ESIC ban Ukrainian quartet for Counter-Strike match-fixing

In a recent public statement, the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has taken decisive action against four Counter-Strike players implicated in match-fixing activities.

Following comprehensive investigations into Akuma, Project X, and Majesty, ESIC has suspended Dmytro “SENSEi” Shvorak, Maksym “THRONE” Semenov, Artur “DarkS1DE” Kravchenko, and Danylo “nat1ve” Bakin from all ESIC member events for two years.

The verdict is based on compelling evidence and confidential information pointing to the players’ involvement in multiple instances of match-fixing, a clear violation of the ESIC Code of Conduct and Anti-Corruption Code.

Notably, SENSEi, who gained prominence during his tenure with the controversial 2021 Akuma roster, has been banned for attempted engagement in match-fixing activities during LAN events at Project X between October 2020 and March 2021.

While accusations of cheating were levelled against Akuma in 2021, ESIC’s focus on SENSEi pertains to his actions before joining the Akuma line-up.

The other three banned players, THRONE, DarkS1DE, and nat1ve, were part of Team Majesty and were found guilty of match-fixing during a Bulgarian LAN event in 2020, likely the Bellum Gens Elite Stara Zagora 2020.

ESIC has imposed a ban on the four players until October 24, 2025, and they must adhere to all relevant provisions of the ESIC Anti-Corruption Code during this period.

While the community commends ESIC for its commitment to upholding esports integrity, some criticisms have emerged.

Notably, there is public dissatisfaction with the absence of names from the rest of the Akuma squad in the statement, with calls for a more comprehensive investigation into all involved players.

This announcement comes on the heels of ESIC’s previous ban of Burak “Monkeylay” Can Turunç and the provisional suspension of Joel “joel” Holmlund in September, who continues to assert his innocence.

ESIC’s actions underscore the ongoing efforts within the esports community to address and eradicate match-fixing, ensuring fair play and maintaining the integrity of competitive gaming.

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Ciaran Jackman

Senior Esports Editor

Ciaran Jackman spent six years as a senior editor at EsportBet.com, publishing nearly 1,000 articles across CS2, VALORANT and League of Legends. A mad esports fan and one of the hardest working people in the organisation, Ciaran was a defining voice on the site from 2019 to 2025.

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