The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has issued sanctions against 37 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) coaches, banning them from tournament play for five to 36 months.

According to the announcement, the coaches exploited a bug in CS:GO’s spectator mode that allowed them to see other players’ locations. While ESIC’s investigation has only recently begun, some non-ESIC tournament organizers have known about the Spectator Bug since 2017.

ESIC gained access to nearly 100,000 video demos, totaling 15.2TB of data. After viewing only 20 percent of the data, ESIC believes it has uncovered the majority of the misconduct. In total, ESIC says it believes only 0.1% of the demos include an indicator of the Spectator Bug exploitation.

ESIC is a non-profit organization that relies on its membership to carry out investigations. The organization’s membership includes many prominent industry players, including the ESL, Dreamhack, and Eden Esports. Tournament organizers who are not members, however, cannot be forced to abide by the bans. Nevertheless, ESIC has urged outside tournament organizers to comply with the sanctions even if they are not members “for the purpose of protecting the CS:GO esports scene internationally.”

Any disciplined coach can request an appeal but must do so at their own cost. The chairman of the Independent Disciplinary Panel, Kevin Carpenter, will handle any appeals and “may make an award of costs against the losing party.”

ESIC said it will prepare a final report by the end of October, concluding the investigation and issuing any final sanctions. Anyone with additional information pertaining to the investigation can send an email to info@esic.gg.

Gamma Law is a San Francisco-based firm supporting select clients in cutting-edge business sectors. We provide our clients with the support required to succeed in complex and dynamic business environments, to push the boundaries of innovation, and to achieve their business objectives, both in the U.S. and internationally. Contact us today to discuss your business needs.