Gen.G and Yulchon sign MoU to protect esports players

Gen.G Esports and South Korean law firm Yulchon have signed a memorandum of understanding to create a legal cooperation framework and internal procedures aimed at protecting players’ rights and responding to online harassment and defamation. The agreement commits both organisations to provide legal support and to work on industry standards for player protection.

Under the MoU, Yulchon and Gen.G will establish a player protection system that covers legal defense, response to online defamation and other legal risks. The partnership sets out internal procedures to identify incidents that may require legal action and to connect affected players with the appropriate organisations or entities for support. Those procedures will be applied first to player protection cases.

The two parties plan joint research and collaborative projects to develop a player protection model that can be used across the esports industry. The model is intended to outline steps and legal assistance for players facing online harassment, defamation, contract disputes or other legal issues so other esports organisations can follow common procedures.

The agreement formalises cooperation after Gen.G established a legal team to handle online attacks. No public timeline was given for rolling out the full protection framework; initial efforts will focus on implementing the agreed procedures and developing a replicable industry model.

The announcement arrives amid a rise in online abuse of esports players. In a recent case, Astralis in-game leader Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen said he would take a break from social media after receiving death threats and sustained online abuse.

Arnold Hur, chief executive of Gen.G Esports, described the partnership as “a significant turning point that goes beyond the growth of both companies to protect the rights and interests of players and establish industry standards.”

Lee Yong-min, an attorney at Yulchon, said the firm will use its legal capabilities to “provide robust protection for esports players and actively contribute to building an advanced esports industry ecosystem.”