PlayTime Booted Out Of EWC Amid ESIC Investigation
PlayTime have been eliminated early from the EWC 2026 Dota 2 tournament. In a post on x.com, organisers have said the team was unable to meet eligibility requirements after the provisional suspension of two roster members.
PlayTime Eliminated From EWC 2026
Fans tuning in to see PlayTime’s survival round one match against Vici Gaming on July 14 had the stream cut short. Organisers said they were investigating an “integrity issue”. Eventually, it emerged that captain Gonzalo “DarkMago” Herrera and coach Juan “Vintage” Angulo were being investigated by the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC).
ESIC, established in 2016, is a non-profit organisation that aims to ensure integrity in Esports. It investigates matters of potential corruption, match fixing, and doping.
ESIC point out that the two players have been served provisional suspensions but they are still investigating. There has been “no final determination of misconduct.”
The organisation’s statement also says as a result of the suspensions, PlayTime no longer meets eligibility requirements. The team did not have any benched or inactive players to fill the gaps, so the elimination does not necessarily imply guilt.
Players and teams have been kicked out of EWC competitions before. The Carolina Royal Ravens were ejected by organisers after they failed to comply with roster restrictions in 2025.
The Tournament
As a result of the elimination, Vici Gaming now progresses to round 2 of the survival stage. They meet 1w gaming, who finished the group stages with a 3-1-1 record. The winner of the match will proceed to the playoffs.
In the other survival games, BetBoom take on LGD Gaming, Team Spirit play Team Liquid, and Aurora Gaming square up to Rune Eaters.
All survival games are set to be played today, July 15, with the quarterfinals on July 16 and 17. Favourites Team Yandex, as well as Nigma, Falcons, and PARIVISION, join at the quarterfinal stage.
The semifinals and grand final will be played at the weekend.
The Dota 2 tournament is one of the showpiece events of the EWC. It has a $2m prize pool with the winners collecting $750,000 and 1,000 Club Points.
Team Yandex are the favourites to win the tournament, having won PGL Wallachia Season 7 and Dream League Season 27, while also finishing as runners up in ESL One Birmingham.
