I understand that banning the clear #1 player from playoffs is competitively unprecedented, but the bigger issue is what it would mean for Ranked to have that kind of representation from its last playoffs champion and current #1. Ranked can’t be treated as just a leaderboard in a vacuum. It is a community-run competitive space with public events, sponsors, viewers, and a broader reputation. Backing someone with that kind of history, especially when it reflects a repeated pattern over years rather than a single old mistake, would be terrible publicity and set a bad precedent for what the community is willing to overlook when someone is good enough at the game. I highly doubt the Ranked team made this decision lightly, and calling it “cancel culture” ignores why community standards and representation matter in the first place.