Scout to Pay $4.5 Million to Former Team EDward Gaming Following Lawsuit

23 Jun

Martin Arévalo-Östberg

A Chinese court has ordered South Korean star player Lee "Scout" Ye-chan to pay a massive sum of money to his former club, the LPL's EDward Gaming (EDG). The player was found to have breached his contract with the team back in 2022 after he left EDG to join their league rivals of LNG Esports.

Now, Scout has been instructed to pay EDG the sum of $4.5 million USD in restitution.

The Lawsuit: EDG vs. Scout

Initially, Scout and EDward Gaming looked like a match made in heaven. Just months after coming into the team in 2016, the star Mid Laner led EDG to an LPL trophy. This gave rise to what would become a long and fruitful partnership.

After more than five years representing the team, Scout was able to win the 2021 League of Legends World Championship (Worlds) with EDG, placing both player and team at the top of the esports scene. Earning himself the Finals MVP award, the win cemented Scout as one of the best League of Legends players in the world.

For all of their success together, Scout and EDward Gaming find themselves on opposite sides of a lawsuit. (Credit: Riot Games)

Despite the success, Scout allegedly signed a deal to return to his home country and play for KT Rolster at the end of 2021. Given that the player was under contract with EDG, the deal fell through, all while the Chinese organization chose to overlook Scout's first offense.

When the team's journey at Worlds the following year came to a disappointing quarterfinals exit, Scout made the decision to leave the team for good and join LNG Esports at the end of the 2022 season. At the time, EDG argued, Scout was still contractually bound to the organization, leading them to file a lawsuit against the player for breach of contract after the player's exit was deemed to have caused extensive damage to the organization.

Almost three years after the South Korean star left EDG, Scout may now have to pay a steep price for his decision.

A $4.5 Million Call

In the end, a Chinese court ruled in favor of EDward Gaming, issuing an enforcement notice on April 9th, 2025. The notice indicated that Scout was to pay the total sum of roughly $4.5 million USD to his former team. The complete amount is broken down as follows:

¥33,414,348 owed for:
- Damages
- Contract signing fees
- Return of salary previously received by the player
- Interest
¥100,814 owed for:
- EDward Gaming's legal fees
- Doubled interest for delayed payments
Total amount: ¥33.5 million (over $4.5 million USD)

Following his exit from EDG, Scout went on to compete under the LNG banner for a total of three years. Now representing JD Gaming, Scout has not managed to lift a single trophy, whether it be in the LPL or internationally, since departing from EDward Gaming in 2022.

Now forced to pay an overwhelming sum of money to his former team, the question has to be asked: was leaving EDG the right decision in the end?

Since leaving the team, Scout has not been able to get back to the heights he reached with EDward Gaming. (Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)

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Featured image credit: LoL Esports/Riot Games

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