ESIC bans ATOX players, staff for match-fixing

The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has banned five ATOX players — Gan-Erdene "⁠dobu⁠" Batbold, Bat-Enkh "⁠kabal⁠" Batbayar, Temuulen "⁠MiQ⁠" Byambadalai, Otgonlhagva "⁠AccuracyTG⁠" Batjargal, and Munkhsaikhan "⁠Zesta⁠" Erdenebaatar — plus their head coach Tuguldur "⁠FlyNN⁠" Gansukh, and analyst Ana-Erdene "nuka" Baasantogtokh for match-fixing involvement on May 15th.

The Mongolian team was already under a provisional suspension for the last couple of months. Now, ESIC has handed down definitive suspensions to the players and staff engaged in match-fixing activity.

The bans vary from eight months to life, depending on how much each one was involved in the scheme. dobu, kabal, and nuka, for example, were handed lifetime bans as they were actively working to manipulate the team's results. The others were handed a lighter suspension.

ESIC started investigating ATOX months ago, when it received allegations of match-fixing conduct in their game versus Falcons at ESL Pro League Season 20, which took place on September 12th, 2024. ATOX lost that series by 2-0 and finished the tournament in 21st-28th.

After concluding this first step of the investigation, which included examining betting slips and account/IP correlation, ESIC issued notices of charge to dobu, kabal, MiQ, and the coach FlyNN.

However, ESIC received further information indicating that ATOX had been involved in match-fixing far more than just doing it at the ESL Pro League Season 20. The esports watchdog got hold of chat logs, testimonial evidence, phone call recordings, and found out that ATOX had serious ties with match-fixing activity and was even linked to organized crime syndicates from China.

ESIC then issued additional notices of charge to AccuracyTG, Zesta, and the analyst nuka. The esports watchdog found out more than 70 bets between the end of 2024 and March 2025 that "exhibited hallmarks of corrupt conduct."

This is how ATOX operated, according to ESIC:

Wagers were placed through a network of domestic and offshore betting accounts that shared overlapping device IDs, IP addresses, payment instruments and social media credentials with ATOX team personnel and their immediate associate.

Sources traced back to accounts previously identified by law-enforcement agencies as fronts for China-based organised-crime betting syndicates, underscoring the broader criminal ecosystem in which the ATOX scheme operated.

In addition to all the evidence obtained, ESIC also obtained confessions from dobu, kabal, and nuka, those who led the match-fixing scheme.

Here's exactly what each ATOX player or staff did to get banned by ESIC:

dobu (lifetime ban)

• Proved to have spearheaded match-fixing, orchestrating bribes/bets against his own team.

• Pressured or deceived teammates into cooperating with manipulated results.

• Facilitated monetary payments to teammates to secure their silence and cooperation in corrupt conduct.

• Admitted to engaging in match-fixing behaviours and cooperating with organised criminal syndicates based in China during an interview with ESIC.

kabal (lifetime ban)

• Actively participated in match manipulation strategies and bets, often in collaboration with “dobu.”

• Received monetary reward in exchange for not disclosing corrupt conduct.

• Facilitated monetary payments to teammates to secure their silence and cooperation in corrupt conduct.

nuka (lifetime ban)

• While working as an analyst, placed or facilitated a large number of suspicious bets (over 70) tied to ATOX matches.

• Actively provided false or misleading in-game tactics to ensure results aligned with corrupt betting interests.

FlyNN (three-year ban)

• Identified as ATOX’s coach and effective CEO, wielding greater oversight.

• Neglected his heightened duty of care to identify or halt known match-fixing, enabling wrongdoing to continue.

MiQ (one-year ban)

• Received offers of monetary reward in exchange for silence and non-reporting of corrupt conduct.

• Fraudulently failed to report breaches of the ESIC Integrity Program.

⁠AccuracyTG⁠ (eight-month ban)

• Negligently failed to report breaches of the ESIC Integrity Program.

Zesta (eight-month ban)

• Negligently failed to report breaches of the ESIC Integrity Program.

More players are being investigated

Given AccuracyTG and Zesta joined ATOX in November 2024, after ESL Pro League Season 20, they were handed a lighter ban as their only fault was not reporting their teammates to ESIC.

The two other players who competed in that tournament — Tuvshintugs "⁠Annihilation⁠" Nyamdorj and Yalalt "⁠yAmi⁠" Oyunbileg — were not banned. However, ESIC is currently investigating them along with the Chinese player Peng "⁠xiaosaGe⁠" Song, who played with dobu and kabal at 5POWER.

"These participants were not included in the provisional suspensions issued on March 5th because, at that time, the available evidence did not satisfy ESIC’s suspension threshold," the esports watchdog said.

"Subsequent investigative steps have produced additional information that is now being assessed."

ESIC's full report can be found below.