The controversy unfolded during their opening match on the map Ancient, where Heroic initially secured a 13-10 win.

However, during the break between maps, ESL announced that the victory had been invalidated because one of Heroic’s players had used Snap Tap, a movement-automating feature available on certain Razer keyboards.

Snap Tap allows players to switch directions instantly by prioritising the last key pressed, effectively making counter-strafing perfect.

While this feature can still be used in online tournaments, it was recently banned from in-person events by ESL, following Valve’s stance that it undermines the skill-based nature of games like Counter-Strike 2.

The detection of Snap Tap in Heroic’s gameplay led to the immediate nullification of their map win, putting NIP ahead 1-0 in the series.

Following their 1-2 defeat in the group stage clash, René “?TeSeS?” Madsen admitted that he was the player who accidentally used the Snap Tap feature on his keyboard during the first map.

Fucking embarrassing and amateur from me… I turned it off ages ago when it was banned from Valve. I didn’t notice it during the game or anything and obviously didn’t do it on purpose.
I let the boys down and I’m devastated about it… Sry

— René "TeSeS" Madsen (@TesesCS) September 3, 2024

Although no further punishments were levied against the player, the incident has sparked significant controversy within the Counter-Strike community.

Other day one results included two upsets, with FaZe Clan falling to Sangal Esports 1-2 and MIBR sweeping 9z Team 2-0.

Meanwhile, Eternal Fire, Natus Vincere and G2 Esports eased through their opening round matches, recording 2-0 wins over FlyQuest, Lynn Vision and KOI, respectively.

Wednesday’s ESL Pro League fixtures

• Team Spirit ($1.04) vs Wildcard ($9.00) @ 1:30pm CEST
• The MongolZ ($1.50) vs 3DMAX ($2.50) @ 1:30pm CEST
• Eternal Fire ($1.53) vs Sangal Esports ($2.37) @ 4:30pm CEST
• FlyQuest ($6.50) vs FaZe Clan ($1.10) @ 4:30pm CEST
• Lynn Vision ($4.50) vs Heroic ($1.16) @ 7:30pm CEST
• Natus Vincere ($1.11) vs Ninjas in Pyjamas ($6.00) @ 7:30pm CEST

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This partnership aims to exchange information, insights, and best practices to combat corruption and misconduct in esports.

The IOC’s Olympic Movement Unit for the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions (OM Unit PMC) will play a key role in this initiative, helping to develop and implement strategies, initiatives, and programs to enhance integrity in esports.

ESIC will act as an advisory body, providing guidance and expertise to the IOC and OM Unit PMC.

Founded in 2016, ESIC is a non-profit organization focused on addressing integrity concerns in the esports industry, including prosecuting breaches such as match-fixing.

Recently, a new board featuring executives from Electronic Sports League (ESL) and BLAST was established to strengthen ethical practices through frameworks and benchmarks to tackle issues like cheating.

The IOC has increasingly invested in the esports space, establishing a new official commission last year that includes notable stakeholders from G2 Esports, Ubisoft, and Konami.

Additionally, the IOC announced plans to create an Olympic Esports Games following the Olympic Esports Series, which featured competitions in titles such as Gran Turismo, Zwift, and Just Dance.

Friedrich Martens, Head of the OM Unit PMC at the IOC, expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating: “With numerous IFs organizing esports competitions and the IOC planning to organize relevant competitions as well, we need to ensure that we have all the information and intelligence available to make sure that these competitions are free of manipulations or related breaches.

“Therefore, we are very happy about this letter of collaboration formalizing the long-standing communication between ESIC and the OM Unit PMC, particularly as esports is a developing area.

“Thus, we count on the support of ESIC for safeguarding the integrity and credibility of the esports competitions of the Olympic Movement, specifically to also further understand relevant risks and develop all right measures to mitigate them.”

Stephen Hanna, CEO of ESIC, also shared his enthusiasm, stating: “This collaboration with the IOC and the OM Unit PMC denotes a significant milestone for the global esports industry and is a testament to the IOC’s engagement with the industry in the development of its esports strategy.

“We are looking forward to working with the IOC to support its ambitious esports initiatives.

