ESIC applies interim suspension to CS2 team Northern Lights

The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has issued an interim suspension to Swedish Counter-Strike 2 team Northern Lights.

The decision follows a preliminary investigation into breaches of the Commission’s Integrity Programme.

The five players receiving interim suspensions from competing in Counter-Strike 2 esports tournaments are:

The interim suspension follows an internal investigation from Swedish tournament organiser Elitserien on October 8th, 2025. The investigation found the five players guilty of cheating and match-fixing while competing on the Esplay platform.

Avoy, frigolito, and Fraaank received one-year punishments for match-fixing, while Meinz and Axelen received lifetime bans from Elitserien.

“The matters under review concern potential violations of the Anti-Corruption Code and provisions of the Code of Conduct,” said ESIC in a release.

The Commission has also revealed that Northern Lights is unable to compete in all ESIC Member events while the provisional suspension is in place. A final outcome of the investigation is expected at a later date.

Sweden’s Counter-Strike scene has been impacted by cases of cheating and match-fixing throughout 2025. In April, former GODSENT player Joel ‘joel’ Holmlund received a lifetime ban after being found guilty of cheating during online matches.

Cheating has no place in esports, and ESIC has continued implementing various suspensions to preserve the integrity of online and LAN tournaments taking place across the world.

In May, players and staff representing ATOX Esports received a range of bans for alleged match-fixing. Two players and an analyst received lifetime bans, while others received suspensions ranging from one to three years.

The suspension of Northern Lights is ESIC’s second CS2 suspension of October. On October 13th, it issued an interim suspension to SENZA’s players, staff, and coaches for allegedly breaching the Anti-Corruption Code.