1. General Rules

1.1. General Provisions

The tournament administration reserves the right to make decisions outside or contrary to the rules in exceptional cases to ensure fair play. For any tournament-related issues, contact or tag huntersv or sanyabagov on the VATAGA ESPORTS Discord server.

1.1.1. Maximum Average Team MMR

No restrictions.

1.1.2. Participant Registration

Every participant must be registered for the tournament on the website https://vatagaesports.com/ and join their team captain’s team.

1.1.3. Team Captain Moderation

Each captain of a formed team must undergo moderation with organizers huntersv and sanyabagov on Discord in the voice channel https://discord.gg/GXYUygtB8X after tournament registration to confirm participation.

1.1.4. Tournament Stages

• September 26, 2025 (Day 1): Round of 16 at 20:00, Round of 8 as soon as possible, Quarterfinals as soon as possible.

• September 27, 2025 (Day 2): Two separate semifinals (first one, then the second), Grand Final after the second semifinal.

• All matches up to the Final: Best of 1 (BO1).

• Final: Best of 3 (BO3).

1.1.5. Pre-Tournament Moderation

Organizers may request teams for additional moderation before the tournament starts.

1.1.6. Nickname Consistency

In-game nicknames must match Discord and Steam profile nicknames.

1.1.7. Match Recording

Each team captain must record or stream their games. If a complaint with evidence of unfair play is filed against your team and you lack a recording to appeal, the advantage will be given to the complaining party.

1.2. Code of Conduct

All participants must treat Vataga Esports representatives, spectators, partners, and other players with respect. Participants are expected to represent esports and Vataga Esports honorably, both in-game and in chats, messengers, comments, and other media. We expect players to uphold the following values:

• Compassion: Treat others as you would like to be treated.

• Honesty: Be truthful, committed, and play fairly.

• Respect: Show respect to all individuals, including teammates, opponents, and organizers.

• Courage: Be bold in competition and stand up for fairness.

Participants are prohibited from engaging in harassment or hate speech in any form, including but not limited to:

• Offensive remarks or verbal abuse related to gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disability, appearance, age, or religion.

• Harassment or intimidation (physical or online).

• Spamming, raiding, hijacking, or inciting disruption of streams or social media.

• Disclosing or threatening to disclose others’ personal information (“doxing”).

• Unwanted sexual attention (including sexualized comments, jokes, or harassment).

• Promoting or encouraging any of the above.

Violations of the code of conduct may result in exclusion from the current tournament and forfeiture of prizes. Repeated or severe violations may lead to disqualification or a ban from future Vataga Esports events.

1.2.1. Insults and Unacceptable Behavior

Any insults during matches or on media platforms may be penalized. This includes but is not limited to in-game chats, forums, match or news comments, messages to the organization, and gaming identifiers. Insults in third-party messengers are not considered.

Penalties may include:

• Bans from tournament participation.

• Exclusion from the current tournament.

• Bans on commenting or participating in forums for offensive comments.

• Additional sanctions for serious violations (extremist statements, threats of violence, sexual harassment, stalking, severe insults, or pornographic materials).

Only the affected party has the right to appeal.

1.2.2. Public Behavior

All participants must refrain from inappropriate, unwanted, or negative behavior. Prohibited actions include:

• Actions that discredit the tournament or its participants.

• Disrespectful comments about the organization, its partners, or products in interviews, statements, or social media.

1.3. Matches, Competitions, and Meetings

All competitions must adhere to fair play principles. Every match must be played to completion, and its result recorded. Unformed matches will be deleted by the administration. Fixed matches are prohibited.

1.4. Game/Client

The use of third-party programs not part of the original game is prohibited, except for voice communication programs (e.g., Teamspeak, Ventrilo, Discord). Game configuration changes are allowed unless prohibited by specific league rules. Programs providing an in-game advantage are banned.

1.5. Match Coverage

Vataga Esports holds exclusive rights to match coverage. Players may organize streams unless contacted by organizers for official coverage.

1.6. Internal Communications

All texts from protests, support tickets, or administrator messages may not be published without organizer permission.

1.7. Language

The official language is Ukrainian. All players must be able to communicate in it.

