ATOX was disqualified from the Asia-Pacific league ESL Challenger Season 49 following a temporary suspension imposed by the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC). ESL announced this today. Furthermore, ATOX players are banned from participating in competitions organized by the ESL FACEIT Group "until further notice."

In the league, ATOX held fourth place with an impressive 9-1 record. Now all their results will be annulled, and future matches will be removed.

Context and Background 

Last week, it was revealed that ATOX would not be able to participate in the BLAST Open Spring 2025. BLAST organizers explained that the team is under a temporary suspension that extends to all tournaments organized by ESIC members. Their slot in the Lisbon tournament was taken by another Mongolian team, The Huns, who placed second in BLAST Rising Asia.

Shortly after, PGL also announced a ban on ATOX in their tournaments and disqualified them from the Asian qualifiers for PGL Bucharest – MESA Asian Masters. ATOX was supposed to compete in this event, but now the team will not participate.

What’s Behind the Disqualification? 

Although ESIC has not officially announced an investigation into ATOX, rumors have been circulating for some time. In February, Chinese commentator Yunqing "Searph" Hu wrote on social media that a team within the top 30 of the VRS world rankings is under investigation for alleged match-fixing during EPL 2024. In the same month, ATOX reached the 23rd position in this ranking, which only fueled suspicions.

ATOX competed in the ESL Pro League 20 in September 2024, finishing 21st-28th, winning only one out of four matches. Although their results did not raise questions at the time, now their past games are being scrutinized from a different perspective.

The disqualification of ATOX is a significant blow to Mongolian esports, which has been rapidly developing in recent years. While ESIC has not made official statements regarding specific accusations, the measures already taken suggest the seriousness of the situation. Whether ATOX will be exonerated or if this story will mark the end of their career remains to be seen.