A Team Just Got Kicked Out of the Esports World Cup

Esports World Cup 2026 is underway, and one of its biggest stories so far has nothing to do with gameplay. South American Dota 2 team PTime has been officially removed from the tournament following an integrity investigation. Here's what happened. PTime were due to play a Survival Stage elimination match against Chinese side Vici Gaming, but the series was postponed hours before it started, with organizers citing an integrity issue. Shortly after, the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) announced provisional suspensions for PTime's star mid laner Oswaldo "DarkMago" Herrera and coach Juan "Vintage" Angulo, saying it had received information pointing to possible breaches of its Anti-Corruption Code and Player Code of Conduct. Important context: ESIC has not said either person is guilty. The investigation is ongoing, nothing has been proven, and these are precautionary suspensions meant to protect the process and preserve evidence. Vintage's restrictions extend beyond playing to coaching, strategy, management and any support role. With the team unable to meet eligibility requirements, the Esports World Cup Foundation removed PTime from the Dota 2 competition, handing Vici Gaming a forfeit win into the next round against 1w Team. No official body has revealed what the investigation concerns. Social media theories exist, but none are confirmed, so they shouldn't be treated as facts. What this does show is how seriously a $75 million (~₹716 crore) event protects competitive integrity — acting first, deciding later. Subscribe for EWC 2026 coverage, esports news and analysis. #EWC2026 #EsportsWorldCup #Dota2 #PTime #ESIC #EsportsNews #ViciGaming #EsportsIntegrity #TalkEsport #Dota2Esports #EWCDota2 ---------------------------------------- Note: This content is our original work and is protected by copyright. Any unauthorized copying, distribution, or use will result in an immediate copyright strike. 🔗 Follow us for more: Twitter:   / talkesport   Facebook:   / talkesport   Instagram:   / officialtalkesport