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PTime Players Suspended From EWC 2026 Due to ESIC Investigation
PTime was forced to forfeit their Survival Stage matchup against Vici Gaming due to an ESIC integrity investigation, which came along with provisional suspensions issued to Juan "Vintage" Angulo and Oswaldo "DarkMago" Herrera.
The suspension has immediate effect, and both the player and the coach are prohibited from participating, directly or indirectly, in EWC 2026 and all ESIC Member events while the investigation remains ongoing, effectively eliminating PTime by forfeit.
Are They Guilty?
The short answer is no, at the moment. The information published by ESIC on their official website states that "No final determination of guilt has been made."
According to ESIC, both participants have been notified of the basis and effect of the interim measures. They have also been interviewed by ESIC and have been provided with an opportunity to respond and submit relevant material.
Rumors: Many Possibilities
According to Pancho Justo (@justopancho), the most likely possibility is that this will be a match-fixing investigation. Apparently, the early information was that:
- the delay is mostly due to a problem with PlayTime. Not so much with Vici Gaming.
- the biggest suspicion is of possible match-fixing, but all experts agree that this is complicated to verify.
- suspicion of 322 arose because, moments before the match was set to begin, very large betting movements were detected on betting sites for that matchup (PTime vs. Vici).
- some sources indicated that, in China, it's rumored that PlayTime (the organization, not the players) wanted to sabotage the match against Vici Gaming, that someone would have leaked the information, and that the Chinese organization reported what happened.
What if They End Up Being Innocent?
The ESIC public notification also mentioned that any resulting tournament administration or competition decisions relating to the Esports World Cup 2026 will be communicated separately by the Esports World Cup Foundation.
This probably means that if DarkMago and Vintage end up being innocent, the Esports World Cup Foundation will need to find a way to make amends for taking them out of a possible Top 8 finish at EWC 2026.
Closing Thoughts
ESIC will not provide further public comment unless and until the investigation materially progresses or further enforcement action is taken, so we will need to wait. People who kept an eye on Taiga's investigation know that this could take a while.
For now, the Esports World Cup 2026 has already moved on, and we will see if this touch of destiny will change the outcome for Vici Gaming at the last big tournament before The International 2026 in Shanghai.
Even if PTime comes out on the other side cleared of suspicion, their run at the Esports World Cup 2026 is already over, and this kind of investigation ruins the mood for a roster that managed to get back on the horse after being dismissed by paiN Gaming.
We will keep an eye on both the investigation surrounding PlayTime and EWC 2026, so remember to check our news section to stay informed about the outcome for DarkMago, Vintage, and PlayTime.
READ MORE: Dota 2 Esports World Cup 2026: Group Stage Results and Survival Stage Schedule
Featured Image Source: ESIC
