Riot makes competitive ruling on Greek match manipulation case
Riot Games has issued a competitive ruling against four players from the Greek Legends League, a top League of Legends competition in Greece, for manipulating match results during the 2019 Winter Split and 2020 Spring Split.
The four involved players are Grigoris “Kobazz” Kovalegos, Panagiotis “Tython” Kobothekras, Thanasis “Tanacee” Vlahogiannis, and Vaios “Lunny” Dimzas, each of whom was found guilty in colluding to manipulate match results with the sole intent of financial gain through betting and soft play.
All players have been permanently suspended from participating in any competitions affiliated with Riot Games. The manipulation occurred in at least four games throughout the two splits in question, according to Riot, who conducted the investigation in cooperation with the Greek Legends League officials.
“Match-fixing has a destructive impact on the competitive integrity of our sport and tarnishes the reputation of the League, Teams, and Players as a whole,”
Riot said in its official statement. “In order to protect the European esports ecosystem, we have and will continue to take a zero-tolerance approach towards this behavior and will continue to work with our betting integrity service provider Sportradar and relevant authorities across Europe to take decisive action as necessary,”
Match-fixing remains a problem in League of Legends and esports
According to Riot, all four players have violated rule 8.1.2 of the ERL rulebook. The rule covers all states of collusion which is defined as “cooperation or conspiracy to cheat or deceive others. The cooperation or conspiracy can occur among Players, Teams, and/or Organizations, and can be done to the sole benefit of the parties involved in the cooperation or conspiracy,”
Three of the players also violated rule 8.2.15, which states that no team member or league officials may take direct or indirect part in betting or gambling on any match or result. This rule was found to be violated since the match manipulation was performed by the players to benefit themselves financially.
Match-fixing is not something that we see often within League of Legends, but when we do, it results in dramatic consequences for those involved. Even beyond the players, such acts have consequences but also for the leagues involved and for the integrity of the esports scene as a whole.
In 2019, a big match-fixing scandal within the LPL occurred. LGD Gaming’s former jungler Xiang “Condi” Ren-Jie and manager Song “Hesitate” Zi-Yang were both punished for participating in match-fixing and gambling. Condi received an 18-month suspension from competitive play, while Hesitate was given an indefinite ban.
Read Also
Esports Betting
These Are Our Betting Tips for the League Championship Series Week 4
Ben Boland
The 2026 LCS Summer Split is in full swing, with the eight North American squads all vying for a chance to represent the region at this year's World Championship. With Worlds being on home soil, there is more than just a ticket to Worlds at stake. Each series in the regular season carries weight, as the standings will determine their seeding and potentially their fate in the playoffs. Week four ...
League of Legends
Caps To Be Announced As Third Inductee in the LoL Hall of Legends
Hannan Mundia
After Faker and Uzi were inducted into the Hall of Legends in 2024 and 2025 respectively, the European League of Legends player Caps will be the next to get the same treatment. League of Legends has been a cornerstone in the professional gaming scene for over a decade. In that time, a handful of players have managed to leave their mark for all future fans and fellow players to learn ...
Esports Betting
MLBB is the most-watched game from the EWC, and it’s hard to see another game beating it
Michael Hassall
The Esports World Cup 2026 has officially passed its midway point and viewership figures for the tournament have surpassed many expectations so far, as per Esports Charts. The viewership tracking site revealed new statistics for the event on Aug. 6, showcasing just how many games had set new records in viewership, including one name leading the way in views: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. MLBB leads the viewership charts with the ...
League of Legends
LCK 2026 Rounds 3–4 Preview, Schedule, Predictions, and More
Hannan Mundia
2026 LCK Rounds 3-4 are slated to start soon, and this preview highlights the schedule, our expert predictions, and everything else you need to know before watching. The LCK has been upside down recently. Teams that were considered absolute powerhouses are seemingly falling off, while previous underdogs have been causing upset after upset. 2026 LCK Rounds 3-4 are starting soon, and the big question here is which team will reign ...
League of Legends
LEC 2026 Summer split preview, schedule, predictions, and more
Hannan Mundia
The 2026 LEC Summer split will be the deciding split to determine which teams can make it to the World Championship, and this preview aims to highlight everything you need to know about it. It isn’t a stretch to say that the LCK and LCP are the only two competitive League of Legends regions actually pulling their weight currently. The LEC did show potential at the start of the year, ...
League of Legends
How is League of Legends Classic different from the modern version?
Hannan Mundia
League Classic brings the classic League of Legends gameplay and design from when the game first came out, but how is it different from the modern version? The modern League of Legends mode is arguably in its best state in terms of popularity, with a study even reporting that playing LoL can improve brain function. Over a decade of gameplay and multiple marketing tactics by Riot Games have bumped up ...
League of Legends
Best Champions for every role in League of Legends Classic mode
Hannan Mundia
League Classic sees the return of League of Legends Season 3, but which champions were deemed the best during that time? League of Legends has gone through a lot of changes since it first came out. While the map and item-related changes naturally impacted the game's state, so did the many champion nerfs, buffs, and reworks. Multiple champions played completely differently in Season 3 than they do now. Since League ...
