The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) is close to finishing an investigation into CS:GO coaches who abused in-game bugs, according to a report by Dexerto. The penalties are reportedly still being discussed but the esports watchdog could punish up to 52 coaches.
There’s no set date for the new ban wave to happen, but external parties such as the Counter-Strike Professional Players Association (CSPPA) want the sanctions to be issued ahead of PGL Antwerp Major in May, the first Valve-sponsored tournament of 2022, according to Dexerto’s report.
The esports watchdog already banned 37 coaches for exploiting the infamous spectator bug in 2020. The bug allowed coaches to place their in-game camera anywhere on the map and some used it to relay information to their players. Sources close to the current investigation told Dexerto that there were multiple in-game bugs that enabled the coaches to get an unfair advantage over their opponents.
The automated process that was used to catch and suspend the 37 coaches in 2020 did not detect these other in-game bugs. The process, though, has been updated and found other instances of abuse. Earlier this year, Dexerto found out that former Cloud9 coach and current data scientist at Evil Geniuses Soham “valens” Chowdhury ran into two different methods of the spectator bug years ago. Valens said he did not share any information with his players.
If the ESIC finalizes its investigation ahead of the PGL Antwerp Major, some coaches could be unable to attend the $1 million event. The tournament is set to kick off on May 9.
Published: Mar 29, 2022 12:24 pm