Fallout from Dota 2 Player Bans Hits China as Five Teams Get Booted from DPC 2023

Perfect World, the organizer of the Chinese Dota 2 Pro Circuit (DPC), has announced the removal of five Dota 2 teams from the DPC China 2023 Tour 2: Division I and II. The teams featured professional players who were recently banned from Valve tournaments due to "esports integrity violations."

The teams affected by this decision are Antarctic Penguins (formerly Knights), EHOME, Solitude (formerly Dawn Gaming), Kylin Esports Club (formerly LBZS), and Team Mystique. The removal of these teams is a direct result of their association with players who have been found guilty of cheating in professional esports competitions.

Chinese DPC shaken up due to player bans

Perfect World released a statement on the official Dota 2 Weibo account detailing the adjustments it had to make due to the recent ban wave on Chinese Dota 2 pros. Division I of the DPC China 2023 Tour 2 will now feature:

• PSG.LGD

• Team Aster

• Xtreme Gaming

• Invictus Gaming

• Aster.Aries

• Outsiders From CN

• Ybb Gaming

• Vici Gaming

While Division II of the DPC China 2023 Tour 2 will feature only two invited teams:

• Poke Gaming

• Meteor Gaming

Six teams will now qualify for the DPC China 2023 Tour 2: Division II through the open qualifiers that are scheduled to kick off on 15th March. 

Earlier today, Valve and Perfect World jointly issued a statement banning 46 Chinese Dota 2 Pro Circuit players, including bans for players from Knights and EHOME who recently competed in the Lima Major 2022. Knights had already faced accusations of match-fixing and cheating during official games, while EHOME's inclusion in the bans was a surprise.

The bans raised concerns about the integrity of the Dota 2 Pro Circuit in China, as a significant number of players affected by the bans were part of the circuit. The bans prohibit players from participating in any events hosted by Valve and Perfect World.

The removal of these five teams from the DPC China 2023 Tour 2: Division I and II sends a clear message that Valve and Perfect World are committed to maintaining the integrity of professional esports tournaments and that cheating/match-fixing in any form will not be tolerated.