With the introduction of Skyesports Masters this year, Velocity Gaming entered the CS:GO tournament with their new five-man lineup. Even though the new franchise league brought hopes for CS:GO fans in India, Velocity Gaming's run in the event was a nightmare, and their nightmare continues as four players of Velocity Gaming were banned from Faceit.
Faceit is an online gaming and matchmaking platform for various esports titles, including CS:GO, which pairs similarly skilled players for fair and competitive matches with an aggressive anti cheat.
L0sttt_, Logan, Syahhftw-, and THE-GURU of Velocity Gaming Banned From Faceit
Of the five players, L0sttt_, Logan, Syahhftw-, and THE-GURU were banned from Faceit, while MaChOleleR was not. L0sttt_, and Logan received a two-year ban (banned till 25 August 2025), while Syahhftw- and THE-GURU received indefinite bans. According to Faceit, the players were "BANNED FOR CHEATING," but neither Velocity Gaming nor the players have shared any clarification. Since the news has surfaced, action has been demanded on social media for tournament organisers to have more stringent checks for hacking.
The five-man lineup was a franchised team of Skyesports Masters, India's first franchise-based CS:GO tournament. Each team played 14 matches in the regular season, out of which Velocity Gaming could only win one game in their rematch against Medal Esports. With only one win in their pocket, Velocity Gaming failed to qualify for the LAN finals at Bengaluru.
Skyesports Masters Grand Finals will be held at Koramangala Indoor Stadium, Bangalore, where the top four teams, Marcos Gaming, Revenant Esports, 7SEA Esports, and Gods Reign, will fight for the lion's share of Rs. 2,00,00,000 prize pool over the two-day tournament. Skyesports Masters CS:GO LAN will kick off on 26 August 2023, with semifinal matches, show matches between creators and the grand finals.