Infamous Counter-Strike 2 matchfixer unbanned after informant reduction

Beforehand banned for matchfixing, Russian participant Erkhan “gokushima” Bagynanov not too long ago had his sentence diminished following his help with different matchfixing circumstances.

The 25-year-old had impressed throughout his time with FORZE after signing for the group in 2023, however was benched in March 2024 after ESIC introduced his ban.

gokushima’s ban diminished

gokushima had continued to play for FORZE up till his ban was introduced by the Esports Integrity Fee, together with his remaining match approaching the day of the announcement. Though the precise incidents have been by no means reported by ESIC, the articles of the Code of Conduct that have been breached have been confirmed:

2.1 Corruption:

2.1.1 Fixing or contriving in any means or in any other case influencing improperly, or being a celebration to any effort to repair or contrive in any means or in any other case affect improperly, the outcome, progress, conduct, or another facet of any Match.

2.2 Betting:

2.2.1 Betting on any Match, together with matches that you just have been knowledgeable participant in through the ESL IEM occasions as detailed within the infringements above.

2.2.2 Facilitating, aiding, abetting or in any other case helping any celebration in committing acts described in 2.2.1.

2.4.2 to 2.4.5 Failing to speak in confidence to the ESIC a full and true disclosure of all of the details and Web page 2 of two circumstances with respect to acts described in 2.1 and a couple of.2.

The ban was initially meant to final from March 27, 2024, to March 26, 2026, however in a assertion put out by ESIC, Gokushima’s ban was diminished because the professional participant “supplied materials help to ESIC, together with info and corroboration that supported subsequent enforcement actions towards different members.”

gokushima’s help aided ESIC in issuing bans towards various gamers, with Aleksandr “Ruler” Maximov, Dmitriy “propleh” Senigov, and Petr “timeagento” Markheev all receiving five-year bans. Egor “zLy” Polyakov additionally acquired a lifetime ban for his breaches of the Code of Conduct.

With gokushima’s ban now nullified, it’s at present unclear what his subsequent transfer will probably be. He’s nonetheless contracted to FORZE, however the Russian group not has a group in Counter-Strike 2. He’s the one participant who stays below contract.