Following the shocking ban wave within the Eastern Europe (EEU) region which saw ten players permanently banned by Valve, OG’s carry player, Artem "Yuragi" Golubiev recently expressed his opinions on Kamil "Koma`" Biktimirov’s permanent ban on his social media profile.
Just before the Dota 2 competitive scene was scheduled to begin its 2022/2023 season, there has been an increasing case of players being permanently banned. However, the Eastern Europe region became the main headline of the case with ten players permanently banned including former Virtus.pro carry Koma`.
Yuragi believes that Koma` deserves a second chance
Following the surprising news, Yuragi became the latest of many Dota 2 personalities to have expressed their thoughts on Valve’s recent ban wave on his personal Twitter account. While Yuragi explained his shared bonds with Koma` as friends, he also explained that Koma` is not a terrible person.
“Hello, World. Wanted to express my opinion on Valve's recent player ban of Koma. I've been friends with Kamil for several years now and I know him as a player who has a lot of dedication and love for the game of DotA. I also know that he is not a terrible or cruel or deceptive person.”
The ten players, including former Virtus.pro carry Koma` have been banned for sharing accounts and impersonating other teams during tournaments. However, other players such as Entity’s Dzmitry "Fishman" Palishchuk have also speculated that some of them may have engaged in a 322 (Dota term used for intentionally throwing a game for financial gain).
Yuragi also pointed out that Koma` has been reflecting on his past mistakes, before saying a permanent ban is unwarranted for the latter’s mistakes.
“I know that whatever he did, he truly regrets it with all his self, and I know that he will not allow himself to get involved in anything like this ever again. That's why I think that this man does not deserve a lifetime ban. Thanks.”
Following his suspension, Koma` apologized for his mistakes and has accepted responsibility for the account sharing incident in a public statement. Additionally, the 20-year old noted that he would appeal with Valve for a possible reduction for his ban. As of now, there is no update regarding the appeal.
However, following his public statement, Koma` has been released by Virtus.pro and replaced by former Team Empire Hope carry player Alexandr "krylat" Krylatov.