FunPlus Phoenix have suspended jungler Cai “Milkyway” Zijun after leaked private messages appeared to show him sharing team draft information. According to the now-deleted post, the details were not passed to opponents but to personal friends. In China, where betting markets allow wagers on champion picks, with lower pick-rate champions offering higher payouts, such information could be exploited for financial gain.
The timing makes the suspension even more striking, as the leaked messages appear to date back to the 2024 Demacia Cup, when Milkyway was playing for RNG. He had only rejoined FPX 14 days ago, and his comeback has now been cut short before it could properly begin.
In a translated statement, FPX said:
“On the evening of August 11, 2025, the club received reports alleging that player Cai Zijun (ID: Milkyway) had acted in violation of the rules during the 2024 Demacia Cup. We are closely monitoring this situation and have suspended all matches and training. The matter was reported to the league that evening, and we are fully cooperating with the investigation.
Currently, we are awaiting the results of the league investigation. Prior to the release of the official investigation report, in accordance with league regulations, the club has indefinitely suspended all relations with the player Cai Zijun.”
The situation first came to public attention through a now-deleted Reddit post titled “LPL Milkyway involved in a betting scandal”, which quickly gained traction in League of Legends communities before being removed. The leaked messages can be seen below here.
Not the First Time for the LPL
This is not the first time an LPL player has faced competitive suspension over integrity violations. One of the most high-profile cases came in 2021, when then FunPlus Phoenix jungler Zhou “Bo” Yang-Bo admitted to being pressured into match-fixing during his time in the LDL, China’s secondary league. Although Bo stated that he had not engaged in any wrongdoing after joining the LPL, Riot Games still issued a competitive suspension while the investigation was underway.
Bo eventually received a four-month ban, a relatively short punishment compared to the lifetime bans handed to others involved in the scandal. He later returned to professional play, but the incident remains one of the LPL’s most talked about controversies.
The LPL has yet to comment publicly or provide a timeline for the investigation’s conclusion. If the allegations are proven, Milkyway could face heavy sanctions, ranging from an extended suspension to a potential permanent ban.
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