The Russian Erkhan “gokushima” Bagynanov (23) is considered a great talent in Counter-Strike 2 (Steam). In October 2023, he turned professional: But now, his career takes a brutal turn. He has been caught cheating and banned for 2 years. However, many believe this punishment might still be too lenient.
This is the official announcement: The Russian shooter pro gokushima has been banned from Counter-Strike 2 for 2 years. He may participate in tournaments again starting March 26, 2026. This decision was made by ESIC, the commission for integrity in esports (via esic).
It states:
- The player violated the Code of Conduct and the Anti-Corruption Code
- Especially in the points dealing with corruption and betting
The report states: “This investigation was initiated following the receipt of a detailed interrogation protocol and supporting evidence, including confessions indicating match manipulations.”
Russian considered a great talent
This is the situation: The 23-year-old Russian secured a contract with the Tier-2 team FORZE after years in lower-tier tournaments and offline events in October 2023.
He demonstrated amazing talent in the professional scene and had a rating of 1.12 according to HLTX; which speaks for a very good player.
After the ban, he was removed from his team’s roster.
What is he accused of? He is accused of match-fixing. This refers to when a player intentionally loses games to influence the outcome of a sports bet.
Player allegedly defrauded $300,000
Why is the case being discussed so excitedly? The case has caused quite a stir in the Counter-Strike 2 community in recent days. There is no official confirmation, but the community discusses that gokushima’s betting involved large sums. This has been reported by high-Elo players.
Allegedly, he defrauded about $300,000 through “match-fixing and selling cheats” (via twitter).
Therefore, the community is discussing that the punishment was too lenient (via reddit) – especially considering the low cost of living in Russia.
The player could simply start playing Counter-Strike 2 again in two years, as he has the talent for it. And if he invests the money wisely, he could come out of this situation with a considerable profit, is the general sentiment.
One person says (via twitter): If gokushima is clever, he takes 10% of his earnings and gives it to his lawyers and the league, then they will allow him to play again, after all he is one of their greatest talents.
Whether gokushima was really able to scam that much money is unknown. However, Counter-Strike 2 is currently one of the games where the most money is being exchanged. The volumes in the game are enormous:
