As a WADA-recognized organization, IESF fully adheres to the WADA Code. The case was managed in strict accordance with WADA rules, as applied to all compliant sports bodies. In cooperation with WADA and the athlete, Arslan Ash, and in recognition of his lack of intent, the standard four-year sanction was reduced to two years and backdated to the start of his provisional suspension.

Introducing anti-doping measures in a new sport naturally involves a transition period. Esports is early in this process, and IESF is actively working with WADA to build an anti-doping framework tailored to the unique nature of competitive gaming.

The sanction applies solely to IESF-sanctioned events such as Nationals, Regionals, and the World Esports Championship. While debate continues in the media and community, IESF remains committed to fair play and its responsibilities as a WADA signatory.

This landmark case underscores the need for clearer guidelines and esports-specific research. We view it as a key step toward the global recognition of esports and the development of robust, evidence-based anti-doping policies.

IESF remains dedicated to transparency, collaboration, and the continued advancement of fair competition in esports.

The post Anti-Doping in Esports: IESF Statement on the WEC22 Case appeared first on IESF.

The IESF reports that athlete Arslan Siddiqui, who represented Pakistan and won the Tekken 7 title, was sanctioned with a two-year period of ineligibility after testing positive for 19-norandrosterone, 19-noretiocholanolone, the Stanozolol Metabolites, and the Metandienone Metabolites, following an in-competition doping control on 10 December 2022.

All above-mentioned substances are Prohibited Substances under the World Anti-Doping (“WADA”) Prohibited List. More specifically, all substances were listed as Prohibited Substances under class S1.1A Anabolic Androgenic Steroids of WADA’s 2022 Prohibited List. 

The sanction was issued by the IESF Hearing Panel in accordance with Article 8.1.2 of the IESF Ant-Doping Rules (“IESF ADR”), which are fully aligned with the World Anti-Doping Code (“WADC”). The period of ineligibility was effective from 26 April 2023 until 25 April 2025. Per Article 9 of the IESF ADR, the Athlete’s results earned at the WEC 22 (and all corresponding medals, titles, awards, points, prizes, and appearance money, etc.) were automatically disqualified. The Athlete’s results between 10 December 2022 and 26 April 2023 were also disqualified, with all resulting consequences as described in Article 10.10 of the IESF ADR.

As a signatory of the WADA, IESF conducts anti-doping testing at every sanctioned tournament, reinforcing our commitment to clean sport and the credibility of international esports competition.

IESF reiterates its zero-tolerance policy toward doping and will continue to take all necessary measures to protect the health, safety, and fairness of esports competition worldwide.

The post Official Statement on Anti-Doping Rule Violation – WEC22 appeared first on IESF.

Differences in accounting systems, invoice timing, payments, and financial balancing have led to temporary imbalances in the financial records, and both financial teams have reconciled these discrepancies. We acknowledge that our trusted host and financial partners fulfilled their obligations in accordance with agreed timelines and protocols.

Following close coordination between both financial teams, all discrepancies have now been addressed, and prize distributions are being updated to reflect the full amounts owed. As part of IESF’s governance framework, the Audit, Risk, and Governance Committee is conducting a final review to validate the resolution. Once complete, all affected nations will receive the remaining balance of their prize winnings without further delay.

IESF reaffirms its dedication to transparency, accountability, and close collaboration with all member nations and partners. We appreciate the patience and understanding of the esports community as we bring this matter to a close.

The post IESF Official Statement on WEC24 Prize Pool Allocation appeared first on IESF.

IESF would like to clarify that the initial qualifier conducted in Bangladesh was not organized, supervised, or endorsed by IESF. Upon receiving multiple appeals and concerns regarding the legitimacy and transparency of the process, a thorough internal review was conducted.

As a result of this review, IESF has officially determined that the qualifier does not meet the standards and requirements set forth for national selections under our regulations. Consequently, IESF has decided not to recognize the results of the original qualifier and has instructed the Bangladesh Esports Federation to conduct a new national qualifier under the direct supervision of IESF.

Furthermore, it has come to our attention that representatives of A1 Esports were directly involved in organizing the initial qualifier while entering their team into the competition. During this process, they misrepresented the event as being officially affiliated with IESF, which constitutes a serious conflict of interest and a clear misrepresentation of IESF’s name and authority. Given these serious concerns and the lack of fairness surrounding the event, IESF has decided to restrict A1 Esports from participating in any IESF-related competitions until further notice.

The post Bangladesh PUBG MOBILE Qualifiers 2025: IESF Official Statement appeared first on IESF.

The federation informed IESF that there was a discussion with the athletes and that they came to the conclusion that participating under these circumstances would not be possible. Although a few athletes were eager to attend, the federation’s decision to withdraw was made with their safety in mind and that it’s simply not reasonable to expect anyone to travel under such risks.

Following the statutes and the regulations for participation, IESF fully respects the Lebanese Esports and Robotics Federation’s decision. While we understand the athletes’ disappointment, our top priority is and always will be their safety and well-being. No competition can outweigh the importance of their security.

Our regulations for force majeure circumstances are clear, and we accept this decision with full understanding and empathy, confirming that no penalties will be imposed for their withdrawal. 

The IESF Athletes Committee understands that the short timeframe limits the options for finding a resolution, as well as the challenging situation in the region. The AC assures the athletes that it will utilize all available resources to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future.

IESF remains committed to promoting peace and unity in Esports. We stand in solidarity with the Lebanese Esports and Robotics Federation and hope for a fast resolution to the challenges they’re facing. We look forward to welcoming them back at next year’s World Esports Championship.

The post Official Statement on the Lebanese Esports and Robotics Federation’s Withdrawal from WEC24 appeared first on IESF.

“To respect the sovereignty of other members. A Member shall not interfere in internal affairs of another national federation unless requested to do so by such Member.”

In pursuit of a fair and comprehensive understanding of the matter, the IESF Membership Committee has conducted online meetings with representatives from both the UESF and RESF. These sessions were designed to facilitate a thorough examination of perspectives and the presentation of factual information from each party. After these deliberations, the IESF Membership Committee convened for a review session and reviewed all the provided evidence from both the UESF and RESF. The IESF Membership Committee’s recommendation to the IESF Board was the suspension of RESF’s good standing.

Both UESF and RESF were invited by the IESF Board to present their respective cases in front of the IESF Board members.

After careful consideration of the facts, the IESF Board conveyed a secret ballot and decided to suspend the RESF’s good standing. However, under best practices and international regulations such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommendation, the Olympic Charter for inclusion and non-discrimination based on origin, and the UN Declaration of Human Rights, the IESF Board adjusted the recommendation of the IESF Membership Committee, allowing players from all countries to participate under neutral conditions, represented by the IESF flag. 

This decision aims to protect the athletes and ensure the participation of all IESF members.

The suspension of RESF’s good standing will be in effect until the General Assembly, where all full members of the IESF will decide whether to fully suspend RESF or reinstate their good standing, or until the RESF remedies the cause of the suspension.   

IESF strongly condemns all war, hate, political interventions, and discrimination. Sport provides us with a unique platform for peacebuilding and future conflict prevention. We expect all members of the World Esports Family to use this platform for positive change and to embody IESF’s values of respect, unity, and friendship.

IESF will continue to strive for peace and unity while firmly standing by all democratic processes made within the organization and, above all, supporting and protecting the athletes.For any inquiries regarding this statement, please contact the IESF Secretariat at office@iesf.org.

The post Board’s Decision Regarding Ukraine NF Complaint appeared first on IESF.

110 National Federations actively participated in the AGM, discussing the agenda that consisted of 44 motions that were voted on. One motion submitted by the Russian Esports Federation was to enable the future participation of athletes from Russia in 2024 to play under their national flag and anthem. 

