The esports scene in Thailand is reeling after a rising women's esports star got caught cheating during an Arena of Valor competition December 15. After viewers noticed some suspicious things during the broadcast, the Thailand Esports Federation began an investigation.
TESF later announced that Warasin "Tokyogurl" Naraphat, had been disqualfied for cheating. The fed specifically cited its rule against the use of unauthorized third-party software. It didn't specify which program, but the likely culprit is TeamViewer, a remote-access program that would allow someone else to play for Tokyogurl. This was a women's esports competition, so if that player was male there's a whole other set of problems for Naraphat and tourney organizers.
It gets worse. Tokyogurl was caught on camera giving a middle-finger gesture while being unceremoniously escorted out of the match pitting Thailand's women's team against Vietnam. Even with the apparent cheating, the squad got blown out 0-3 in the upper bracket final.
The accusations against Tokyogurl cost her entire squad. Even though the Thailand women's team still had a path to a gold medal, TESF removed the team from the tourney. That sucks for everybody who wasn't cheating, but sadly I think it's the right call. Whenever someone gets caught cheating, it is rarely the first time they've done so. Everything this team did in the tourney so far would be suspect. Did they even truly earn the right to play in this event?
This is why cheating ruins it for everyone involved, and this is why any good organization has a zero-tolerance policy for anything untoward.
Tokyogurl has denied the charges against her, and said her middle-finger gesture was directed at a teammate in joking fashion, not at the audience or officials. She's probably about to have a long vacation to get her story straight.