For reference, ESL tweeted the following on X (formerly Twitter) before the event: “Ahead of #ESLProLeague Season 20, we are announcing that the use of SOCD or similar assistants that produce the same outcome will no longer be allowed.” By making such an announcement before the event, no room is left for justifications in case the violation under question occurs.
How did things go down?
The match was the day’s second, following G2 Esports dominating the seris over KOI. The two teams first faced off on Ancient - even though it was NIP’s map pick, HEROIC was able to snatch it away with a 13-10 victory. However, during the break before the commencement of the second map, HEROIC players appeared to be confused and disappointed.
With viewers perplexed over the state of affairs, Adam "Dinko" Hawthorne broke the silence on the broadcast: "The first map has been overturned as HEROIC have been caught using Snap Tap, which has allowed NIP to win the first map and they are now 1-0 up in the series." It is currently unclear which player on the HEROIC roster was caught for violation since Razer Snap Tap is currently available on certain Razer Huntsman V3 models.
As the game continued, HEROIC bounced back in the second map, as they won 13-7 on Nuke, their map pick. However, as much as HEROIC wanted to bring it back, the best-of-three ended in NIP’s favor as they secured an easy 6-13 win on Vertigo. Many HEROIC fans are disappointed as their team would’ve been able to secure a clean best-of-three had they not violated the rules and forfeited the first map. Although unfortunate, making an example out of HEROIC with prompt punishment will surely help deter future violations.
