ESL has updated the rules for Dota 2 tournaments: the reason is the wave of bans from Valve

Tournament organizer ESL has updated its rules for Dota 2 competitions, stating that players who lose access to their accounts for reasons unrelated to violating the fairness of competitive matches will not be disqualified.

These changes are reflected in the official ESL rulebook.

'VAC bans are taken into account for two years after issuance. In cases where the ban is not related to competitive play but is issued for violations such as account sharing in matchmaking, the ban will not be considered. The player is allowed to play on a new account with a good reputation and without suspicions of profile sharing in the past'

These changes were made to section 5.9 of ESL's rules in response to the mass banning of smurf accounts among esports players. Some players, such as Steven 'StingeR' Vargas, who played for Mad Kings, lost access to their main accounts due to a ban.

'If there is any uncertainty about the reason for the ban, it will be effective for two years from the date of issue until such certainty is established'

There was also clarification regarding players who received a ban for an unspecified reason. In such cases, esports players will not be allowed to participate for at least two years, but after that, they may likely be able to compete in ESL tournaments again.

Recall that Valve previously carried out a wave of bans and blocked many smurf accounts of pro players.