Esports Integrity Commission

Esports Integrity Commission
Formerly	Esports Integrity Coalition
Founded	2016
Headquarters	Shrewsbury, England; Parramatta, Australia;
Key people	Ian Smith (Commissioner)
Services	Preventing corruption in esports.
Website	esic.gg

Last updated August 13, 2023

The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC), formerly the Esports Integrity Coalition, is a non-profit members' association established in 2016 to promote and facilitate competitive integrity in esports. Notable for investigating the coaching bug scandal in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive , the organization has received criticisms for a lack of resources and game knowledge.

History

The organization was founded by Ian Smith as the "Esports Integrity Coalition" in 2016 before rebranding in 2019.^[1]^[2] Smith had been an attorney working in sports regulation law before he was brought into the Global Offensive scene to investigate skin gambling. His recognition of the lack of regulatory bodies in the scene led to the founding of ESIC.^[1]

Services

The commission works to investigate and prevent all forms of match fixing, cheating,^[1]^[3] and use of doping,^[4] most recently investigating the coaching bug in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive .^[5]^[6] The commission only employs five full-time workers and works by partnering with several betting websites and tournament organizers. The results of investigations are passed on to the organizers, who enforce the sanctions recommended by ESIC.^[7]

Criticism

While ESIC was initially seen as a positive project, the organization has come under significant criticism regarding its legitimacy and competence.^[8] According to The Washington Post , unnamed critics have described the organization as "underfunded". ESIC doing its work mostly hidden from the public has also caused "public speculation [to curdle] into skepticism".^[7] Although ESIC received plaudits for the CS:GO coaching bug investigation, the organization has also been criticized for a perceived lack of expertise about the games it regulates.^[9]

The ban of Team Spirit's coach just before the PGL Major Antwerp 2022 for a minor offense of the coaching bug in 2020 due to ESIC's investigation stalling at the time and the eventual overturn right after the major caused backlash from the CS:GO community.^[10] ESIC was criticized in December 2022 when it lifted Nicolai "HUNDEN" Petersen's two-year ban early after a "constructive engagement between the two parties".^[11] HUNDEN was banned by ESIC in August 2021 after he leaked the strategy folder of Heroic, the team he was coaching, to other teams during IEM Cologne 2021.^[12]

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References

1 2 3 Richard Lewis. "Richard Lewis at the ESIC, "Money flooding into sports has, naturally, brought with it corruption at all levels"". VPEsports. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
↑ Adam Fitch (17 September 2019). "Esports Integrity Coalition rebrands to Esports Integrity Commission - ESIC". Esports Insider. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
↑ "Who We Are – ESIC". esic.gg. Archived from the original on 2 September 2020. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
↑ Chris Higgins (7 July 2016). "Does ESIC have the teeth to enforce esports integrity?". Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2022– via PC Gamer.
↑ "CS:GO coaches banned from major esports series". BBC . 29 September 2020. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
↑ "Spectator bug use nets 37 CS:GO coach suspensions". Field Level Media. 29 September 2020. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2020– via Reuters.
1 2 Mikhail Klimentov (23 August 2021). "As esports watchdog tackles widespread match-fixing, critics fear it can't do the job". The Washington Post . Retrieved 7 May 2022.
↑ Richard Lewis (10 January 2023). "Scrutinizing the ESIC "whistleblower": From savior to blackmailer". Dexerto. Archived from the original on 13 May 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
↑ Jarek Lewis (29 December 2020). "DeKay: A Look Inside an Up-And-Down Year for the ESIC". dbltap.com. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
↑ Richard Lewis (24 October 2022). "Scrutinizing the ESIC "whistleblower": The first contact". Dexerto. Archived from the original on 13 May 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
↑ "CS:GO Community Reacts to ESIC Lifting HUNDEN's Ban". HLTV . 3 December 2022. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
↑ "HUNDEN to serve two-year ban following ESIC probe". Field Level Media. 27 August 2021. Archived from the original on 29 December 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2023– via Reuters.

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[RLewis-1] 1 2 3 Richard Lewis. "Richard Lewis at the ESIC, "Money flooding into sports has, naturally, brought with it corruption at all levels"". VPEsports. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2021.

[2] Adam Fitch (17 September 2019). "Esports Integrity Coalition rebrands to Esports Integrity Commission - ESIC". Esports Insider. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2021.

[3] "Who We Are – ESIC". esic.gg. Archived from the original on 2 September 2020. Retrieved 14 October 2020.

[4] Chris Higgins (7 July 2016). "Does ESIC have the teeth to enforce esports integrity?". Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2022– via PC Gamer.

[5] "CS:GO coaches banned from major esports series". BBC . 29 September 2020. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 14 October 2020.

[6] "Spectator bug use nets 37 CS:GO coach suspensions". Field Level Media. 29 September 2020. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2020– via Reuters.

[auto-7] 1 2 Mikhail Klimentov (23 August 2021). "As esports watchdog tackles widespread match-fixing, critics fear it can't do the job". The Washington Post . Retrieved 7 May 2022.

[8] Richard Lewis (10 January 2023). "Scrutinizing the ESIC "whistleblower": From savior to blackmailer". Dexerto. Archived from the original on 13 May 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2023.

[9] Jarek Lewis (29 December 2020). "DeKay: A Look Inside an Up-And-Down Year for the ESIC". dbltap.com. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2020.

[10] Richard Lewis (24 October 2022). "Scrutinizing the ESIC "whistleblower": The first contact". Dexerto. Archived from the original on 13 May 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2023.

[11] "CS:GO Community Reacts to ESIC Lifting HUNDEN's Ban". HLTV . 3 December 2022. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.

[12] "HUNDEN to serve two-year ban following ESIC probe". Field Level Media. 27 August 2021. Archived from the original on 29 December 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2023– via Reuters.

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