Riot Games has disqualified BONK from the VCT EMEA Kickoff Europe Qualifier after confirming that one of the team's players used unauthorised cheating software. The decision was announced on November 8.
BONK beat Derke's Aurora Gaming 2-1 in the Round of 32 of Qualifier 1 on November 6 and went on to reach the top four. Riot says its anti-cheat team had been reviewing matches throughout the qualifiers and that suspicious behaviour involving BONK had been reported.
All BONK players and registered team members are provisionally suspended from Riot-sanctioned competitions while the investigation into individual involvement continues. Final sanctions will be decided for each person. Leo Faria, Riot's global head of Valorant esports, warned that anyone involved should not expect a slap on the wrist.
Riot decided to replay the two rounds that followed BONK's win over Aurora, calling it an exceptional measure that does not set a precedent. Aurora Gaming will face Project 100K in the Round of 16 on November 8, with the winner meeting YCATABLE in the quarter-finals. The semi-final against Pixel Lumina and the final have been moved to November 10.
Further reactions followed. nataNk, who now plays for Pixel Lumina and formerly played for Team Vitality, claims he reported BONK a month ago after losing 2-1 to them in the EVC: The Surge 14 semi-finals on October 11, a tournament BONK went on to win, taking the $1,500 prize. Meanwhile, JTayy, assistant coach at G2 Gozen, pointed out that BONK's level had not suddenly changed, as the team has played together for a year, including at LAN events and in Challengers.