Valve and PGL have shaken the world of Dota 2 after releasing a wave of permanent bans. One of these players who got hit by the ban hammer was Virtus Pro’s former carry player, Kamil “Koma” Biktimirov. This comes as a huge blow as the ban came just after he landed the most lucrative contract in his entire pro career. Unfortunately for him, that bridge has been burned already.
Other professional Dota 2 players have also surfaced and voiced their support for Koma, hoping his punishment would be scaled down and that he could get back to professional gaming. OG’s very own Artem “Yuragi” Golubiev and Team Spirit’s Illya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk have released statements supporting Koma while dividing the entire community in the process.
In a Telegram post, Yatoro believes that out of all the banned players, only Koma – whom he calls a friend – deserves an exception. Yatoro also added that he knows how much effort Koma puts into the game while admitting he did not expect the former Virtus Pro player to engage in activities that would get him banned. He also pointed out that the lifetime ban is just too much for a 20-year-old player and that a 12-month suspension would be a much better punishment.
Meanwhile, Yuragi also shares the same sentiment. Sharing his thoughts on Twitter, the OG player mentioned Koma’s dedication and love for Dota. And like Yatoro, the position one player for OG also believes Koma should not be banned for a lifetime.
Koma also tried to appeal his punishment by posting an apology and asking to reduce the sentence. While one can say that he is truly remorseful for what he did, it is very unlikely for Valve to undo bans. After all, the company has been very strict and relentless when it comes to violations involving account sharing. If the company ever changes its mind, it would be the first in history.
It is quite understandable that Yuragi and Yatoro would support Koma; they are friends after all. However, no one can deny the fact that Koma violated Valve’s policies and involved himself in activities he pretty much knew would get him punished. It is unfortunate, but it is what it is.
