Mad Kings drop Dota 2 roster after StingeR’s sudden account ban

South America continues to show a lack of stability in its competitive Dota 2 scene, with Mad Kings confirming the release of its entire roster following one of the team’s players being banned live during DreamLeague Season 22 qualifiers. 

As part of a recent wave of apparent bans by Valve to combat the use of smurf accounts and other rule breakers, Mad Kings support player Steven “StingeR” Vargas’ account was hit live during a match, as he disconnected and was unable to get back in the game while his team was playing through the DreamLeague qualifier’s lower bracket. 

StingeR’s teammate David “Parker” Nicho Flores was caught playing on his account and potentially boosting his rank prior to this event so, while it might not have been one of the ongoing smurf bans, it directly impacted his ability to play in the event—leading to Mad Kings getting a default loss and being eliminated. Less than 24 hours later, Mad Kings is moving on from the roster it signed on Dec. 29, stating that the organization has “decided to stop our collaboration with estar_backs,”—while also adding some clarification on the situation. 

“During our match against Thunder Awaken, StingeR’s account was banned by Valve along with many others due to account sharing, and he couldn’t finish the match,” Mad Kings said, as translated by Reddit user Sekwah. “We want to point out, the ban wasn’t due to account boosting as said by [minidota.] It’s important to point out that we recognize and respect the rules established by Valve, which we accept and promote as a core part of our organization.”

With this move, the entire Mad Kings lineup has been released back into free agency, while the organization aims to take a break from the competitive scene for the time being. This sees SA losing another sponsor following Evil Geniuses and beastcoast dropping their rosters post-The International 2023. 

Following Mad King’s elimination, the recently formed Heroic went on to beat Thunder Awaken, Invaders, and BOOM Esports to claim the lone SA invite to DreamLeague Season 22, which is set to begin on Feb. 25.