ESIC suspends three coaches from PGL Major Antwerp 2022 for using coaching bug

The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has published the preliminary results of the investigation into the new cases of abusing the coaching bug on the professional scene. The most important part of the report is the decision to temporarily suspend three unnamed coaches from PGL Major Antwerp 2022, which will be held from May 9 to 22.

A total of 97 coaches suspected of abusing the bug were mentioned in the ESIC press release. They used three variants of the bug: 47 specialists abused the type of the bug, for which 37 people were banned in 2020, 3 specialists used the bug that allowed them to fly around the map, and another 47 specialists used the so-called third-person spectator bug. The last two vulnerabilities of the game are new and have only recently been publicly unveiled by former ESL referee Michal Slowinski.

Explaining its decision to suspend the three coaches from the upcoming Major, the Commission noted that their offences have "the potentially serious nature". At the same time, one unnamed coach was allowed to attend PGL Major Antwerp 2022, despite the suspicion of using the third-person spectator bug. The ESIC classifies this case as less serious.

Besides, the ESIC introduced a system determining the penalty for all the 97 individuals listed in the report. The cases of abusing the bug discovered in 2020 will be assessed in the same way as in the first wave of bans, the free roam bug case may carry a sanction of up to 24 months, while for the third-person variant, each round of using this bug results in a 30-day ban.

The Commission has not mentioned when the final report, which will include the names of the coaches, is expected to be released. Earlier, journalists provided evidence that the coaching bug was abused by such specialists as Damien "⁠maLeK⁠" Marcel, Luis "peacemaker" Tadeu and Soham "valens" Chowdhury.

Origin: esic.gg