“This collaboration further validates the critical nature of ESIC’s mission and provides the industry with further assurance that ESIC’s work is meeting the evolving challenges to competitive integrity in esports.”

ESIC has been diligent in its efforts to disrupt, prevent, investigate, and prosecute cheating and malpractice in esports.

In April 2024, ESIC launched the FairPlay Academy, a learning platform aimed at promoting fair play, ethics, and anti-corruption within esports and gaming.

The International Olympic Committee, renowned for organizing The Olympic Games, positions itself as the guardian of the Olympic Games and the leader of the Olympic Movement.

It fosters collaboration among Olympic nations, stakeholders, athletes, and more.

The OM Unit PMC is an internal IOC unit dedicated to supporting International Sports Federations (IFs), National Olympic Committees (NOCs), multi-sports event organizers, and other sports organizations in their efforts to protect the integrity of their sports and competitions.

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The MongolZ are among the lowest-rated teams attending ESL Pro League Season 19, priced at $101.00 on the outright betting markets. On the other hand, Team Falcons are priced at $21.00 to win the trophy, which should be a good indication of how these two teams measure up.

However, we have to consider that Team Falcons have played just one game since the start of March and are on a five-game losing streak. The MongolZ have played 19 official games this month alone and are on an 18-game winning streak — granted, all their victories came against regional Asian opponents.

Despite their lacklustre form, Team Falcons deserve respect for what they showed at IEM Katowice 2024 in February, and they’ve since upgraded their roster with Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen. Still, Falcons are rusty, so there’s a good chance this will be a much more competitive match than what the Counter-Strike esports betting odds suggest.

G2 Esports have close to establishing themselves as the world no.1 Counter-Strike team for nearly a year, but they consistently slip in the latter stages of big events. In March, they crashed out of the PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 in the semifinals, and they did the same at IEM Chengdu 2024 earlier this month.

TYLOO were once known as a tough team to play on the big stage; however, they are now struggling not only to make noise in high-profile tournaments, but also to keep their status as China’s best CS team. At IEM Chengdu 2024, TYLOO crashed out in last place, and although they have managed a 4-2 record since then, they’ve had the luxury of playing only regional opponents.

G2 Esports are one of few top-tier teams capable of humiliating themselves against inferior opponents on a bad day. However, the quality gap here is large enough to confidently predict a dominant victory from the current no.5 team in the world.

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The merger, valued at approximately US$17 million according to numerous sources, is expected to close shortly pending standard closing conditions.

Jason Lake, CEO of Complexity, acknowledged the potential conflict of interest between Complexity and FaZe in a statement.

He assured that steps would be taken to ensure fair play despite any conflicts that may arise from the merger.

The acquisition of FaZe Clan by GameSquare was announced late last year, following financial struggles faced by FaZe Clan after a challenging public listing.

The deal was initially expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2023 but experienced delays.

Both GameSquare and FaZe Clan have expressed confidence that the merger will be finalized soon.

Prior to the shareholder vote, GameSquare’s Board of Directors unanimously recommended approval of the acquisition.

FaZe Clan shareholders had already voted in favour of the merger in a meeting held on February 16, with 91% approval.

The merger between GameSquare and FaZe Clan marks a significant development in the esports industry, as consolidation becomes increasingly common to manage costs and navigate market changes.

However, concerns about conflicts of interest have been raised, particularly regarding the competitive integrity of Counter-Strike tournaments where both Complexity and FaZe Clan participate, such as the BLAST Premier Series and ESL Pro League.

Jason Lake had previously expressed interest in reacquiring Complexity from GameSquare, potentially offering a solution to mitigate conflicts of interest.

Meanwhile, tournament organizers like ESL and BLAST are closely monitoring the implications of the merger on competitive integrity within the esports scene.

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Scheduled to take place from April 8 to 14, the event will bring together 16 elite Counter-Strike teams from across the globe, competing for a substantial $250,000 prize pool and the coveted opportunity to secure a spot in the IEM Cologne group stage.

Four years have passed since our last visit to China.

Counter-Strike has changed a lot since then.

