Russian CS2 Player gokushima Receives 2-Year Match-fixing Ban

Former FORZE player Erkhan “gokushima” Bagynanov, has been investigated and banned by ESIC for being involved in a match-fixing scandal. As a result, the prospect has been excluded from participating in any CS2 tournament for two years.

FORZE Benches The Entire Roster

On 2 April, the FORZE esports organization announced that the entire team would be removed from the active lineup. Four players, including gokushima, were benched, while the remaining player, Evgeny “r3salt” Frolov, was sold to Team Aurora.

The organization aims to continue its venture in CS2 but with a different roster. The official announcement did not mention anything else.

gokushima Receives Some Bad News

The move from the FORZE organization began to be clear, as the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC), the head body responsible for maintaining esports’ competitive integrity, issued a statement regarding the team’s AWPer, gokushima. 

ESIC released a public disciplinary action statement regarding the case of 23-year-old gokushima. Here is a summary of its contents:

• ESIC has concluded an investigation of the ESIC Code of Conduct and Anti-Corruption Code by Erkhan “gokushima” Bagynanov.
• The investigation was initiated following reports of match-fixing activities by the player. 
• Evidence obtained suggested that Mr. Bagynanov engaged in corruption and betting.
• Based on the organization’s findings, ESIC has placed a two-year ban on gokushima, starting from 27 March 2024 to 26 March 2026.

According to Team Spirit’s talent scout Alexey “OverDrive” Birukov, the now-banned player has fixed up to eighty official matches in his opinion. 

Which matches gokushima “match-fixed” were not revealed, and the evidence was not shared with the public. However, there are questions surrounding the remainder of the roster and if they were also involved in the scandal. 

One player, r3salt, has already fled to another team and is still participating in matches with Team Aurora. The other three players are still seeking new opportunities, but ESIC has yet to release any public statements surrounding them. 

How Much Did He Make?

According to community members, gokushima made around $300,000 from fixing his matches. Most fans are outraged that the Russian player generated so much money and only received a temporary ban, which isn’t even too long. 

Comparisons were being made. The iBUYPOWER roster that threw a match in 2014 got paid hundreds of dollars each for fixing their match and received ten-year bans. Meanwhile, Gokushima has made hundreds of thousands and only received a two-year ban.

Fans are also bringing up the fact that gokushima cannot be the only match-fixer in the scene. It is predicted that around fifty more players are involved in such activities, which isn’t too surprising considering how much gokushima made from fixing matches.