Riot disqualifies BONK for cheating after win over Derke’s Aurora

Riot Games has removed BONK from the VCT EMEA Kickoff Europe Qualifier after an investigation confirmed that a team participant used cheating software.

The decision, announced on November 8, came two days after BONK defeated Derke’s Aurora Gaming 2-1 in the Round of 32. BONK subsequently advanced to the tournament’s final four, but their disqualification has reopened the bracket for the teams they eliminated.

BONK roster provisionally suspended as investigation continues

Riot said reports of suspicious behavior involving BONK prompted further investigation by its anti-cheat team, which had been monitoring matches throughout the qualifiers.

That investigation confirmed the use of unauthorized cheating software. Every BONK player and registered team member has now been provisionally suspended from Riot-sanctioned competitions while Riot determines each person’s involvement. Final punishments will be decided individually.

The provisional suspensions do not mean Riot has established that every team member participated in the cheating.

Leo Faria, Riot’s global head of Valorant esports, also addressed the incident on X, warning that anyone involved should expect serious consequences.

“Imagine cheating in OQs and thinking we wouldn’t catch you. If you’re involved, don’t expect a slap on the wrist,” he wrote.

Aurora handed another opportunity through bracket replays

BONK’s removal prompted Riot to arrange replays of the two rounds following their victory over Aurora.

Under the revised November 8 schedule, Aurora were placed against Project 100K in the Round of 16. The winner would then face YCATABLE in the quarter-finals, with a place in the qualifier playoffs at stake.

Riot described the replays as an exceptional response to the circumstances, stressing that the decision would not establish a standard approach for future cheating cases.

A Discord message from Riot’s player management team also acknowledged YCATABLE’s formal dispute and thanked the team for reporting its concerns through the official process.

The affected semi-final against Pixel Lumina and the final were moved to November 10 to prevent teams from having to play three or more series in a single day.

nataNk says concerns were raised a month earlier

The ruling also brought renewed attention to BONK’s previous results.

Pixel Lumina player and former Team Vitality representative nataNk claimed he had reported suspicions about BONK following their meeting at EVC: The Surge 14 on October 11.

Pixel Lumina lost that semi-final 2-1, before BONK went on to claim the tournament and its $1,500 prize. According to nataNk, the series changed sharply after the opening map, leading him to suspect cheating.

He shared a screenshot of a message he said he had sent to Riot Vanguard analyst GamerDoc, although he acknowledged that the report might not have been seen.

G2 Gozen assistant coach JTayy also questioned the timeline, pointing to BONK’s history in Challengers and at LAN events, alongside what he described as a consistent level of performance.