It's time to write new history.#IEM Chengdu 2024

https://t.co/JEah6wXO2G pic.twitter.com/DNKuEny93K

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) January 15, 2024

The final three days of intense competition will unfold at the Wuliangye Chengdu Performing Arts Centre, a versatile arena with a seating capacity of 12,000.

Originally intended as the homestand venue for the Overwatch League franchise Chengdu Hunters in 2020, the arena will finally witness top-tier Counter-Strike action.

Marc Winther, Head of Game Ecosystems, Counter-Strike at ESL FACEIT Group, expressed enthusiasm about bringing the Intel Extreme Masters back to China.

He highlighted China’s vibrant and passionate esports community, aiming to showcase their energy and talent on a global stage.

The line-up for IEM Chengdu includes renowned teams such as FaZe Clan, G2 Esports, FURIA, and Astralis, among others.

Ten teams secured direct invitations via the ESL World Rankings, while the remaining six spots will be filled through regional qualifiers.

Lynn Vision emerged victorious in the Chinese qualifier, solidifying their place in the prestigious tournament.

Notably, Team Vitality and Natus Vincere opted to decline direct invitations based on their ESL rankings.

ESL has stated that tickets for the event will go on sale in Q1, with more details set to be released in the coming weeks.

IEM Chengdu will be the second event of 2024 contributing to Intel Grand Slam 5 after IEM Katowice, which kicks off on January 31.

The standings currently show Vitality, ENCE, G2, MOUZ, and FaZe tied with one tournament win each in the Intel Grand Slam.

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Scheduled to be the inaugural event of the Counter-Strike Intel Extreme Masters series in 2024, IEM Katowice will feature a LAN format in the Polish town of Katowice.

The selection process involved a combination of ESL’s world ranking and victories in various ESL tournaments.

Kicking off on January 31 with the play-in stage, 16 teams will engage in a double-elimination bracket.

Teams facing two losses will be eliminated, while those securing two wins will advance to the main event.

Subsequently, eight teams from the play-in will progress to the group stage, commencing on February 3, joining the eight teams directly invited.

In the group stage, the initial teams will be distributed into two double-elimination best-of-three groups.

Teams securing first place in their groups will advance to the semi-finals, while the second and third-placed teams will head to the quarter-finals.

The grand final of IEM Katowice 2024 will be a best-of-five showdown.

The tournament organizers recently unveiled the seeding of the participating teams through their official social media channels.

Notably, the complete list of participants, including those in the play-in stage and those directly entering the group stage, was simultaneously disclosed.

ALL 24 TEAMS INVITED TO #IEM KATOWICE 2024

Which teams do you think are going to set the Hall of Heroes alight?

Group Stage
Play-in Stage pic.twitter.com/QUYWyi0M6P

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) December 18, 2023

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Before the tournament, Azure Ray faced criticism for a roster shuffle that saw three players replaced after The International 2023.

Despite calls for disqualification, rulebook changes and Valve’s hands-off approach spared them from penalties.

Azure Ray asserted their dominance early in the group stages, topping Group A with only two defeats.

In the main event, they faced the Gladiators in the upper bracket, but the initial encounter saw Azure Ray outclassed and sent to the lower bracket.

Facing another European powerhouse, Team Liquid, in the lower bracket, Azure Ray seemed on the brink of elimination after losing the first match.

However, defying the odds, they secured two consecutive victories to set up a revenge match against GG in the grand finals.

The Gladiators took control with two consecutive wins, leaving no room for error on Azure Ray’s side.

In a spectacular turn of events, Azure Ray achieved the unthinkable—a reverse sweep, winning three games in a row against the dominant team of 2023 and clinching the ESL One Kuala Lumpur title.

The grand finale, a rare reverse sweep in Dota 2 since 2021, captivated fans.

Throughout the tournament, the Zhao “XinQ” Zixing and Lin “Xxs” Jing offlane duo dismantled opposing safe laners, while Guo “Xm” Hongcheng and Lou “Lou” Zhen secured Azure Ray’s late-game with precision.

Despite high expectations, especially considering it was their first major tournament together, Azure Ray defied predictions, hinting at more success in 2024, proclaiming it as a year for China in Dota 2 during their champions’ interview.