No Russian team was present this year at the World Championship, and no Russian delegate was present at the AGM. 

After voicing their opinions, all 70 Members in attendance held a democratic vote, which resulted in Votes Against, 32 in Favor and 25 Abstentions. 

The Ukrainian Esports Federation representatives did not accept the vote result and declined to meet with IESF leadership to discuss options to assist them in this difficult situation. The decision will go into effect for next year’s World Esports Championship, scheduled for late 2024. 

The IESF team and the Athletes Committee were in place to assist and support all Ukrainian players, as athletes are at the core of what IESF is about. The Ukrainian teams were doing well in the tournament. In CS:GO, they were qualified for the Semi-Final Match. 

With athletes’ interests at its core, the IESF Athletes Committee did all it could to mitigate the unfortunate situation of Ukrainian players and the Ukrainian Esports Federation, who informed IESF they would withdraw their teams from this year’s competition.

IESF strongly condemns all war, hate, political interventions and discrimination. Sport provides us with a unique platform for peacebuilding and future conflict prevention. We expect all members of the World Esports Family to use this platform for positive change and to embody IESF’s values of respect, unity and friendship.

IESF will continue to strive for peace and unity while firmly standing by all democratic processes made within the organisation and, above all, supporting and protecting the athletes.

The post Facts regarding OGM 2023 decision and Russian / Ukrainian Participation appeared first on IESF.

Together with Tencent, the publisher of PUBG MOBILE, we regret to announce that the Ecuadorian PUBG MOBILE national selection has been disqualified due to a player’s violation of our rules. The decision was made based on the substantial evidence provided by Tencent.

We want to emphasize that this decision was not taken lightly. Our team of experts carefully examined all the available evidence, ensuring fairness and transparency in the process. We remain fully committed to upholding the highest standards of rights and sportsmanship in all our competitions, and we will continue to take strong measures against any form of cheating or unfair play.

The post Ecuadorian PUBG MOBILE National Selection Disqualified for Upholding Fair Play Standards in Esports appeared first on IESF.

At the beginning of March, the International Esports Federation was contacted by several athletes regarding the National Qualifiers taking place in Pakistan, with complaints about the integrity and fairness of the tournament. The Pakistani qualifiers took place in March 2023, with 212 teams competing. 

On March 9, the IESF’s Athletes Committee had a meeting with 5 Pakistani teams that shared similar experiences, The Athletes Committee requested an official document for the claims, with sufficient evidence, since the previous emails lacked information. Both sides agreed on sending  the official documentation. 

Following the verbal agreement, IESF tried to get in contact with the Pakistani athletes four times; 10.03, 13.03, 14.03, and 20.03 requesting the official document, but the player responsible for providing the evidence failed to do so. 

All National Federations have the right to choose the points system and structure for the national qualifications in their respective countries.  

After failing to provide evidence, IESF decided that the allegations against the PUBG MOBILE tournament are insufficient and the National Qualifier will be considered valid. 

The post PUBG Mobile Pakistan: Community reaction to National Qualifier appeared first on IESF.

On 12.03.2023 IESF secretariat was contacted by concerned members of the PUBG community in Algeria regarding the National Team selection process. 

National and regional qualifiers are a requirement for all IESF members in order to participate in the World Esports Championship. Another opportunity that the member Federations have is to make a direct selection of the National Team, with a proven record for achievements. 

Every member willing to participate has an obligation to organize a fair and transparent National Qualifier that would provide the best Esport athletes in the country and provide them with the opportunity to compete internationally representing their country in the best manner.

After investigating this case, we came to the conclusion that there was no breach of the regulations.

The IESF member from Algeria chose the direct selection method for PUBG Mobile, which means inviting an athlete or a team to represent the National Federation. 

According to the current IESF regulations this option is available and needs to be justified after completion of the full National Team selection process.

IESF has advised the member to keep developing the information flow regarding the regulations in order to show transparency and avoid future misunderstandings.

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