It has come to light that a player notified the Gyeongnam Sparkle esports team of their Absent Seat at a recent fan event for Eternal Return.

The fan event, aptly named 'In the Mood for Love', took place on the 23rd at the Jinju esports permanent arena in Gyeongsangnam-do. The agenda featured a fan meet-and-greet in part one, followed by a special Eternal Return exhibition match and various event games, with the winning team bagging a prize of 300,000 Won.

However, the event saw the unexpected Absent Seat of NCMB player 'Park Jun-sang'. Park, who debuted as an Eternal Return pro gamer in 2024 and joined Gyeongnam Sparkle in October, posted at 5 AM on the day of the event: "After much deliberation, I have decided not to attend the fan meet-and-greet, and I am deeply sorry. The biggest reason is that my mental state has reached its limit, and despite wanting to achieve good results, the outcomes have not been in my favour."

It appears this sudden departure was not cleared with the team, forcing Gyeongnam Sparkle to scramble and draft in former teammate 'Fana' Ha Hyung-seok to save the day. Given that the event was supported by state-backed bodies including the Korea Creative Content Agency, the Gyeongnam Culture and Arts Center, and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, this rogue move could easily spiral into a messy contractual dispute.

By the 24th, the day after the event, Gyeongnam Sparkle confirmed they had terminated Park's contract. CEO Lee Chan-hee stated, "Regarding the series of events involving the player, there are various stakeholders and legal aspects that require careful review. We will provide an official update as soon as the proceedings are settled."