Photograph by Colin Younger-Wolff by way of Riot Video games
Tech pauses aren’t VOD periods.
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Estral Esports’ veteran prime laner, Park “Summit” Woo-tae, has been disqualified after being provisionally suspended through the higher bracket finals of the LTA North Promotion Match in opposition to group Disguised after allegedly dishonest throughout a tech pause.
The incident occurred when Summit was reportedly seen opening YouTube on the aspect of a teammate’s participant cam through the match’s tech pause. The second rapidly unfold throughout social media, with clips displaying Summit shopping what gave the impression to be gameplay footage through the prolonged pause.
League match officers responded shortly after, confirming their “provisional suspension” via an official assertion on Oct. 6 pending a full investigation right into a potential breach of aggressive integrity guidelines. The developer additionally referred to the Esports International Code of Conduct 2025 and reiterated the definition of dishonest whereas remaining dedicated to upholding aggressive integrity.
Two days later, Riot determined to disqualify Summit efficient instantly after finishing its investigation, explaining that the 26-year-old professional breached Article 4.3 of the Esports International Code of Conduct.
Estral Esports has but to launch an announcement about Summit’s disqualification, however the group beforehand addressed his provisional suspension, expressing each understanding and frustration over the scenario. The group defined that their match confronted extreme technical difficulties, together with DDoS assaults on Riot’s servers, leading to a pause lasting over two hours with out clear communication or decision from officers.
They acknowledged that Summit made a mistake by watching a stream through the pause, however emphasised that there was no intent to realize an “unfair benefit”, describing the act as an unlucky lapse brought on by an unsustainable scenario.
Estral argued that the punishment was “disproportionate and overly harsh”, citing the pressure of getting gamers and workers ready in entrance of computer systems for greater than 5 hours with out progress. The group has filed a proper attraction with the league and reaffirmed its dedication to honest remedy for gamers and better requirements. Along with Summit, the previous world champion Jang “Ghost” Yong-jun was additionally seen checking Discord through the tech pause, however the developer has not commented on the problem.
Estral Esports is allowed to discipline a substitute participant for the highest lane from their present roster within the interim whereas they face SDM Tigres within the decrease bracket on Oct 9. The winner of the LTA North Promotion Match secures a direct spot within the LTA North 2026.
