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Former LoL World Champion Toyz Deported to Hong Kong After Prison Release
Former League of Legends world champion Kurtis “Toyz” Lau Wai-kin was released on parole and deported from Taiwan to Hong Kong on November 3, 2026, after spending more than two years in prison. The former Taipei Assassins mid laner had been serving a four-year-and-two-month sentence for trafficking cannabis vape cartridges.
Taiwan's National Immigration Agency confirmed that officials took Toyz into custody upon his release from Changhua Prison and carried out his deportation. He is also barred from reentering Taiwan for a period of time, although the agency did not specify how long the restriction would last.
How Toyz's Drug Trafficking Case Led to Prison
The case began years before his imprisonment. According to Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA), Toyz and several associates were involved in a drug distribution operation in 2020. Court proceedings detailed the purchase of 500 cannabis vape cartridges containing THC for NT$600,000, with the products subsequently distributed for sale through intermediaries.
Police investigating the operation in 2021 traced the supply chain back to Toyz, who was arrested in September of that year. He spent approximately two months in custody before being released on bail. In November 2022, a district court sentenced him to four years and two months in prison.
Toyz appealed the ruling, but a higher court upheld the sentence in December 2023. Taiwan's Supreme Court rejected his final appeal in April 2024, making the conviction final. He began serving his sentence on May 16, 2024.
His legal troubles had already caused controversy within the esports scene. In December 2023, his appearance as a presenter at a Taiwanese esports awards ceremony drew an onstage protest from another content creator. Toyz subsequently smashed a championship ring during a livestream and announced that he was leaving esports, according to Taiwan's Public Television Service.
Why Was Toyz Deported Despite Being Married in Taiwan?
The parole process moved forward in October 2026. Taiwan's corrections authorities approved his parole on October 19, and a court authorized supervision during parole on October 20. Prosecutors then ordered his deportation in place of that supervision, leading to his removal from Taiwan on November 3.
His marriage had raised questions about whether he would be allowed to stay in Taiwan. Taiwanese media reported in January 2026 that Toyz had registered a marriage while incarcerated, identifying his spouse as Taiwanese entertainer Hsiang Chih-hsuan, also known as Shinozaki Hyun.
The National Immigration Agency confirmed that the marriage did not prevent his deportation. If Toyz seeks to return to Taiwan to live with his spouse, any application for residency will be subject to strict review under the regulations governing residents of Hong Kong and Macau.
Toyz Returns to Social Media After Arriving in Hong Kong
Only hours after his deportation, Toyz resurfaced on Threads with a two-character message in Chinese, “報數,” calling on his followers to check in. The post quickly drew thousands of comments, including requests for him to resume livestreaming.
He has not publicly confirmed plans to return to streaming or competitive League of Legends.
Who Is Toyz, the 2012 League of Legends World Champion?
Long before his conviction, Toyz was one of the standout players of League of Legends' early competitive era. As the mid laner for Taipei Assassins, he helped the team win the 2012 World Championship with a 3-1 victory over South Korea's Azubu Frost in the final.
The victory remains one of the tournament's most memorable early upsets. Toyz's performance on Orianna was later commemorated with the TPA Orianna skin, part of the first set of skins created specifically to celebrate a Worlds-winning team.
After retiring from professional play in 2015, Toyz worked in coaching and team management before becoming an online content creator. His return to Hong Kong comes more than a decade after the victory that made him a recognizable name in League of Legends history.
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Featured image credit: SETN News (Sanlih E-Television)
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