VALORANT player Seungmin “ban” Oh has been handed a 12-month ban for engaging in match-fixing discussions during his time with Global Esports in the VCT 2025 season.
According to Riot Games’ official report, ban’s actions included “engaging with individuals and entertaining proposals for match manipulation which included financial terms,” which breaches Article 4.14 (Match-Fixing or Manipulation) of the Terms of Service. The “discussion” for match-fixing apparently happened during the VCT Pacific Stage two 2025 series between Global Esports and Team Secret held on July 19.
Riot also included ban’s side of the story in the ruling: the 25-year old VALORANT pro didn’t intend to manipulate the match despite having participated in the discussions. However, the company maintained that intent is irrelevant in cases involving a violation of the Global Code of Conduct, which says, such violations “are subject to disciplinary action, whether or not they were committed intentionally or as part of a joke, a stunt, or some form of social media performance.”
Interestingly, ban had himself reported the incident to Riot, leading to investigations. His voluntary disclosure was considered, among other “mitigating factors,” before determining the appropriate punishment.
The one-year suspension applies solely to Riot-sanctioned events, so ban can continue competing in third-party tournaments and create content for VALORANT. Still, the punishment appears pretty mild for an offense as serious as match-fixing at the top tier of esports.
Ban was not signed to any team for the VCT 2026 season, potentially because of the ongoing investigation. His last known stint was with Global Esports in VCT 2025.
Timeline of how ban got banned (temporarily) from VALORANT esports
On Aug. 27, unverified screenshots allegedly showing match-fixing discussions tied to VCT Pacific surfaced, attracting Riot’s attention. The company enlisted Sportradar, a popular integrity firm, to investigate the claims.
The investigation concluded on Nov. 18, but it failed to authenticate the screenshots or allegations. That said, interviews, including a self-report, and document reviews revealed that ban may have engaged in match-fixing-related conduct.
Riot formally opened disciplinary proceedings on Dec. 3 and gave ban the chance to respond, which he did in a written submission on Dec. 10.
