Professional VALORANT Player Suspended

Seungmin “ban” Oh, a seasoned VALORANT player, has received a twelve-month suspension from taking part in any events authorized by Riot Games. This suspension comes as a result of an incident involving match manipulation discussions during a VCT Pacific match against Team Secret that took place on July 19, 2025.

Violation of Riot Games’ Code of Conduct

The involvement of ban in such discussions breached the 4.14 clause of Match-Fixing or Manipulation in Riot Games’ Global Code of Conduct. Even though there were no indications of actual match manipulation or purposeful underperformance, the fact that ban entertained financial offers constitutes a violation.

Investigation Timeline

Riot Games became aware of unverified screenshots suggesting match-fixing in VCT Pacific on August 27, 2025. This triggered a thorough investigation involving Sportradar, an independent review organization. The investigation involved interviewing witnesses, analysing important documents, and evaluating performance stats but found no confirmed proof of screenshot authenticity or intentional underperformance. Nevertheless, ban’s involvement in such dialogs was verified.

Investigation Details

The key activities during the investigation included Global Esports vs Team Secret match on July 19, Riot becoming aware of the screenshots on August 27, and the completion of the Sportradar investigation on November 18. Riot initiated formal disciplinary proceedings on December 3, with ban handed in a written response on December 10. The suspension was announced on December 18, coming into effect immediately. Before the disciplinary action, ban had self-reported to the team management. This act was considered a mitigating factor in the disciplinary process.

Conditions of the Suspension

Throughout the period of the suspension, ban will not be allowed to participate in VCT 2026, making the earliest possible return in 2027. However, ban can take part in third-party tournaments and continue content creation. It is compulsory for ban to complete an integrity and ethics training course before returning to competitive play.

Overall Implication for Ban’s Career

The suspension puts a pause in ban’s competitive career, who was part of teams T1 and Talon previously and remained unsigned for 2026 while the investigation took place. Even though no match-fixing was established, and ban declined any intent to underperform, his involvement in the discussions alone led to this severe action. Unless new evidence arises, the ruling remains unchanged. ban was also released by Global Esports amid their roster rebuilding.

Any Proven Match-Fixing?

No proven incident of match-fixing was found throughout the investigation process. There was also a denial from ban about any attempt to underperform intentionally. Riot Games has strongly emphasized that even the mere intent or participation in discussions about such actions is a violation of its rules.