VALORANT player Joseph ‘Ban‘ Seung-min has received a 12-month suspension from all Riot Games-sanctioned events after breaching rules surrounding match-fixing and match manipulation.
Following a four-month investigation, the former Global Esports player was found guilty of breaching Riot Games’ Esports Global Code of Conduct. The ruling prevents him from competing in any VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) event until the end of 2026.
Announced on December 18th, 2025, Ban breached Article 4.14 of the Global Code of Conduct after Riot Games became aware of screenshots discussing match manipulation for a VCT Pacific match.
The match in question was a VCT Pacific encounter between Global Esports and Team Secret, held on July 19th, 2025. Importantly, Ban claimed that he would not follow through with the discussions, but his engagement still violated the Code of Conduct.
Article 4.14 states, “esports professionals may not match-fix or otherwise manipulate the outcome of any match or competition or request, encourage, or instruct others to manipulate it.”
Upon conclusion of the investigation, Riot Games was unable to verify screenshots. However, Riot Games uncovered other information through ‘witness testimonies and document review’, which indicated that Ban ‘may have engaged in match-fixing related activities’.
As a result, Ban is unable to compete for the next year and must take part in educational training focused on “integrity and ethics” before returning to competition.
Riot Games reveals that failure to comply with the training could result in further disciplinary actions against Ban and the team he is representing.
Ban’s Career So Far
Since beginning his VALORANT career in 2020, Ban has represented several high-profile organisations across VCT Pacific and VCT North America. Stints representing Luminosity Gaming, T1, and TALON yielded mixed results, with one of his highlights being a third-place finish in the 2023 VCT Pacific League.
From May to November, Ban competed under the Global Esports banner, scoring a top-12 placement in Stage 2 of VCT Pacific. On November 19th, Ban departed the organisation as part of its wider rebuild.
Integrity within VALORANT esports has come into question throughout 2025. In July, Riot Games shared the results of an investigation into match-fixing allegations within the Tier 2 North American scene. The developer and publisher found no evidence of cheating or misconduct.
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