Jake Sin opens up on VCT Pacific integrity concerns in YAP2ASIA EP. 20
Head of VALORANT Esports APAC & VCT Pacific Jake Sin breaks down Riot’s handling of Kickoff’s most talked-about incidents in the latest YAP2ASIA episode.
Jake Sin breaks down Riot’s handling of Kickoff’s most talked-about incidents in the latest YAP2ASIA episode.
APAC – VCT Pacific’s recent competitive integrity controversies, league operations, and the region’s long-term future became some of the main talking points in the latest episode of YAP2ASIA, where Riot’s Head of VALORANT Esports APAC and VCT Pacific, Jake Sin, appeared for one of his most candid public appearances yet.
Joining Clinton “Paperthin” Bader, Kentrell “heyimquack” Kwek, and Nico “blackenBlue” Gayoso, Jake spoke at length about the competitive integrity concerns that surfaced during Kickoff, the league’s internal handling of those situations, and how Riot is looking at the bigger picture moving forward. The episode also touched on Pacific’s long-term direction, why South Korea became the league’s home base, and what Riot has taken away from the recent backlash.
Among the biggest points raised in the episode was the improper headset usage controversy involving Gen.G’s Kim “Lakia” Jong-min and Team Secret’s Ko “Sylvan” Young-sub during VCT Pacific Kickoff.
Jake said Riot had already started looking into the matter internally before it became a wider public discussion, after receiving reports directly from teams. After reviewing VODs, player comms, broadcast audio, and the broader match context, Riot concluded that the incidents did not amount to cheating, though they were still considered improper use of official match equipment.
“We had known about this issue before the whole thing blew up,” Jake said during the episode. “Our conclusion is that there was no cheating.”
The episode also touched on the smoking incident involving T1. Jake said Riot only understood the full situation after it was raised through the post-match press conference, after which the league approached T1 directly, received a confession, and issued a formal warning to an unnamed player. He added that any repeat offense could lead to harsher punishment.
Jake also addressed the Paper Rex lobby remake involving Jason “f0rsakeN” Susanto’s Veto pick in the Lower Final against RRQ, another issue that drew attention shortly after Kickoff ended.
Communication was another big talking point throughout the episode. Jake admitted that one of Riot’s biggest takeaways from the recent controversies is that players and coaches should not feel like going public is the only way for their concerns to be heard. He described the past few weeks as a point of reflection for both the league and himself, saying Riot needs to be more approachable and improve how it communicates directly with teams.
The full YAP2ASIA episode goes into more detail on each topic, including Jake’s explanation of Riot’s review process, his response to community criticism, and his thoughts on where VCT Pacific could be headed in the future.
For those looking for the full context behind one of the most talked-about incidents in the region this year, YAP2ASIA EP. 20 is one to watch in full.
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