The head of VCT Pacific, Jake Sin, publicly acknowledged an unintentional regional imbalance that favored South Korea and pledged to make the next partnership cycle more inclusive.

At the 2026 Kickoff, several players accused Korean teams of getting preferential treatment, prompting Riot to investigate and issue warnings to multiple players and teams, though no bans were handed down.

Riot has been implementing changes by relocating finals and expanding the regional footprint in past seasons, with 2025 bringing Japan into the mix and 2026 staging the Stage 1 Finals in Vietnam, as the league plans for changes in the upcoming partnership cycle that could alter team makeup and the play-in path for underrepresented regions.

The 2026 Stage 2 Finals were held in Busan, a decision Sin described as disappointing and symptomatic of ongoing tensions around regional balance.

Sin’s public stance marks a notable move toward addressing bias, but real impact will depend on whether future partnerships show concrete policy changes beyond operational adjustments.

The imbalance arises from VCT Pacific housing diverse regions under one structure, with five of twelve teams being Korean and most events hosted in Korea, contributing to a perception of bias toward Korean teams.