ESL has banned discriminatory remarks in team chats at its CS2 tournaments
Dan Kleiman
Tournament operator ESL has imposed strict censorship on participants in the ESL Pro Tour CS2 series. The administration has regulated player behavior in internal communication channels.
This is the first time such a rule has been introduced. The tournament operator’s code of conduct now officially applies not only to public statements but also to private conversations between esports players during live matches on the server.
The official text of the new rule:
The use of hate speech or discriminatory remarks of any kind in internal team communications during a live match is strictly prohibited. The administration reserves the right to request, listen to, and evaluate audio recordings of TeamSpeak conversations to identify such violations and subsequently impose fines or disqualifications.
This new measure is part of a large-scale reform of the ESL Pro Tour competitive ecosystem regulations ahead of the start of the second competitive season in 2026. Earlier, as part of this same update, the tournament operator extended the duration of VAC bans for players at its events to five years.
Photo by Stephanie Lindgren, ESL.
Dan Kleiman
