Seven members of the Mongolian team ATOX, including players, a coach, and an analyst, have been penalized for their involvement in a match-fixing scheme. Three of them—Gan-Erdene " dobu " Batbold, Bat-Enkh " kabal " Batbayar, and analyst Ana-Erdene "nuka" Basantogtokh—received lifetime bans. The reason cited was involvement in over 70 suspicious bets and collaboration with criminal groups from China.

This decision marks the first official comment from the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) regarding the ATOX case, but the esports community had long been awaiting clarification following a wave of suspensions in the spring.

Suspicion, Silence, and Ban
The investigation began with allegations against ATOX after their match against Falcons in the lower bracket of the ESL Pro League 20 group, held on September 12, 2024. Falcons won the match 2-0, and ATOX was eliminated in the Last Chance stage, finishing the tournament in the 21-28 position. However, more serious issues were brewing behind the scenes.

It was after this match that ESIC initiated an investigation. Initially, suspicions were directed at four individuals: dobu , kabal , MiQ , and coach FlyNN . However, with new evidence—chat logs, call recordings, and IP correlations—the number of accused grew to seven.

Who Was Punished and Why
ESIC released the investigation results in a May report, revealing shocking details:

Gan-Erdene " dobu " Batbold received a lifetime ban for effectively orchestrating the scheme: offering money for participation, bribing and pressuring teammates, and collaborating with criminal organizations from China.
Bat-Enkh " kabal " Batbayar also received a lifetime suspension, acting in tandem with dobu , participating in betting and payouts.
Ana-Erdene "nuka" Basantogtokh, the team analyst, not only bet on games but also provided intentionally incorrect tactical instructions to influence match outcomes. He also received a lifetime ban.
Tuguldur " FlyNN " Gansukh, the coach and essentially the CEO of the team, was punished with a three-year ban for complicity—he knew but did not prevent the manipulations.
Temuulen " MiQ " Byambadalai received a one-year ban for failing to report violations and agreeing to participate for money.
The team's newcomers—Otgonlhagva "AccuracyTG" Batjargal and Munkhsaikhan "Zesta" Erdenebaatar, who joined in November 2024—were handed eight-month bans for not reporting suspicious activities.
It should be noted that two other participants of Pro League 20— yAmi and Annihilation —have not yet been punished, but separate investigations are ongoing, as is the case with Chinese player xiaosaGe .

In its conclusion, ESIC emphasizes that the investigation took months due to the scale and severity of the violations. It was established that ATOX did not act alone but in close connection with Chinese criminal syndicates, using a network of offshore accounts and front accounts.

The ATOX scandal is not just another case of unfair play. It is the first large-scale incident involving direct ties to organized crime. It raises serious questions about transparency, control, and the future security of the esports industry.