A female Thai contestant has been expelled from the Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok for using unauthorised third-party software during the AoV (Arena of Valor) esports event.
The Thailand Esports Federation (TESF) announced the expulsion of Naphat Warasin, 24, on Tuesday, citing a breach of the Esports Technical Handbook during gameplay on Monday.
Competing as part of the AOV Thai women's team at the 33rd SEA Games Thailand 2025, Naphat, known in the gaming community as “Tokyogurl,” was found to have violated a rule regarding unauthorised software.
She also displayed disrespect during the livestream by gesturing with her middle finger at the camera.
Her agent cut ties with her immediately. The event organiser Thailand supported the decision and will ban Naphat from all future competitions it hosts.
The president of the TESF and the Asian Esports Federation said that the entire Thai women's AOV team would withdraw from the Games in a show of accountability.
AOV is a multiplayer online battle arena game that is particularly popular in Thailand, where it is commonly referred to as ROV (Realm of Valor). The game mainly features 5 versus 5 team battles, with players selecting heroes to engage in strategic gameplay on a variety of maps.
