CS:GO's 'Forsaken - From Cheating Scandal to Second Chance Redemption

CSGO Player "Forsaken" Eligible for Competition as ESIC Ban Expires

Infamous Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) player, Nikhil "Forsaken" Kumawat, is set to return to the professional gaming scene as his ban, imposed by the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC), comes to an end.

After being caught cheating at a CS:GO event in 2018, Forsaken was slapped with a five-year ban from all ESIC member events, effectively sidelining him from the professional scene.

The Indian CS:GO player was caught in a viral video using a cheat program during the eXTREMESLAND Asia Finals. Following an ESL investigation, it was also revealed that he had cheated during the India Premiership Fall Finale.

In his most recent statement, he expressed “If I could go back, I would probably delete the day I first played Counter-Strike – nothing good has happened to me since the day I first played that game”.

Although his ban from competitive events under ESIC-member regulations has expired, due to Valve's revised RMR eligibility rules introduced in 2021, forsaken is ineligible to participate in developer-sponsored events until September 21, 2024.