Wired-mouse rule forces South Korea’s LoL team to adapt

Organizers at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan restricted wireless peripherals for the League of Legends competition, citing concerns about radio interference and the venue wireless environment. The rule required competitors to use wired mice, forcing adjustments by several South Korean players, including Kim “Zeka” Geon-woo, Choi “Zeus” Woo-je and Ryu “Keria” Min-seok.

The restriction was in place before play began. Players who typically use wireless mice reported spending extra time practicing with cables and different sensors to reduce the risk of in-game mistakes. Team staff warned athletes about possible signal problems at the venues and recommended wired devices.

Zeka described the wired mouse as “the hardest part” of the equipment change and said he had not fully adjusted, though he noted his comfort had improved since the start of the competition.

Zeus and Keria increased practice sessions with wired mice ahead of the Games to prepare for potential match selection. Several players altered daily warm-ups and training routines to become accustomed to cable drag, different sensor behavior and changed mouse positioning.

Not all members of the roster reported difficulty. Kim “Canyon” Geon-bu has long used wired mice, and Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok and Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyeong indicated they had sufficient experience with wired equipment to expect minimal adaptation issues.

South Korea finished the group stage with three wins, defeating Taiwan, India and Hong Kong to top Group B. Zeka started in the mid lane against Taiwan and Hong Kong, while Faker started against India. The team advanced to the semifinals and is scheduled to face Saudi Arabia on October 1; a victory would send the defending champions to the gold medal match.

The Asian Games frequency guide permits some wireless devices that use 2.4 GHz or Bluetooth Low Energy to operate without a special frequency application but warns that radio conditions can be unfavorable and recommends using wired peripherals to avoid communication issues.

Players and coaches made equipment and practice changes prior to traveling to Japan to limit the impact of the hardware switch.

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