Riot Games has issued penalties to several players and teams competing in the Stage 3 Playoffs of VALORANT Challengers Latin America (VCL), citing violations of official tournament rules and codes of conduct.
This announcement comes as the professional VALORANT scene in the region faces another controversy, despite the ongoing intensity of the playoffs.
Riot Penalizes Before the Playoffs
Ahead of the playoffs, Riot conducted a thorough review and evaluation of player accounts, uncovering multiple instances of rule violations. This prompted the developer to issue sanctions to several individuals and even disqualify an entire team from the competition.
Individual Player Sanctions
The following players were found guilty of account sharing and boosting, activities explicitly prohibited by Riot’s competitive guidelines:
- Juan “Jow” Preciado (E-Xolos Lazer)
- Juan “Fresht” Preciado (FUSION Esports)
- Diego “Killy” Corona (Six Karma)
These players have been banned from competing for 120 days, effectively sidelining them for future tournaments in the immediate term.
Team Disqualification: Ktana Esports
In a more severe decision, Riot disqualified Ktana Esports from the tournament after four players were found guilty of the same violations:
- Rafael “Snapss” Herrera
- Nolan “Nolan” Martinez
- Jose “clutchz” Garza
- Faber “Ezznap” Murillo
As a result, Ktana Esports lost their playoff spot, which was subsequently awarded to FUSION Esports. The players involved have also been handed 120-day bans.
Implications for the VCL Playoffs
Despite the penalties, the teams E-Xolos Lazer, FUSION Esports, and Six Karma will continue competing in the tournament, with only the sanctioned players removed from their rosters.
The VALORANT Challengers Latin America (VCL) playoffs begin this Thursday, and fans can follow all the matches live on the official VALORANT Latinoamérica channels.
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