DreamHack has announced that with immediate effect, it will be following ESIC’s recent recommendations with regards to sanctions for various integrity breaches.
It follows on from ESL’s decision to do the same after ESIC’s results from a 7,500+ fan survey saw them revise and realign their sanctions in line with what should be expected. Notably, it saw notorious Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team iBP unbanned after a match fixing scandal which saw Valve ban them for life. It’s worth noting that they are only unbanned from ESL and DreamHack events, and that Valve have yet to budge on their lifetime ban from Valve events.
DreamHack has been a member of ESIC for a considerable while now, so many found it confusing when they didn’t take the same stance as ESL initially but it’s not taken too long for them to follow suit. As per the release found here DreamHack will now implement the following sanctions:
“Cheating: Disqualification from the tournament, results voided, forfeiture of prize money, ban between 2 year and lifetime depending on age and level of player and nature/size of tournament and how the player cheated (this offence includes “smurfing” where both parties involved are liable to sanctions). Cheating at a competition played above an amateur level (i.e. where significant prize pool is involved or qualification for a professional event is at stake) should normally result in a 5 year ban, but, in aggravating circumstances, can result in a lifetime ban.
Match-Fixing/betting fraud: Results voided, 5 year ban unless significant mitigating factors in line with the ESIC Anti-Corruption Code or, in the presence of aggravating circumstances, a longer ban, forfeiture of prize money and monetary fine (if discovered before the end of a tournament, disqualification).
Doping: Results voided, ban of between 1 and 2 years, forfeiture of prize money (if discovered before the end of a tournament, disqualification).
Competition manipulation and bribery: Results voided, ban of between 1 and 2 years, forfeiture of prize money and monetary fine (if discovered before the end of a tournament, disqualification).”
It also adds that subsequent offences will be more harshly punished and that this applies to DreamHack’s large scale tournaments but again places emphasis on the fact that sanctions in place by Valve will supersede such sanctions.
“We are proud to be members of ESIC,” commented Michael Van Driel, Chief Product Officer at DreamHack, “As all aspects of our esport competitions continue to grow, the need for an assisting regulatory body has become more and more apparent, while it took us some time to internally review and ratify the ESIC recommendations which came out a couple of months ago, we are happy to be able to rely on ESIC’s consultation and expertise on these matters.”
“ESIC would not have had the impact it has had since inception were it not for DreamHack’s support and influence,” said Ian Smith, esports integrity commissioner, “The phenomenal growth of DreamHack’s esports competitions, both in terms of scale and geographical reach has been a pleasure to watch and their engagement with us at ESIC has been rewarding and helped spread the message of the need for a strong, consistent stance for integrity in our great industry.”
Esports Insider says: DreamHack now on board with the ESIC revamped sanctions. Will this eventually follow all the way through to Valve? Who knows – but at least there’s now concrete sanctions in place.