ESIC hands lifetime ban to coach Vintage and five-year ban to DarkMago
The Esports Integrity Commission announced its verdict in the PlayTime integrity case at EWC, imposing a lifetime ban on coach Vintage and a five-year suspension on midlaner DarkMago.
The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has concluded its investigation into PTime/PlayTime, imposing the biggest possible sanction on coach Juan "Vintage" Angulo and a five-year ban on midlaner Oswaldo "DarkMago" Herrera.
The sanctions replace the provisional suspensions issued in July and close a case that began with a corrupt approach reported to ESIC on July 14, 2026 , during the Esports World Cup.
Vintage found guilty on all six charges
ESIC found all six charges against Vintage proven, establishing that he was party to an agreement or effort to cause PTime/PlayTime to lose its series against Team Liquid by a score of 0–2, agreed to accept a financial reward connected to the proposed manipulation, and solicited or facilitated another participant's involvement.
The proven breaches include:
- Corruption through an agreement and effort to manipulate the Team Liquid series at EWC 2026
- Agreeing to accept a bribe or other reward for improper influence
- Soliciting, inducing, persuading and facilitating another participant
- Failure to disclose a corrupt approach and facts evidencing corrupt conduct
- Dishonesty, integrity failures and failure to disclose Failure to cooperate fully and provide truthful, complete information
ESIC noted two mitigating circumstances in its findings: the intended 0–2 result was not achieved, and the commission did not find that a completed corrupt payment to Vintage had been proved. However, ESIC stated these circumstances "did not prevent findings of liability for the agreement and effort to manipulate the series, the agreement to accept a reward, or the other established offences."
Vintage is ineligible for life, with the sanction recognised from July 14, 2026, the date his provisional suspension began.
DarkMago sanctioned for failure to report
The findings against DarkMago were narrower in scope, centring on reporting and integrity failures rather than active participation in match manipulation. ESIC established that DarkMago was directly exposed to a discussion concerning match-fixing and subsequently became aware of communications evidencing corrupt conduct, but failed to make the required report.
The proven breaches were:
- Failure to disclose a corrupt approach or invitation
- Failure to disclose facts or matters evidencing corrupt conduct
- Integrity and prompt-disclosure failures
DarkMago is ineligible for five years, from July 14, 2026 to July 13, 2031, with full credit given for the provisional suspension already served.
Notably, these sanctions apply across ESIC Member Events and ESIC-recognised competitive activity to the extent relevant organisations have authority to enforce them. They prohibit participation in covered capacities, including as a player, substitute, coach, analyst, manager, team staff member or support personnel.
This makes DarkMago and Vintage, technically still eligible for PGL or Fissure tournaments and even The International, if the ban is not mirrored by Valve themselves or by tournament organisers that are not members of the Esports Integrity Commission.
