Seungmin "ban" Oh

TL;DR

Riot Games completed an investigation into potential breaches of the Riot Games Esports Global Code of Conduct (“Global Code of Conduct”) by Seungmin "ban" Oh. Based on available evidence, Riot Games determined that Ban’s conduct breached Article 4.14 (Match-Fixing or Manipulation). The breach resulted from Ban engaging with individuals and entertaining proposals for match manipulation which included financial terms, in the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) Pacific 2025 match between Global Esports and Team Secret held on July 19, 2025. While Ban claimed they did not intend to carry out the proposed manipulation, their engagement still constituted a violation under the Global Code of Conduct. Riot Games also considered several mitigating factors in determining the appropriate sanction, including Ban’s prompt self-reporting of their misconduct before disciplinary proceedings began.

As a result, Ban is suspended from participating in all Riot-sanctioned competitions for twelve (12) months with immediate effect, and is required to complete an educational training focused on integrity and ethics within a competitive environment (i.e., esports or sports) prior to re-entry into the ecosystem.

TIMELINE

The below is a summary of Riot Games’ findings. While Riot Games considered all the facts and evidence available at its disposal, the summary refers only to what Riot Games considers necessary to explain its reasoning.

On August 27, 2025, Riot Games became aware of an online post containing unverified screenshots that appeared to show private messages discussing match-fixing within VCT Pacific. Upon being aware of the allegations, Riot Games appointed Sportradar to further look into the matter.

Sportradar completed interviews with all relevant persons of interest and witnesses, with these concluding on November 18, 2025.

Based on the investigation, Riot Games did not find evidence that could conclusively verify the authenticity of the abovementioned screenshots or allegations. However, information gathered through witness testimonies and document review, indicated that Ban may have engaged in match-fixing related activities. 

Consequently, Riot Games initiated disciplinary proceedings against Ban on December 3, 2025, and provided them with the opportunity to submit a statement. Ban submitted a written response on December 10, 2025.

RELEVANT RULES 

Esports Professionals must abide by the Global Code of Conduct. In particular, the below provisions are relevant to the present case:

Article 4.14 Match-Fixing or Manipulation. 

Esports Professionals may not match-fix or otherwise manipulate the outcome of any match or competition or request, encourage, or instruct others to manipulate it. Manipulation is defined as the unlawful or undue influence or alteration (including failing to give best efforts), directly or indirectly, by an act or an omission, of the course, result, or any other aspect of a match (i.e. spot-fixing) or a competition, irrespective of whether the behavior is committed for financial gain, sporting advantage, or any other purpose. [...] Failure to cooperate with Riot in an investigation related to match-fixing or manipulation may be sanctioned similarly to the actual act of match-fixing or manipulation. [...]

Article 5.9 Intent. 

Violations of this Code of Conduct are subject to disciplinary action, whether or not they were committed intentionally or as part of a joke, a stunt, or some form of social media performance.

RULING

Riot Games considers match-fixing a severe violation of its Global Code of Conduct due to the significant threat it poses to the competitive integrity, trust, and long-term viability of the esports ecosystem. Each incident is reviewed individually, taking into account any mitigating and aggravating circumstances. The summary below outlines Riot Games’ most relevant findings only. 

The investigation found that Ban engaged with individuals seeking to arrange match manipulation and entertained their proposals. Instead of declining and immediately reporting the approach, Ban continued the conversation and discussed the terms offered. During the investigation, Ban claimed that they did not intentionally underperform and fix the outcome of the match. 

Riot Games conducted a competitive performance evaluation of Ban in the match of interest. The evaluation considered objective gameplay data, kill/death/assist (“K/D/A”) statistics, and other contextual factors. The competitive performance evaluation, when assessed alongside additional corroborating evidence and witness testimonies gathered during the Sportradar investigation, was insufficient to conclusively establish that Ban intentionally underperformed and attempted to manipulate the match of interest. 

Pursuant to Article 4.14 (Match-Fixing or Manipulation) and 5.9 (Intent) of the Global Code of Conduct, a violation may occur regardless of a player’s intent. Accordingly, engaging with individuals who propose match manipulation and agreeing to their terms to fix a match, is in itself a violation, whether or not the manipulation is ultimately carried out.  Participation in such discussions, even without plans to act on them, breaches the Global Code of Conduct.

Consequently, Ban’s conduct constitutes a violation of Article 4.14 (Match Fixing or Manipulation) of the Global Code of Conduct.

In determining the appropriate sanction, Riot Games evaluated all relevant aggravating and mitigating factors. Although Ban’s alleged lack of intent to deliberately underperform does not absolve them of the violation and plays only a limited role in reducing their overall culpability, it remains relevant when assessing the proportional severity of the sanction. Riot Games also noted that Ban self-reported the incident to their team management before being contacted by Riot Games. While this disclosure occurred after the match in question had concluded, its timing occurred before disciplinary proceedings began and was therefore treated as a meaningful mitigating circumstance.

In view of the above, Ban is suspended from participating in any Riot-sanctioned competitions, for twelve (12) months with immediate effect. 

Furthermore, Ban is required to complete an educational training focused on integrity and ethics within a competitive environment (i.e., esports or sports) prior to re-entry into the ecosystem. The training must be provided by an independent and reputable third-party service provider that is unaffiliated with Ban. To ensure that the training provider and program Ban has identified meets the expectations described above, Ban must receive prior written approval from the league. Ban is further required to provide evidence of completion. 

Failure to comply with the above training requirements before seeking re-entry into the Riot Games esports ecosystem may result in further disciplinary actions against Ban and their current or future team.

Riot Games remains committed to upholding the integrity of esports by addressing violations of the Global Code of Conduct with appropriate sanctions to deter similar actions in the future.

Upon issuance of this ruling, the matter is considered closed; the ruling is final and cannot be appealed. However, if new, substantive evidence comes to light, it may warrant a review of the matter at the discretion of Riot Games.