The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has concluded a major investigation involving the Mongolian team ATOX. The case was initiated following suspicious betting activity during an ESL Pro League Season 20 match between ATOX and Team Falcons that took place in late 2024.
What Happened
The first suspicions arose after alerts about abnormal betting patterns were detected. ESIC issued a preliminary warning through its Suspicious Betting Alert Network (SBAN), and later, on January 9, 2025, received statistical analysis confirming potential interference in the match result. This triggered a formal investigation into ATOX’s roster, with initial charges filed in February and revised in March 2025 as new evidence emerged.
Reasons for the Investigation
The main factor that drew ESIC’s attention was the detection of irregular bets that deviated from typical market behavior, raising concerns about possible match manipulation. In addition, internal sources reported attempts to bribe players and pressure them into concealing misconduct. Eventually, ESIC obtained confessions from several individuals, which confirmed the legitimacy of the allegations.
Consequences
In its final decision on April 15, 2025, ESIC issued lifetime bans to three ATOX players — Gan-Erdene “dobu” Batbold, Bat-Enkh “kabal” Batbayar, and Ana-Erdene “nuka” Baasantogtokh — from all ESIC-affiliated tournaments. Team coach and CEO Tuguldur “flyNN” Gansuk received a three-year ban due to the elevated responsibility of his position. Additionally, Temuulen “MiQ” Byambadalai, Otgonlkhagva “AccuracyTG” Batjargal, and Munkhsaikhan “Zesta” Erdenebaatar were sanctioned with bans ranging from 8 months to 1 year for failing to report or carelessly ignoring breaches of the ESIC Integrity Program.
A separate investigation is still ongoing regarding Song “xiaosaGe” Peng, Tuvshintugs “ANNIHILATION” Nyamdorj, and Yalalt “yAmi” Oyunbileg, with results expected to be announced in due course.
Conclusion
This scandal has dealt a serious blow to ATOX’s reputation and serves as a strong warning to the entire esports community. ESIC has once again demonstrated its firm stance against corruption in professional esports. Such actions do not go unpunished, and further sanctions may follow for other individuals found to be involved.
Source: esic.gg
