Apinya and Hestiazy are looking at a three-month ban from competitions, set to expire in mid-April which is around one month from now.
THAILAND – Former FULL SENSE member Apinya “Apinya” Laotaew and XGODNUMBERONE’s Kittichai “Hestiazy” Jantarasadol have been handed a three-month suspension from Riot Games and FPSThailand due to a violation of account sharing.
Apinya was found to be playing on Hestiazy’s account during the VALORANT Challengers Thailand Split 1 Open Qualifier, which XGODNUMBERONE won. Apinya and Hestiazy are facing a three-month competitive ban, with the suspension starting from the Open Qualifier period in January.
However, when considering the announcement date today, this translates to an effective ban of approximately one and a half months. The ban is set to expire next month on April 17.
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The incident took place after XGODNUMBERONE emerged victorious in the VALORANT Challengers Thailand Split 1 Open Qualifier. The team, however, confessed to an account-sharing violation, resulting in their immediate disqualification from Split 1.
Shortly thereafter, FULL SENSE released an official statement announcing Apinya’s removal from the team and expressing the organization’s support on “any penalties deemed appropriate by said organizers,” even though at that time there was no official confirmation of Apinya’s involvement in the incident.
The AfreecaTV Tournament Operation team’s investigation into a potential violation uncovered evidence that Apinya played on Hestiazy’s account, and Hestiazy allowed Apinya to use his account for the event.
19-year-old Apinya first made his way to FULL SENSE in September 2022 from FW Esports, which saw him compete in the 2023 VALORANT Challengers Thailand season and secure fourth-place and second-place finish in Split 1 and 2, respectively. However, for the 2024 season, he found himself taking a backseat due to a major roster overhaul in the FS camp. The restructuring resulted in Chanawin “JohnOlsen” Nakchain being the sole player retained in the active roster from the previous season.
XGODNUMBERONE comprised relatively lesser-known Thai players, with the exception being Apiwat “garnetS” Apiraksukumal, a former Talon Esports player. The possibility of Apinya making a return for the second split of Challengers Thailand remains uncertain, as the specific dates for the event have not been announced.
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Cover photo courtesy of FULL SENSE
