ESIC calls on Valve to reconsider bans for CS:GO – Esports

The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has issued a formal request to Valve for a re-evaluation of their sanctions following appeals from two players related to bans stemming from an investigation into the exploitation of a CS:GO bug.

On July 5, ESIC received appeal requests from Alessandro “Apoka” Marcucci and Nicholas “Guerri” Nogueira, both of whom were among 37 coaches suspended during an investigation initiated in September 2020. This investigation uncovered the misuse of a spectator bug in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO).

The investigation revealed three distinct variations of the spectator bug: static, third-person, and free roam. Each variant permitted players or coaches to gain unauthorized visibility of game map aspects, thereby undermining fair play principles.

In response to these violations, each offender received a specific number of ESIC demerits, a punitive measure directly linked to the frequency of their bug exploitation.

Although Valve, the game publisher, is not a member of ESIC, it imposed its own sanctions. These determined the number of major events a player or coach could be barred from attending based on accrued demerits.

However, the appeals submitted by Apoka and Guerri asserted that Valve’s sanctions had, in effect, “compounded” the penalties already set by ESIC, leading to an excessive and disproportional punishment.

Despite acknowledging that these appeals were submitted outside the established timeframe, ESIC indicated that Valve’s additional sanctions significantly disrupted the intended impact of their original penalties. The commission expressed that this distortion rendered the applied sanctions neither proportionate nor aligned with ESIC’s original intent.

In light of these appeals, ESIC has revised its demerit calculation process and communicated these changes to Valve. However, Valve is under no obligation to adopt these new calculations. Initial feedback from Valve suggested a lack of willingness to reconsider their sanctions.

“ESIC has formally presented the revised findings to Valve, advocating for a recalibration of their penalties in accordance with our updated guidelines. Despite our efforts, Valve’s preliminary response indicates resistance to this adjustment,” stated an ESIC representative. “While the decision rests with Valve, we urge them to reevaluate their position.”

Earlier this year in May, ESIC took further actions by instituting an additional 97 charges against various players after uncovering more instances of the exploit being utilized.