LoL: Milkyway indefinitely suspended by FunPlus Phoenix

FunPlus Phoenix jungler Cai “Milkyway” Zi-Jun has been suspended indefinitely amid serious allegations of match-fixing during the 2024 Demacia Cup, as announced by the organisation this Wednesday. On August 11, FPX announced they had received a whistleblower report claiming Milkyway violated competitive rules.

According to screenshots circulating on Weibo, Milkyway allegedly shared confidential draft information from his former team, Royal Never Give Up, with outside parties. Those individuals were then able to place bets on which champions would be picked in upcoming matches. If verified, this would constitute both a draft leak and direct involvement in betting manipulation — offenses that the LPL has historically punished with lifetime bans.

The 2024 Demacia Cup, held December 16–29 in Shanghai, featured LPL, LDL, and invited teams, using a high-stakes single-elimination format after the group stage. RNG, Milkyway’s team at the time, competed in the event before he rejoined FPX in July 2025.

All of this occurred in a specific context, the day after FPX denied match-fixing accusations, which are not related to Milkyway's case. FPX called these accusations "extremely egregious and serious slander", as well as "completely baseless". About its jungler, while FPX’s statement did not detail the nature of the evidence, the screenshots have fueled widespread discussion in the Chinese League of Legends community. Riot China and the LPL have yet to issue an official ruling, but the organization immediately removed him from all team activities pending the outcome of an internal investigation.

If the accusations are proven, Milkyway could face one of the harshest punishments in LPL history: a lifetime ban. He would join a list of players who have been banned for betting-related offenses in Chinese League of Legends history. This affair echoes with scandals of the same kind that occurred in recent years, especially in 2021, where 35 players and staff from LPL and LDL were suspended or permanently banned after match-fixing activities. At the moment, Milkyway's competitive future hangs in the balance.