ESL One Kuala Lumpur marked the conclusion of the Dota 2 season for 2023, with the grand final reflecting a clash between Western Europe’s Gaimin Gladiators and China’s Azure Ray.

The series, a rematch of the upper bracket finals, where GG secured victory over Azure Ray, unfolded into a nail-biting grand final.

Gaimin Gladiators, dominant throughout the season with clean sweeps in DPC Majors, were the favorites to lift the trophy.

Despite struggles at The Riyadh Masters 2023 and a runner-up finish at The International 2023, GG quickly bounced back in ESL One Kuala Lumpur.

Azure Ray, despite facing backlash for a roster shuffle, emerged as the top team in Group A.

The grand final series was a thrilling contest that went down to the wire, with Azure Ray emerging victorious.

This marked a triumphant comeback for the Chinese region in the 2023 Season, securing 4800 ESL Pro Tour points and US$500,000 in prize money.

Gaimin Gladiators finished as the runner-up for the second time in a major tournament.

The grand finale not only showcased Azure Ray’s resilience but also signalled a strong return for Chinese Dota 2 on the international stage.

YOUR #ESLOne KUALA LUMPUR POWERED BY @intelgaming CHAMPIONS ARE AZURE RAY!!!! #RiseAboveFate pic.twitter.com/xGRsqSInNK

— ESL Dota2 (@ESLDota2) December 17, 2023

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This decision created a void in the professional Dota 2 scene, prompting ESL to step in with the ESL Pro Tour Season 2.

Team Spirit currently leads the season with 2400 points, securing their position after winning DreamHack DreamLeague Season 21, followed closely by Shopify Rebellion with 2000 points.

ESL Pro Tour Season 2 is set to dominate the calendar with five tournaments, beginning with the highly anticipated ESL One Kuala Lumpur, officially kicking off the 2024 Dota 2 professional season.

All of our #ESLProTour tournaments this season feature Open & Closed Qualifiers so save the dates – maybe we could be seeing YOU compete against some of the best dota teams in the world! pic.twitter.com/fucfZWDfz3

— ESL Dota2 (@ESLDota2) November 29, 2023

ESL Pro Tour Season 2 introduces a new Dota 2 region, MENA, ensuring one guaranteed spot in ESL-hosted tournaments.

Uncertainty surrounds the inclusion of MENA in third-party tournaments, given its proximity to Europe, despite the region boasting a similar skill ceiling.

Following ESL One Kuala Lumpur, DreamLeague Season 22 is scheduled for late February to the first week of March, with qualifiers starting in January.

In April, an ESL LAN event in Europe will precede DreamLeague Season 23.

Open qualifiers for ESL One EU and DreamLeague Season 22 are set for January and March, respectively.

The pinnacle of ESL Pro Tour Season 2 arrives in July with a mysterious tournament.

Rumors circulate about a significant prize pool, potentially rivaling that of The International 2021.

Dzmitry “Fishman” Palishchuk fueled the speculation with an unverified claim of a US$45,000,000 prize pool.

The ESL Pro Tour is poised to reshape the Dota 2 professional scene, with ESL’s commitment evident in their schedule.

The introduction of the EPL Leaderboard awards teams with EPT Points, determining direct invites to the July ‘Showdown’ event.

The ESL Pro Tour calendar for 2024 includes three online DreamLeague seasons and two live ESL One tournaments.

The season kicks off with DreamLeague Season 22 in late February, followed by ESL One Europe in person in April.

May sees DreamLeague Season 23 before the July Showdown event.

Shane Clarke, Director Game Ecosystems – Dota 2 at ESL FACEIT Group, expressed excitement about the 2024 ESL Pro Tour, promising remarkable moments, eye-watering prize pools, and an unwavering dedication to the Dota 2 community.

Post-Showdown, ESL Pro Tour Season 3 begins with another DreamLeague season and ESL One competition in October and November, respectively.

ESL One Asia concludes the season in December, with the remaining tournaments scheduled for 2025.

These developments mark a significant shift in Dota 2’s competitive landscape following Valve’s discontinuation of the Dota Pro Circuit, with ESL taking the reins to provide an electrifying and competitive professional scene.

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As the inaugural premier tournament of Counter-Strike 2 approaches, the spotlight is on IEM Sydney, starting on October 16.

