that the remainder of the LCK matches held this week would be played in private. They would then be recorded and broadcasted at a later date.
[OFFICIAL] All remaining #LCK matches this week will be held privately, recorded, and then broadcasted later.
— Ashley Kang (@AshleyKang) February 28, 2024
Earlier today, #LCK was attacked by DDOS which postponed games indefinitely. pic.twitter.com/UKU9vg7hYt
What Is the DDoS Attack on the LCK?
Unfortunately, the disrupted matches on February 28 are not the first time that DDoS attacks have been discussed in South Korea. The Korean League server has been plagued by DDoS attacks for the last two months, according to Kang. These attacks made it difficult for some players to train in solo queue, including Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok.
Despite the attacks continuing for months, it seemed like Riot had no response. Fans started getting vocal, accusing Riot of not doing anything for weeks despite the growing concern over the disruptions. Some felt that the appropriate preventative measures were not taken to avoid such severe DDoS attacks during the LCK matches.
the fact Riot KR not doing anything until LCK getting the effect is insane
— Holzier (@Holzier04) February 28, 2024
This is not top tier standards that should be happening. Even if it is a prevalent problem, that is no excuse.
— CMC | r3vilo (@cmc_r3vilo) February 28, 2024
Riot has yet to make an official response aside from the LCK matches going private for this week.
A DDoS attack, or Distributed Denial of Service attack, is when someone attempts to disrupt services by flooding the network with an abundance of requests. This overtakes the network's capacity, making it near impossible for normal requests to function properly. With traffic disrupted, it's basically impossible to play on the Korean League servers without a severe amount of lag and other problems.
No solution to the incoming attacks has been made public just yet.
Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats. Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!