Rejin Redemption: Valve Reduces Coach's Major Ban

After a successful appeal, Valve has reduced Allan “Rejin” Petersen's Major ban

Former MOUZ coach, Allan “Rejin” Petersen, has been granted a significant reprieve in his esports career. Following a ban for his involvement with the coaching bug exploit, Rejin will regain eligibility to participate in Valve competitions. The organization will allow the Dane to return during the second Major event of 2024, offering him a chance to revive his coaching career.

The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has accepted and reviewed an out-of-time appeal submitted by Allan “Rejin” Petersen in May 2023, concerning a sanction originally imposed in 2020.

The substance of the appeal was related to the post-facto Valve RMR sanction imposed by… pic.twitter.com/rHKE3HBeea

— ESIC (@ESIC_Official) September 22, 2023

The ban, initially handed down with a considerably longer duration, has been reduced to encompass just five Majors. Rejin got the breakthrough following a successful appeal he lodged with the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC). His appeal revolved around the assertion that the magnitude of his involvement in the coaching bug exploit had been misjudged in the initial assessment.

Following a thorough review by ESIC, the 35-year-old. was able to provide compelling evidence to substantiate his claim that the extent of his bug exploitation was not as severe as initially calculated.

Why Was Rejin Banned from Valve Events?

Allan “Rejin” Petersen found himself at the center of a controversy in September 2020. The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) banned him. This decision came after an investigation revealed that he had been involved in the utilization of the notorious coaching bug.

Twista, RobbaN, Loord, pita, guerri, Apoka, casle, Rejin, nook, rikz, fuRy^, Solaar, F_1N, ToH1o, Andi, pepik, B1GGY, chrille, starix, ave, rosey, LMBT_R, FeTiSh, miNir0x, pNshr, ruggah and many others (37 coaches overall) were just handed a ban by ESIC for coach bug abuse. https://t.co/cpUs68xbM7

— Michal Slowinski (@michau9_) September 28, 2020

Rejin's case was particularly striking due to the number of instances in which he had been found to exploit the coaching bug. The investigation uncovered a total of seven such incidents, each casting a shadow over his reputation as a coach.

In response to the ESIC's findings and the severity of the situation, Valve, the Counter-Strike developer, took decisive action. The organization issued a permanent ban on Rejin's participation in Major tournaments.

The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) implemented the demerit points method to calculate the duration of coaching bans in the wake of the coaching bug scandal. This approach aims to quantify the severity of each coach's involvement in the misuse of the bug, taking into account factors such as the number of matches and rounds in which the bug was exploited. These demerit points provided a quantitative measure of the extent to which a coach had gained an unfair advantage, allowing for more equitable and proportional penalties.

Remarkably, this system became a pivotal reference point for determining not only the length of coaching bans but also for another significant development. Valve, the governing authority overseeing Major tournaments, subsequently adopted and adapted this demerit point system to administer bans of varying lengths specifically for Majors. This move represented a synchronized effort between ESIC and Valve to ensure a consistent and fair approach to penalties across the esports spectrum, further cementing their commitment to maintaining the integrity of competitive gaming.

In the beginning, the ex-Mouz coach faced a significant penalty of eight demerit points. This point total would have led to an irrevocable and lifelong ban from taking part in Major tournaments, creating a bleak outlook for his future in the world of competitive Counter-Strike. After the point, Rejin's demerit point count was reduced from eight to five.