However, the reaction to this format choice has been predominantly negative, with prominent figures like Robin “?ropz?” Kool expressing their displeasure on Twitter.

ropz re-tweeted the groups announcement with a quote saying, “BO1 MR12” followed by three crying emojis.

The group stage format for this $250,000 tournament will consist of opening round best-of-one series, followed by best-of-three matches, with the group winners progressing to the semi-finals, while the second and third-place teams in each group earn a spot in the quarter-finals.

In the playoffs, a single-elimination, best-of-three bracket will determine the champion.

It includes Team Vitality, the winners of the last CS:GO Major (BLAST Paris) in front of their home crowd, MOUZ, the recent champions of ESL Pro League Season 18, NAVI, who are seeking a resurgence with a revamped roster, the perennial contender FaZe Clan, and the formidable Apeks.

One of the most intriguing opening matchups will see Vladislav “?nafany?” Gorshkov’s new BetBoom squad facing off against the world number one, Team Vitality.

This comes at a time when Vitality is facing further challenges with the impending departure of coach Danny “?zonic?” S?rensen in November.

However, after the announcement, Vitality have firmed with most esports betting sites into an outright $3.75 favourite to take out the IEM Sydney title.

Group B also features an exciting clash between Fnatic and Cloud9.

The Russian superteam, Cloud9, is still in the process of finding their form after making significant roster changes during the offseason.

Looking at the groups, Group A stands out as the “group of death.”

On the other side of the bracket, Group B appears to be less competitive but not to be underestimated.

ENCE, recent finalists in a grand event and IEM Dallas champions, are part of this group, along with G2, a talented yet inconsistent team.

Cloud9, aiming for top-tier status in 2023 following a complete Russian roster rebuild, is still finding their footing.

Complexity is North America’s best hope, although they are still developing as a team and managed to reach the semi-finals of Pro League.

There is a growing sentiment among the community that it’s time to move away from best-of-one MR12 matches now that this format has been introduced.

It appears contradictory to address concerns about match duration and then opt for best-of-ones instead of the more competitive best-of-threes.

Regardless, fans are looking forward to the start of the CS2 era, hoping that any minor issues will be resolved before the tournament kicks off.

THE #IEM SYDNEY GROUP STAGE!

THE FIRST CS2 LAN GAMES UNVEILED

GROUP A@TeamVitality@BetBoomTeam@GamerLegion@FaZeClan@natusvincere@apeksgg@VertexESC@mousesports

GROUP B@ENCE@Lynnvision_@FNATIC@C9CSGO@Monte_Esports@Complexity @grayhoundgaming@G2CSGO pic.twitter.com/trWWmJoE1p

— Intel? Extreme Masters (@IEM) October 3, 2023

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The 18th season of the CS:GO ESL Pro League will continue on Wednesday, September 6, with action from Group B kicking off with four series.

Of the 32 teams participating in ESL Pro League 18, 22 of the worlds top 25 ranked CS:GO teams will be in attendance in Malta.

Some of the key leagues and tournaments taking place in the esports world this week include:

• CS:GO ESL Pro League Season 18

  One of the best events on the CS:GO calendar is now in full swing, with the 18th season of the ESL Pro League featuring the world’s best teams who will be battling it out for Pro League glory.

  With a spot at IEM Katowice 2024 and the BLAST Premier World Final 2023 on the line for the winner, as well as a massive US$850,000 prize pool, expect every team to be ready to play their best Counter-Strike throughout the event.

  Most esports betting sites have Team Vitality, G2 Esports and ENCE marked as equal favourites at $4.50, closely followed by Heroic and Cloud9 at $5.50.

  Check out our extensive ESL Pro League betting guide to get the latest odds and tournament information.

• League of Legends EMEA Championship Finals

  The lower-bracket final for the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) Finals will take place on Saturday, September 9, with Fnatic clashing with MAD Lions. The winner will advance to the grand final, where they will meet G2 Esports.

  With all three of the remaining teams already qualified for LoL Worlds 2023, they will be playing for pride and prize money.

  Check out our extensive LEC betting guide to get the latest odds and tournament information.

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