A high-stakes promotion match between Estral and Disguised turned into a competitive integrity controversy when broadcast cameras appeared to show Estral players accessing prohibited resources during technical pauses.
The incidents occurred during a best-of-five LTA North Promotion series that would determine qualification for top-tier North American competition. Live player-room cameras captured what viewers identified as two separate violations across Games two and three.
During a Game two technical pause at approximately 2:19:51 in the official Twitch VOD, an individual in Estral’s room wearing a white shirt opened Discord and began typing. Viewers identified the person as bot laner Ghost based on his outfit and camera position.
The more serious incident came during a Game three pause. At roughly 5:10:10 in the VOD, a player identified as top laner Summit appeared to open a YouTube video of the ongoing match. The broadcast showed a YouTube progress bar visible on his screen displaying the same game being played, with visual elements matching a teamfight that had occurred minutes earlier around the 27-minute mark.
Casters Cubby and Raafaa acknowledged on air that they noticed “other things happening” and reported them to Riot officials. The broadcast later announced that Riot had instructed them to continue the series while addressing the situation behind the scenes. The match was eventually postponed to the following day.
Viewers pointed to specific details like the red tint from Nocturne’s ultimate and Jinx rocket explosions that aligned perfectly with the live broadcast. Accessing a live VOD during a match would allow players to see information normally hidden by the fog of war, including enemy cooldowns, ward positions, and team rotations.
The series faced extreme technical difficulties throughout the day, with several hours of pause time attributed to widespread DDOS attacks affecting multiple Riot regions including North America, Latin America, Brazil, and Europe. These extended pauses created unusual circumstances where players remained at their computers for long periods.
Riot’s competitive rulebook typically prohibits players from accessing external communications or viewing live broadcasts during matches, including pause periods. While referees may allow certain activities during extended technical delays, accessing competitive information sources is generally forbidden.
The stakes add weight to the controversy. Summit is a former LCS MVP who won the award in Spring 2022. Ghost was part of DAMWON Gaming’s 2020 World Championship-winning roster. Both Korean imports brought significant expectations to Estral’s promotion bid.
Disguised, the organization founded by content creator DisguisedToast, had positioned itself for a potential upset before the match was halted. The LoLEsports website briefly displayed a 3-1 result favoring Disguised, though no official competitive ruling had been issued at the time.
Echoes of 2012
The situation draws comparisons to one of esports’ most famous integrity incidents. During the 2012 World Championship, Azubu Frost’s Woong was caught looking at a minimap displayed on screens behind the players during a match against TSM. That incident resulted in fines and became a touchstone moment for competitive integrity in League of Legends.
Online tournaments present unique enforcement challenges compared to LAN events. Players compete from home or team facilities with their own equipment, making it harder for officials to monitor compliance during technical issues. The DDOS attacks that plagued this series only complicated matters further.
As of the postponement, neither Riot nor the teams had issued public statements about potential penalties. Typical sanctions for competitive integrity violations range from warnings and game forfeits to suspensions, fines, or complete disqualifinitoring and webcam requirements to maintain integrity. In this case, the violation was caught by the broadcast’s own player cameras rather than dedicated monitoring.
Past precedents exist for similar infractions. At Worlds 2012, Azubu Frost received penalties for gaining competitive information from a venue screen. Depending on severity and intent, sanctions can range from warnings and fines to game losses or disqualification.
