In a surprising turn of events, Russian Counter-Strike 2 team PARAVISION has been reinstated into the Shanghai Major after their disqualification was overturned. The decision to disqualify the team was reversed following revelations that their coach, Ivan “F_1N” Kochugov, had successfully appealed a ban earlier this year.
The miscommunication between the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC), Valve, and tournament organizers Perfect World led to the initial disqualification, which has now been corrected.
The Ban and Its Appeal
PARAVISION’s troubles began when their coach, F_1N, was spotted in a social media post on August 23, leading organizers to believe he had been actively coaching the team during their qualifier—a violation of Valve’s CS2 Major rulebook, which prohibits banned individuals from participating in any capacity during online events.
Further scrutiny revealed that F_1N had been permanently banned by Valve due to his involvement in the notorious 2020 coaching bug scandal.
However, what the organizers didn’t know was that F_1N had appealed his ESIC ban earlier in 2024 and had successfully reduced his demerit points, effectively allowing him to coach in the Shanghai Major. This crucial piece of information was not communicated to Valve or Perfect World, leading to the erroneous decision to disqualify PARAVISION.
Communication Breakdown
The oversight came to light after PARAVISION contested the disqualification, arguing that F_1N’s ban had been lifted. Upon further investigation, it was revealed that the ESIC had indeed reduced his ban, but this was not conveyed to the necessary parties. This led to a major communication breakdown between ESIC, Valve, and Perfect World.
HLTV initially reported that ESIC had failed to inform the other parties involved, but ESIC later clarified that they had provided timely information.
The commission criticized HLTV for misreporting the facts and misleading the CS2 community, while also acknowledging their own failure to publicly announce the adjusted ban, which would have prevented the disqualification in the first place.
Impact on Other Teams
PARAVISION’s reinstatement has had significant repercussions for other teams involved in the Shanghai Major qualifiers. The remake qualifier that was scheduled between eliminated teams BLEED, Monte, and KOI has been canceled, effectively ending their hopes of competing in the Major.
This marks the second time in a week that these teams have seen their dreams crushed, leading to frustration and disappointment.
Conclusion
The PARAVISION incident highlights the importance of clear and consistent communication in the esports industry, especially as the CS2 scene prepares for an open esports circuit in 2025.
This situation underscores the need for better coordination between governing bodies and organizers to ensure fair and transparent competition. As PARAVISION heads into the European RMR with renewed vigor, the CS2 community will be watching closely to see how this saga unfolds.
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