zverHDD on the temporary suspension of Vintage and DarkMago by ESIC: “Right now, we’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg.”

Not only does the Esports World Cup 2026 seem like a very strange tournament compared to previous years, but my favorite organization, ESIC, has also suddenly begun conducting investigations and has already found some signs of unfair play within the Tier 1 scene.

I don’t think many people today would be surprised by the region where the players under investigation are from. But I’m interested in a completely different question.

Do ESIC and ESL still remember that archive of screenshots from my personal correspondence with a representative of the SA region, or not?

To put it briefly: in February, I sent them materials in which this person described in detail the schemes for making money off matches and which players and bookmakers they work with. Some of this information was subsequently confirmed. ESL and ESIC accepted the archive, announced the start of some highly confidential investigations, and that was the last I heard from them.

And now I’m curious: based on how ESIC has operated in the past, did they really dig up this story on their own for the first time in a long while? Or, as is often the case, did someone simply hand them such detailed information on a silver platter that it was impossible to ignore—because a “certain line” had been crossed and someone got very angry?

In any case, I have a feeling that what we’re seeing right now is just the tip of the iceberg. Perhaps a few people simply became the necessary scapegoats so the tournament could be played out peacefully until the end.

And you know what? I actually like it—the closer we get to the “finals,” the higher the chance that even more interesting stories will come to light.