ESIC opens investigation on Heroic players over spectator bug

An official investigation was officially opened on September 6 by the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) against the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive pros on the Heroic roster.

Former CSGO coach Nicolai “HUNDEN” Petersen sent the ESIC what is alleged to be evidence that Heroic players were in on the use of the coach spectator bug. HUNDEN received a one-year ban in 2020 after the ESIC found him guilty of using the bug in tournaments.

HUNDEN initially told the ESIC that he had acted alone and that the Heroic players weren’t complicit in the use of the bug. But now HUNDEN has changed his story. HUNDEN has now allegedly sent evidence to the ESIC that proves the Heroic players guilty, including former player Nikolaj “niko” Kristensen claiming “everyone” on the roster knew about the bug and logs from Rene “TeSeS” Madsen instructing HUNDEN on a better position from which the coach could use the bugged camera during a match.

“On 4 September 2021, Mr. Petersen sent ESIC information which he alleges provides evidence that the players who were playing for Heroic at the time of Mr. Petersen’s exploitation of the spectator bug were complicit in his exploits. Despite the fact that this allegation is contrary to previous public statements Mr. Petersen has made, ESIC has opened a formal investigation into the matter,” the ESIC stated in an official blog on the matter.

All updates on the matter will be shared publicly on the ESIC website.

What did HUNDEN do?

HUNDEN was one of a handful of pro CSGO coaches to be caught using a spectator bug that allowed coaches to take over a free camera and spectate anywhere around the map. Many coaches used the bug over the years, feeding players information on the opposing team’s positioning.

Soon after being implicated in the scandal, HUNDEN announced that he was leaving Heroic once his contract expired. This was in July of this year. HUNDEN was then accused of sharing Heroic’s strategies with other teams competing at ESL One Cologne. He claimed this was an exaggeration, explaining that he had merely discussed strategies with Heroic’s opponents.

“The material I have shared is anti-strat material of opponents,” HUNDEN said on Twitter. “This material was shared with colleagues from other teams in the context of sparring. Knowledge sharing is essential for me as a coach in respect to staying in the loop and developing.”

This was still seen as a breach of contract, according to the Heroic organization. The team passed the information along to the ESIC. About a month later, the ESIC ruled that HUNDEN had shared strategy materials with competitors, resulting in a two-year ban.