ESIC imposes interim suspension on Northern Lights roster after Swedish league bans and integrity probe

ESIC imposes interim suspension on Northern Lights roster after Swedish league bans and integrity probe

The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has announced that it is issuing interim suspensions to five players from the Swedish Counter-Strike 2 team Northern Lights, following a preliminary investigation that identified “credible information” suggesting breaches of the ESIC Integrity Program. 

Who is suspended

The five rostered Northern Lights participants subject to the interim suspension are:

• Axel "Axelen" Enholm (Sweden)

• Anton "Meinz" Evander (Sweden)

• Oscar "Avoy" Dahlkvist (Sweden)

• Frank "Fraaank" Issal (Sweden)

• Alexander "frigolito" Andersson (Sweden)

These same players had already been sanctioned by Sweden’s elite domestic CS2 league Svenska Elitserien: lifetime bans for Axelen and Meinz, and one-year bans for Avoy, Fraaank and frigolito, for confirmed cases of cheating and match-fixing. 

What the interim suspension means

According to ESIC’s public statement:

• The suspension covers the five players from Northern Lights and applies to all ESIC Member Events, as well as any tournament adopting ESIC’s Integrity Program.

• This is a precautionary measure, not a final determination of wrongdoing. Interim sanctions allow the investigation to proceed while ensuring participants are ineligible for events where potential integrity risks may exist.

• The players and team have been issued “Notices of Charge” and interrogatories. They retain the right to respond and appeal as set out in ESIC’s codes.

The basis for the investigation and prior sanctions

The sequence of events began with Svenska Elitserien’s investigation into Northern Lights. After evidence of cheating and match-fixing in multiple online leagues and cups, the Swedish league issued bans on October 10, 2025: two lifetime bans and three one-year bans for the roster members. 

Per Svenska Elitserien’s statement:

“The investigation has resulted in clear evidence and an admission confirming both cheating and match-fixing.”
— League founder Tommy “Potti” Ingemarsson, speaking to HLTV. 

The platform Esplay, which hosts many Swedish competitions, alleged in an X post that Northern Lights players had used DMA/radar-based hacks while manipulating match results: “Staying under the radar by never winning tournaments… the strategy was to remain mid-table, keep the invites coming, and keep match-fixing.” 

The ESIC interim move references this same cluster of issues, though the exact nature of the evidence under ESIC’s investigation has not been publicly detailed. The Commission noted that the matter concerns possible violations of both the Anti-Corruption Code and the Code of Conduct. 

Wider implications for the competitive scene

The suspension of Northern Lights illustrates several broader themes in the CS2 ecosystem:

• Tier-two community vulnerability: Many online leagues and semi-pro events operate with less oversight. Alleged misuse of hacks combined with result manipulation points to systemic risk in lower-tier tournaments. The Esplay claim that “there’s much more to this than just one team” reflects the concern.

• Pathway closure: With lifetime bans on some players (e.g., Meinz, Axelen) and now ESIC sanctions pending, the route from grassroots to professional competition may become more restricted for implicated individuals. It signals that domestic leagues and integrity bodies are aligning more tightly.

• Event organiser caution: Tournament producers and platforms adopting the ESIC framework must now decide whether to honour interim suspensions or wait for final rulings. ESIC has asked member organisers to enforce the ban.

• Reputation risk: For Swedish esports, and European online CS2 generally, such high-profile integrity scandals risk eroding trust among sponsors, event hosts, and competitive players. That makes swift and transparent resolution a priority.

What happens next

The investigation is ongoing. According to ESIC:

• Participants (the players/coaches) have a defined window to respond to interrogatories.

• Once all evidence is collected and reviewed, ESIC will issue Notices of Enforcement Action and publish a public statement on outcomes.

• Any time already served under the interim suspension will be credited toward any final sanction.

• Meanwhile, Northern Lights and the roster implicated cannot participate in ESIC-adopted events unless/until the suspension is lifted.

• Organisers and betting partners may perform independent reviews; given the match-fixing and hacking allegations, further fallout for associated events (online leagues) is possible.

Final thought

The interim suspension of Northern Lights’ roster by ESIC marks a serious escalation in competitive integrity enforcement within CS2. The chain of domestic sanctions, platform allegations, and now international investigation underscores how result manipulation and cheat misuse are being more aggressively pursued. While the final rulings remain pending, the message is clear: neither semi-pro line-ups nor lower-tier competitions are beyond scrutiny — and the consequences may now span lifetime bans, lost careers and reputational damage.