Suspended Coaches Speak Negatively About ESIC Actions

Several trainers shared their experience of interacting with ESIC, criticizing the methods and actions of the Commission. After another wave of bans and suspensions, Dexerto representatives spoke to the experts who were caught in the scandal using the ill-fated coaching bug.

ToH1o (Strife Esports coach) talked about the moment he found out about his ten-month ban for using a bug at the end of 2017: "Thank God that my ex-girlfriend was there, if not for her, I would have made ends with my life at that moment ".

ToX1o's descent into darkness began on September 28, 2020. He was hurriedly woken up and told to check the latest announcement from ESIC, a non-profit association of members formed in 2015 to protect the integrity of esports competition.

The announcement included a list containing the names of 37 coaches who had been banned by the body for between four months and three years for exploiting a bug left behind by the developers.

ToH1o was banned for 10 months for two bug exploits. The 33-year-old Bulgarian specialist filed an appeal two months later, but it was not until May 7 that he was finally heard by an independent appeals commission. However, ESIC continues to ignore him for participation in the upcoming RMR cycle, leaving the future of the North American team in the dark.

According to LMBT, another coach who received a ban from ESIC, the Commission first began to issue bans, and only then began to understand the situation. As a result, ESIC cited a lack of resources to conduct a thorough investigation. And yet, the former MOUZ coach was acquitted almost immediately, as he proved his innocence due to a comical episode: at the time of the bug, the Ukrainian worked in an analytics studio, leaving the computer on during the match of his team.

But ESIC methods aren't the only thing LMBT can't agree on. He also disagrees with the terms of the bans that the Commission is handing out. He recalls that the first wave of bans came right before the RMR tournaments, because of this he had to miss three matches in the group stage of IEM New York 2020 - CIS.

However, the case continues to live, as well as ESIC is actively involved in the work almost two years after the first wave of bans. Before the start of PGL Major Antwerp 2022, the Commission recommended the suspension of the coaches of Imperial Esports, 9z and Team Spirit just three days before the start of the major. What is most remarkable. later, peacemaker and zakk were acquitted, while the Team Spirit coach is still serving a sentence for actions discovered back in 2020.