2. Violations

2.1. Fraud/Deception

Attempts to deceive administrators or other players with false or fabricated statements, information, or data will not be tolerated.

2.2. Other Unauthorized Violations

This includes but is not limited to exploiting website bugs. Penalties are at the discretion of the responsible administrator and depend on the severity of the violation.

2.3. Cheating and Bug Exploitation

Any form of cheating in matches is prohibited and will be penalized. Players caught cheating outside the tournament may face sanctions based on available evidence. Publicly submitted demos or screenshots are not accepted as evidence. If cheating is detected, Vataga Esports reserves the right to penalize violators in accordance with the rules. Violators risk bans or exclusion from specific or all leagues, along with their team.

Using programs (“hacks”) or other circumvention methods is penalized.

2.3.1. Cheat Distribution

Promoting or facilitating the distribution of cheats is prohibited. This includes mentioning cheat names, websites, or logos in player or team profiles, forums, comments, etc. Violations may result in warnings or full exclusion from the tournament.

2.3.2. Penalties for Cheating

Penalties include tournament disqualification, result annulment, prize forfeiture, and bans ranging from temporary to permanent, depending on the player’s level, age, and tournament severity. Cheating at a professional level typically results in a 5-year ban, with lifetime bans in exceptional cases.

2.3.3. Rehabilitation

Players who violate rules for the first time and demonstrate a commitment to correcting their mistakes may be given a second chance.

2.4. Match-Fixing and Betting Fraud

Any actions that improperly influence the outcome of a game or match are prohibited.

2.4.1. Penalties for Match-Fixing

Result annulment, prize forfeiture, fines, and bans from participation.

2.5. Doping

Any form of doping is prohibited.

2.6. Competition Manipulation and Bribery

Offering or attempting to bribe a referee or organizer, as well as attempts to manipulate competitions, is prohibited.

2.6.1. Penalties for Manipulation and Bribery

Result annulment, tournament bans, prize forfeiture, and fines. If detected before the tournament ends, disqualification applies.

2.7. Repeated Violations

Second and subsequent violations may result in significantly stricter penalties, likely a lifetime ban from participation.

3. Accounts

3.1. Players

Only users aged 14 or older may participate in tournaments. During registration, players must provide accurate and up-to-date information and are responsible for updating it. Players must have an available communication method for participation.

3.1.1. Multi-Accounts

Each player may have only one account. If a player loses access to their account and creates a new one, they must submit a request to the administration explaining the reasons.

3.1.2. Nicknames, Team Names, and URL Aliases

Vataga Esports reserves the right to edit nicknames and URL aliases if they do not meet the following requirements:

• Protected by copyright without the owner’s permission.

• Similar or identical to registered brands or trademarks.

• Identical or similar to real individuals’ names, except for the player themselves.

• Using names of products from aggressor countries.

• Similar or identical to staff names.

• Meaningless.

Additionally, nicknames containing profanity, discriminatory, offensive, antisemitic, provocative statements, war or aggressor country propaganda, or violations of generally accepted moral standards are prohibited. This also applies to profile avatars.

3.1.4. Country

A player’s country cannot be an aggressor country or one allied with it.

3.1.5. Nationality

A player’s nationality cannot be that of an aggressor country or one allied with it.

3.1.6. Steam Account Visibility

All participants must ensure that their Steam accounts are set to public. Profiles, game libraries, and game activity must not be hidden so that the tournament administration can verify them.

3.2. Teams

Team names do not need to be unique, but organizers reserve the right to reject names similar to well-known clubs. Names that violate laws or generally accepted moral standards will be removed, and the team will receive penalty points.

Team logos should ideally reflect the team name or its abbreviation. Copyrighted or inappropriate logos are not allowed.

3.2.1. Team Name Changes

Teams may change their name at any time. Intentionally changing names to mislead opponents is prohibited. Excessively long or frequently changed names may result in penalties.

3.2.2. Players in Teams

A player may only play for one team in a tournament or league.

3.2.4. Sponsors and Partnerships

The administration reserves the right to prohibit teams with sponsors associated with pornography, drugs, aggressor countries, or other inappropriate themes from participating in events.