CSGO coaches deny using coaching bug after cheating punishments

The competitive Counter-Strike scene faces unprecedented turmoil following the Esports Integrity Commission’s decision to sanction 34 professional coaches. This disciplinary action has created deep divisions within the community, with some figures like Nicholas “guerri” Nogueira accepting their penalties while others mount vigorous defenses against what they consider unjust rulings.

Among the most vocal challengers are three prominent coaches: FaZe Clan’s Robert “RobbaN” Dahlström, BOOM Esports’ Alessandro “Apoka” Marcucci, and forZe’s Sergey “lmbt” Bezhanov. These experienced professionals have publicly contested ESIC’s authority and the evidence supporting their bans.

The controversial exploit enabled coaches to access a free-roaming spectator perspective, providing complete visibility of enemy positions and rotations. Tournament organizers could resolve the glitch through server reboots, but malicious actors discovered methods to intentionally activate the advantage. While technical fixes have eliminated the bug, the competitive integrity damage continues to reverberate.

This marks ESIC’s second major intervention into CS:GO coaching practices, bringing the total number of penalized coaches to 37 across multiple competitive regions and tournament circuits.

RobbaN, LMBT, and Apoka refuse all allegations

FaZe Clan’s strategic leader RobbaN received a 5.5-month competitive ban but maintains he implemented immediate countermeasures upon discovering the glitch. His defense centers on muting communications and remaining inactive for the match duration once he identified the technical issue. RobbaN emphasizes that deliberate exploitation constitutes clear cheating, which contradicts his professional ethics and established track record.

LMBT’s rebuttal emerged rapidly following RobbaN’s social media statement. The forZe coach asserts he notified ESIC investigators during their initial inquiry phase and completely denies utilizing the bug advantage. His criticism focuses on ESIC’s evidence presentation standards and demands full transparency regarding the proof underlying his sanction.

“My competitive history demonstrates consistent commitment to rulebook improvements and proactive engagement with tournament organizers regarding ambiguous regulations,” LMBT stated, highlighting his reputation for competitive integrity.

Despite resigning his BOOM Esports position, Apoka maintains absolute innocence regarding all accusations. He paradoxically thanked ESIC for addressing the exploit situation while simultaneously challenging the validity of his individual penalty.

“This situation brings profound disappointment, though my conscience remains clear based on complete certainty that I never utilized any unfair advantages,” Apoka declared in his official response.

Apoka’s defense incorporates physical evidence—he claims absence from his gaming station throughout the contested match and possesses recorded footage from his content creation activities that substantiates his innocence claims.

The integrity commission has demonstrated flexibility in its disciplinary approach, recently modifying preliminary sanctions for coaches found violating competitive rules. This development potentially offers the challenging trio opportunity for penalty reductions if they successfully demonstrate mitigating circumstances or evidence gaps in ESIC’s case.

This controversy highlights critical questions about evidence standards and due process in esports governance. Professional coaches operate in high-stakes environments where technical glitches can create unintended competitive advantages, requiring clear protocols for immediate reporting and neutral investigation.

The outcome of these challenges could establish important precedents for how future competitive integrity violations are investigated and adjudicated across the global esports ecosystem.

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