ESIC sanctions Astralis after controversial substitution at BLAST Fall Final
Despite ESIC claiming that their actions didn't affect the tournament outcome, Astralis is still forced to give up $25,000 in financial penalties.
Astralis' controversial emergency substitution of Alexander "br0" Bro for Casper "cadiaN" Møller at the BLAST Premier Fall Final has led to financial repercussions for the Danish organization.
In a statement released today, the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) announced that Astralis has been sanctioned with a $15,000 fine due to their conduct during the Copenhagen-based tournament.
Additionally, the team has been required to forfeit the $10,000 prize money earned at the event, bringing the total financial penalty to $25,000.
The sanctions come two months after ESIC initiated its investigation, prompted by a formal request from BLAST.
In the statement, ESIC explains they don’t believe the substitution had “a material impact on the outcome of the tournament."
Here’s a brief summary of their findings, provided by ESIC:
1. Process Failures at BLAST:
BLAST accepted Astralis’ substitution request without sufficient validation, relying solely on representations made by the team. This procedural oversight led to a miscommunication, with BLAST announcing the substitution as medically motivated despite no supporting evidence.
2. Astralis’ Conduct:
Astralis benefitted from the misunderstanding and did not promptly correct BLAST’s miscommunication. This behavior breached ESIC’s Integrity Program by failing to uphold the transparency expected of a professional esports team.
3. Impact on the Event:
The substitution did not materially impact the outcome of the tournament, as Astralis did not progress beyond the group stage.
4. Actions Taken:
BLAST has committed to improving its processes for emergency substitutions.
ESIC has sanctioned Astralis with a financial penalty of $15,000 USD, to be donated to a not-for-profit charity approved by ESIC. Additionally, Astralis must forfeit their monetary reward from the tournament.
You can read the full report right here.
Astralis is "disappointed"
Astralis has commented on ESIC's ruling, where they maintain their innocence and express their disappointment with ESIC.
"We take the ruling into account, but we maintain that our actions were in line with applicable Danish employment laws. We are disappointed that ESIC's ruling and decision does not include the employer’s legal obligation to protect its employees in a sensitive situation.
In light of the ruling, we have decided to donate $15,000 to the Danish Mental Health Foundation (Psykiatrifonden).
We have no further comments at this time," Astralis has stated.
The story short:
At the BLAST Premier Fall Final, Astralis sparked controversy with an emergency substitution, replacing Alexander "br0" Bro with Casper "cadiaN" Møller. The team justified the move by citing "medical reasons," which BLAST accepted without proper verification.
The decision drew backlash from other teams and in-game leaders (IGLs), who viewed the substitution as potentially exploiting the emergency rule. In protest, multiple IGLs boycotted the media day ahead of the tournament.
