LPL obscures 'Swoosh' logo following Nike statement on forced labour camps in Uyghur

During live streams of League of Legends Pro League (LPL) matches this Thursday, it has been spotted that the Nike logo was blocked with what appears to be a black strip with LPL written on it.

The matches in question were LGD Gaming vs Invictus Gaming and LNG Esports vs Rogue Warriors.

This comes just a day after Nike's statement on Wednesday, where the American corporation commented on allegations that they are using textiles from Uyghur Muslim internment camps in China.

A black ribbon with "LPL" written on it was placed over Nike's logo(Picture: TJ Sports)

In the statement, Nike denies that any of its suppliers has any connection with the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) and says that they are "concerned about reports of forced labour".

"Our ongoing diligence has not found evidence of employment of Uyghurs, or other ethnic minorities from XUAR, elsewhere in our supply chain," the statement reads.

The League of Legends Pro League (LPL) is owned and operated by TJ Sports, which has a close partnership with Nike as one of the League's main sponsors.

(Picture: TJ Sports)

While this move to hide Nike's logo from the LPL Spring Split Week 10 competition doesn't necessarily mean that this partnership is now over, it is a clear indication that any act that goes against the Chinese government in any way can be considered problematic. TJ Sports probably wanted to make a preemptive "safe" move while the topic is currently in the public spotlight.

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This is not the first time that a logo of a western company is being removed from the LPL over statements that don't align with official Chinese views.

In February of 2018, the Mercedes-Benz logo has been removed over the Dalai Lama controversy, just because the company quoted Dalai Lama on their social networks.