Riot Games has suspended professional VALORANT player Seungmin “ban” Oh from all of its sanctioned competitions for twelve months following an investigation into match-fixing. The ruling stems from Ban’s engagement with individuals who proposed manipulating a VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) Pacific 2025 match between Global Esports and Team Secret on July 19, 2025.
While the investigation found insufficient proof that Ban intentionally underperformed, his participation in discussions about match manipulation constituted a breach of the Riot Games Esports Global Code of Conduct.
The investigation was initiated after Riot became aware of unverified online allegations on August 27, 2025, and enlisted integrity firm Sportradar to conduct interviews and review evidence. Disciplinary proceedings against Ban began on December 3, 2025. Riot’s ruling emphasised that under Article 4.14 (Match-Fixing or Manipulation) and Article 5.9 (Intent) of the Global Code, merely entertaining proposals for manipulation is a punishable offence. “Engaging with individuals who propose match manipulation and agreeing to their terms to fix a match, is in itself a violation, whether or not the manipulation is ultimately carried out,” the ruling stated.
In determining the sanction, Riot considered mitigating factors, including Ban’s decision to self-report the misconduct to his team management before formal disciplinary action began. This resulted in a reduced suspension length. Alongside the competitive ban, effective immediately, Ban must complete an educational training programme focused on integrity and ethics before seeking re-entry into the Riot esports ecosystem.
This incident occurs within a broader landscape of integrity challenges in global esports. Five months ago, the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) issued a five-year ban to a Chinese StarCraft II figure for match-fixing and betting offences, highlighting similar threats to competitive fairness.
Conversely, in a separate case, Riot Games recently dismissed match-fixing allegations within the North American VALORANT Challengers circuit after an investigation found no substantiating evidence. The contrasting outcomes demonstrate the case-specific nature of integrity reviews and the high evidentiary bar for conclusive findings.
The publisher stated the ruling is final and cannot be appealed, though it may review the matter if new substantive evidence emerges.
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