ESIC Sanctions Team SENZA Players in CCT Season 3 Europe Integrity Case

The Esports Integrity Commission has concluded its investigation into Team SENZA and the lineups also known as “-72C” and “ROSY,” issuing sanctions against six participants and a financial penalty against the organization. The case relates to matches played during CCT Season 3 Europe in June 2025, with ESIC stating that the investigation found breaches of its Integrity Program. 

The strongest individual sanction was handed to Kirsan “byek” Ivanov. ESIC determined that byek had engaged in account-sharing and identity-related cheating misconduct during official competition. According to ESIC, the account used under the “byek” identity was not consistently controlled by one person, with the evidence including performance and connectivity irregularities that suggested possible mid-series account hand-offs. ESIC also said this conclusion was supported by a written admission from the team ownership. As a result, byek received a two-year Rejection Order, running from April 7, 2026 through April 6, 2028. 

The ruling follows an interim suspension issued in October 2025, when ESIC barred SENZA’s rostered players, coaches and team staff from ESIC Member Events while it investigated suspected breaches. At the time, the allegations included possible use of outside information, betting-related misconduct and account irregularities. ESIC stressed then that the interim measure was precautionary and did not represent a final finding of guilt. 

Beyond the byek finding, ESIC said it had identified integrity concerns connected to matches played on June 6 and June 8, 2025. HLTV lists those matches as -72C’s 0-2 loss to HEROIC Academy and CPH Wolves’ 2-0 win over -72C in the CCT Season 3 Europe Series 3 Closed Qualifier. ESIC issued formal requests for information, including interrogatories and evidence preservation requirements, but said most participants failed to respond properly or provide the required materials. 

Five participants were sanctioned for non-cooperation: Petr “timeagento” Markheev, Spiridon “spira” Popov, Vladislav “malenta” Lazarev, Stepan “borosto” Antonov and Aleksandr “1nhuman” Reshetnikov. Each received a 12-month Rejection Order, effective from April 7, 2026 to April 6, 2027. ESIC specifically noted that these punishments are based on failure to cooperate and do not amount to findings of match-fixing or cheating on the merits against those individuals. 

The case also has an additional consequence for timeagento. ESIC said he had already received a separate five-year sanction under the alias “Damiel” after an effective admission of guilt in a previous matter. That sanction applies cumulatively with the new one, meaning his combined sanction period began on March 20, 2025 and runs until 11:59 PM GMT on March 19, 2031. 

Team SENZA itself was also punished. ESIC imposed a $20,000 penalty on the organization for failing to cooperate with the investigation. The commission said SENZA did not properly respond to formal interrogatories, failed to produce requested materials, and did not preserve or supply relevant evidence, including information about roster identity, devices, communications and the organization’s own stated internal investigation. The penalty must be paid in full through a donation to a charity nominated by SENZA and approved by ESIC. Until ESIC accepts satisfactory proof of payment, the organization cannot return to ESIC Member Events. 

The SENZA case had already drawn attention before ESIC’s final decision. HLTV reported in October 2025 that the roster had been the subject of cheating accusations in Europe’s lower-tier online scene. SENZA had competed in events such as CCT, Exort The Proving Grounds and European Pro League. The organization also announced in September 2025 that it had opened its own investigation into byek over allegations of account sharing and cheating, later saying it had fined him around $30,000 and removed him from the roster after he refused to comment. 

The roster formerly known as ROSY had also been publicly questioned by figures in the scene. HLTV reported that ENCE analyst Carmine “Fisic0” Lorusso posted annotated clips suggesting he believed the team was cheating, while GamerLegion coach Ashley “ash” Battye later expressed agreement and support without directly naming ROSY. Dust2.us also described SENZA as a controversial Russian lineup that had raised concerns in the European tier-two and tier-three scene. 

With ESIC’s final ruling, the commission has confirmed one cheating-related finding against byek, issued five non-cooperation bans, and sanctioned the SENZA organization financially. At the same time, ESIC’s wording is important: the one-year bans for the other participants are not findings of cheating or match-fixing, but penalties for failing to cooperate with the investigation.