The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has banned Counter-Strike 2 player Oliver "kzy" Heck for life following a match-fixing investigation into NOMERCY, the team he played for at Roman Imperium Cup VII in March. Four of his teammates received bans of three to five years. ESIC announced the sanctions on October 15, Dexerto reports.
The investigation covered four NOMERCY matches played on March 28 against BetBoom, Sangal, BESTIA and Wildcard. NOMERCY lost all four and won five rounds in total, with its opponents taking the maps 13-0, 13-3, 13-1 and 13-1.
According to ESIC, betting intelligence identified a high-value combination wager backing a -9.5 round handicap across all four matches, which required each opponent to win by at least 10 rounds. Every result met that margin. A screenshot that circulated after the event showed an accumulator bet of roughly $57,000 with a potential return of more than $4.5 million. RTP Arena reported that the bookmaker voided the wager, which the tournament organizer confirmed. ESIC's statement does not identify who placed the bet or say that kzy received any winnings.
The sanctions
ESIC said it reviewed gameplay, betting intelligence, player-specific analysis, and available financial records and communications. Investigators identified repeated problems with trading, utility, positioning and decision-making, while stressing that no single mistake established the case.
kzy, who previously played for MOUZ, was found responsible for match manipulation, corrupt in-game incidents and facilitating corrupt conduct. ESIC cited his leadership and calling role, his involvement in map vetoes and his complete failure to cooperate as factors in the lifetime sanction.
- Oliver "kzy" Heck: lifetime ban
- James8k and perakokanje: five-year bans, running until April 23, 2031
- 2xplayN and srtn1: three-year bans, ending April 23, 2029, with their cooperation counted as mitigation
The bans apply to ESIC and member-supported competitions and extend beyond playing to coaching, management, analysis and other forms of participation.
