Doping & Cheating
SEA Games: ‘Digital Doping’ Row Over Singapore VALORANT Team
at the 2023 Southeast Asia Games, Indonesia’s esports governing body has leveled accusations against the Singapore VALORANT team, likening their in-game actions to “digital doping”. The Singapore Esports Association (SGEA), however, has refuted these claims, stating that the technique used by their team was not prohibited.
The Heart of the Controversy
Singapore clinched its inaugural esports gold medal at the SEA Games held in Cambodia on 11 May. Yet, the victory was marred by controversy. During the gold medal match against Singapore, the Indonesian team called for a technical pause when trailing 4-10 in the second set. They alleged that the Singapore team was exploiting a game bug to gain an undue edge.
The game was never resumed post the pause. Although a rematch was scheduled, Indonesia opted to forfeit. Both teams were eventually awarded joint gold medals after Indonesia lodged another complaint.
Reyner Evan Yokohadinata, a spokesperson for PBESI (Esports Federation of Indonesia), conveyed,
“The Singaporean National Team was found exploiting a game bug, known as the camera agent cypher. This bug gave them an unfair advantage by revealing the Indonesian team’s movements. This violation of the Technical Handbook and pre-agreed rules is tantamount to doping in our eyes, which we term as ‘digital doping’.”
Yokohadinata emphasized the importance of sportsmanship, fairness, and integrity in esports, which is still striving for global recognition.
Singapore’s Stand
The SGEA countered the allegations. Kelvin Tan, SGEA’s Secretary General, stated,
“Singapore has committed no intentional foul. The camera positions were not listed as banned in the technical handbook.”
Riot Games, the creators of VALORANT and the VALORANT Champions Tour, congratulated both teams but clarified that they had no role in the SEA Games 2023 decisions.
The Bug and the Aftermath
The contentious bug pertains to the placement of the VALORANT Agent Cypher’s camera ability, which lets a player remotely monitor the opposing team’s location. Indonesia flagged Singapore’s camera placement as illicit, asserting that they were informed by the game admin that such placements were forbidden.
Tidus “STYRON” Goh, a member of the Singapore team, mentioned that even though they consulted the rulebook and found no issues with the camera’s placement, they agreed to a penalty.
Despite the challenges, including waiting until 4.30am, the Singapore team consented to a rematch at 8am, starting with a 5-5 score. However, Indonesia later forfeited the grand final, terming it an “unfair decision”.
The dispute continued, with the Singapore team being presented with two options: accept the joint gold medal decision or remain in Cambodia for another week awaiting the dispute’s outcome. Given their pre-booked return flight on Thursday evening, the Singapore team chose to head back, leaving behind a representative to accept the medals on their behalf.
This incident underscores the challenges and growing pains of esports as it continues to gain prominence on the global stage.
