'League of Legends' Gosu Scripting: Breaking down the alleged 'LoL' cheating scandal

Impact

League of Legends player hi im gosu is a member of professional gaming outfit Team SoloMid. Recently a YouTuber going by the name of Jak Benev claimed to have recorded video evidence of gosu, a well-regarded player in the community, supposedly utilizing scripts (typically used to cheat) while playing the game. The accusations quickly evolved into a full-fledged scandal until it was revealed that the issue was actually a game-wide bug, not a cheating player.

What's the story behind the League of Legends gosu scripting claims, why were people upset and how did it resolve? We've got all the answers here.

League of Legends gosu scripting: Cheating accusations

First, here's the original video, which sparked the entire controversy.

Scripting, for the uninitiated, is when players use third-party software that allows them to dodge skill shots and perform other actions. 

Gosu typically gravitates toward Marksmen heroes in League of Legends — Vayne in particular. He is not typically known for cheating in games, which is why these accusations are so surprising. The evidence, including the video above and a few other video clips, were posted on Reddit. They show gosu's character's reacting to traps from another character, Caitlyn. At a glance, this looks like it could be computer-guided script usage, rather than human skill.

Specifically, the way gosu's character dodges the traps is incredibly skillful, which doesn't seem like something a regular player could pull off. That's why the accusations have gained momentum on Reddit and across the internet, though other fans have stepped in to debunk them.

League of Legends gosu scripting: The player's response

Gosu maintained his innocence throughout the accusations. Here's a tweet from the player denying ever using a scripting program in League of Legends.

Gosu also called out what he thought might be the issue: He suggests it could actually be a pathing bug within the game. 

League of Legends gosu scripting: The real explanation

The entire controversy whipped the League of Legends community into a frenzy, but it was all for naught. It turns out the abnormality really was caused by a new bug in League of Legends, essentially clearing Gosu of any cheating accusations.

According to SegmentNext, League of Legends was incorrectly treating traps as part of the game's terrain. The game would then automatically turn players away from the trap, which changed their movement in an unnatural way. This may have looked like cheating to other players, but it wasn't. Case closed.

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