A professional esports player has been given a four-year ban over match-fixing allegations.
Dmytro “nifee” Tediashvili was sanctioned by the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) after an investigation into his Counter-Strike 2 career uncovered evidence found of match-fixing and betting-related corruption.
The suspicious matches in question, which were examined with the help of esports data firm Runestone, were played during the ESL Pro League Season in October 2025, and involved a series of unusual betting patterns coupled with ESIC’s conclusion that the player’s subsequent actions did not represent a typical competitive behaviour.
ESIC and Runestone followed a strict investigative procedure, which included the identification of the suspicious betting activity, reviewing game footage, consulting with third-party experts, interviewing game participants, and requesting relevant explanations.
It was reported that Tediashvili first denied the accusations, but then admitted that a misconduct had taken place, further assisting in the investigation.
As a result, ESIC has concluded that the player’s conduct has constituted breaches of its Anti-Corruption Code by deliberately altering in-game events for betting purposes and therefore endangering the integrity of the esports competition.
As such, the match-fixing watchdog has warned that further enforcement may take place.
Effective from 21 October 2025 to 20 October 2029, Tediashvili is barred from taking part in all ESIC-sanctioned events in any capacity.
The integrity body concluded the announcement with a reminder that unlike match event outcomes, prop markets in esports, which are essentially the equivalent of in-play bets in sports, represent a serious concern for esports authorities as they are most susceptible to betting manipulation.
However, it also reassured readers that it remains fully committed to working with companies like Runestone to detect such risks early and mitigate them as quickly as possible, so that trust in esports betting remains high.