Krafton announced the Battlegrounds Mobile India Series (BGIS) 2023 a few days ago, where the second season of BGIS 2023 is a much-awaited event for Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) fans, as well as the esports community. The event is already on a roll with its BGIS 2023: The Grind which started on the 20th of July, 2023. However, an unfortunate event came up during the tournament, after which KRAFTON banned Stalwart Esports from the BGIS 2023, much to the disappointment of the BGMI fans. While the Grind has selected the top 128 teams to move on to the next stage, this ban on one of the most popular esports teams comes as a surprise for the community.
As Krafton has stated, Stalwart Esports was found violating the fair play rules, leaving Krafton with no other choice than to disqualify the team from BGIS 2023: The Grind. A post from Krafton on their official Instagram handle has confirmed the ban on Stalwart Esports from further participating in the ongoing BGIS 2023. Besides, a replacement team will be announced shortly instead of the banned team.
BGIS 2023 The Grind: Rulebook and its statements
Team Stalwart Esports was found violating two rules that are 2.1.5 and 6.2.4. Rule 2.1.5 states that a team member is only allowed to compete or work for the one team with which they have an agreement. Additionally, a member can have an agreement with one team only and can not compete for more than one team simultaneously. The player cannot be listed on the roster of more than one team. The second rule 6.2.4 defined “ringing”, which is playing under another player’s account or Gamer Tag. This is prohibited as well.
So, Krafton had spotted one or more registered players from Stalwart to compete for other teams. The alleged player(s) were competing in BGIS 2023: The Grind under another player’s account or Gamer Tag. This is a malpractice and a clear violation of fair-play policy. Thus, with the discretionary power stated in 6.4.2. of the rulebook, Krafton has taken the decision of banning Stalwart Esports.
Stalwart Esports: More trouble in the future
Krafton said that it believes in responsible gaming and is dedicated to fostering fair gameplay. “Unfair practices are not tolerated, and we adhere strictly to rules and regulations. We have observed that Team Stalwart Esports has violated fair play by violating 2.1.5 and 6.2.4 of the BGIS Rulebook“, Krafton added in the post. A statement came from Stalwart Esports’ CEO Sheikh Abubaker as well. The team took full responsibility for the matter and said, “We couldn’t rename the slots due to short notice and got caught up on this.” The team claimed to be reached out to Krafton first regarding the fact and requested the organizers to disqualify their slot.
Rule 6.4.2. further says that Krafton can take other disciplinary actions against the alleged team including a permanent ban from any future tournaments or other events related to BGMI or other video games or esports properties owned or controlled by Krafton or its affiliates. If that happens or the circumstances lead to happen so, Stalwart Esports may be into some serious trouble. BGIS 2023 kicked off on the 20th of July, 2023. Fans can catch Battlegrounds Mobile India Series (BGMI) 2023 live on KRAFTON INDIA ESPORTS YouTube channel. For more details on the BGIS 2023, click here to visit the official website.
What are your thoughts on Krafton having banned Stalwart Esports, owing to disciplinary action in BGIS 2023? Let us know in the comments below.
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