The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC), the independent watchdog association that helps to maintain the integrity of CS:GO has issued 37 bans to coaches for spectator misuse. The misuse in question relates to the spectator bug abuse that allowed coaches to get an advantage due to their camera’s position.
37 coaches have received bans in the first wave of the ESIC spectator bug investigation (Image via Valve)
The ESIC report has banned 37 coaches ranging from under four months to 36 months, depending on the severity of their abuse. ESIC has not finished heir investigation, as they intend to release another report to close the matter, but it is not expected until the end of October. As it stands only 20% of the 99,650 demos acquired have been reviewed.
Some of the most notorious bans in this investigation are towards coaches who had not been previously mentioned, such as former Natus Vincere coach, Sergey “Starix” Ischuk, OG’s Casper “Ruggah” Due and ex FaZe Clan coach Robert “RobbaN” Dahlsröm.
Others who came forward as part of ESIC’s admittance policy that existed throughout early September had their details revealed. The likes of mousesport’s coach, Allan “Rejin” Petersen, who is now confirmed to have seven accounts of bug misuse on his time with Tricked Esports. The same goes for Ricardo “dead” Sinigaglia and Nicolai “HUNDEN” Petersen who were linked with the spectator bug at the start of this fiasco.
Within the report, ESIC commented on these revelations saying: “We understand that these revelations have been tough for many people within the CS:GO community, but we believe it is in the long term best interests of the game and all of esports for integrity breaches to be dealt with head on. We know that most coaches, players, tournament organisers, publishers and developers, fans, sponsors and broadcasters want CS:GO and esports to be clean and a fair competition between players and teams doing their very best to win. We see our job as being to ensure that that happens and that corrupt and bad actors are rehabilitated or removed.”
The organization further commented that out of all the demos reviewed, only 0.1% of the footage reviewed revealed a positive case of spectator abuse. ESIC followed up with a statement saying: “We know that most coaches, players, tournament organisers, publishers and developers, fans, sponsors and broadcasters want CS:GO and esports to be clean and a fair competition between players and teams doing their very best to win. We see our job as being to ensure that that happens and that corrupt and bad actors are rehabilitated or removed.”
The full report of coaches implicated within the document can be found here.
