Two Players Face Suspension for “Serious Violation” at World Cup Qualifiers
Recently, a drama unfolded that has stirred the gaming community, particularly within the gaming world at large and specifically among the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang community. This is primarily due to the disqualification of S8UL Esports, the reigning champions of the North American region at the NACT Spring 2025, from the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid Season Cup (MSC) at the Esports World Cup 2025 (EWC) hosted in Riyadh.
What led to this situation? It stems from two players from S8UL Esports, Hoon and Mobazane, participating in an event of a rival game, which constitutes a serious violation of the regulations set forth by the organizing committee. Notably, this “rival game” refers to the title Vương Giả Vinh Diệu (Honor of Kings). The two players not only livestreamed their participation but also displayed a blatant disregard for the MSC regulations.
According to the official statement from the MSC 2025 Committee, this behavior is deemed a violation of the terms outlined in the MSC Penalty Index. The rules clearly state that if players engage in activities, events, or livestreams related to competing games intended to raise their profile for the main game, they could face severe penalties. Consequently, this incident has resulted in an immediate suspension for both players.
The organizing committee has indicated that they repeatedly offered Team S8UL the opportunity to withdraw from the event to preserve their chances in the MSC, yet the team chose to continue participating. Once the official penalties were announced, S8UL was left with insufficient players (at least five official players, including a substitute and a coach), resulting in their disqualification. Since there was no “force majeure” such as a health issue or accident, S8UL is also not allowed to substitute new players.
NA Region World Cup Tickets Handed to Area 77
Following S8UL’s disqualification, the organizing committee quickly announced that the spot originally allocated for the North American representative to participate in MSC 2025 would now be transferred to Area 77 – the runner-up of the NACT Spring 2025. This decision is seen as a necessary step to ensure fairness and maintain professional competition standards for the tournament.
This incident has sparked significant debate within the Esports community: Does participating in a rival game event truly justify such a heavy penalty? Some argue that the rules are often rigid, particularly for competitive games like Mobile Legends and Honor of Kings. Others feel that the “team’s integrity” should not be compromised merely due to the actions of two individuals.
Regardless of the perspective taken, this certainly serves as a crucial lesson for Esports teams. Every decision made, each public appearance carries the potential for repercussions, especially when representing a team at a major event.
