joel sidelined for BLAST Fall Showdown; Victory Zigzag coach Hardwell to stand in

joel's provisional suspension by the ESIC means he is not eligible for selection at the BLAST Fall Showdown.

joel will sit out the Showdown due to his provisional ban from ESIC

BLAST has announced that Victory Zigzag will utilize their coach, Ivan "⁠Hardwell⁠" Alekseev, in place of Joel "⁠joel⁠" Holmlund for the team's upcoming run through the Fall Showdown.

The decision comes as a result of joel's provisional suspension by the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) on September 20, which stems from allegations of match-fixing.

Given that BLAST is partnered with the ESIC, joel will be unable to play in BLAST tournaments until the commission finalizes its investigation into the allegations on or after October 6. joel can submit further evidence until that date if he wishes to challenge ESIC's provisional ruling.

Read more
Ex-GODSENT player joel suspended by ESIC over match-fixing allegations*

The international roster earned their Fall Showdown berth by winning Pelaajat Nordic Masters Fall, where they notably defeated MOUZ, ECSTATIC, and 416Olsk.

joel put on a show during his team's run through the qualifier, averaging a superlative 1.48 rating over seven maps to end the tournament as the highest-rated player. His provisional suspension by ESIC comes as a big blow for Victory Zigzag, who will be without their star as they ready up for the single-elimination Showdown bracket.

Read more
Victory Zigzag qualify for BLAST Fall Showdown

BLAST Premier Fall Showdown Europe will go live on October 4-8 and notably features the likes of ENCE, G2, and Cloud9, three top-10 sides who will undoubtedly be fighting tooth and nail for the lone BLAST Fall Final berth up for grabs.

Victory Zigzag will field the following roster for BLAST Premier Fall Showdown:

Bulgaria Kamen "⁠bubble⁠" Kostadinov
Denmark Daniel "⁠mertz⁠" Mertz
Denmark Nicolaj "⁠mupzG⁠" Djurhus
Russia Dmitriy "⁠propleh⁠" Senigov
Russia Ivan "⁠Hardwell⁠" Alekseev (stand-in)

Denmark Nicolaj 'mupzG' Djurhus
Nicolaj 'mupzG' Djurhus
Age:
24
Rating 1.0:
0.99
Maps played:
134
KPR:
0.70
DPR:
0.73
Russia Dmitriy 'propleh' Senigov
Dmitriy 'propleh' Senigov
Age:
27
Rating 1.0:
0.97
Maps played:
438
KPR:
0.66
DPR:
0.67
Denmark Daniel 'mertz' Mertz
Daniel 'mertz' Mertz
Age:
24
Rating 1.0:
1.10
Maps played:
990
KPR:
0.75
DPR:
0.65
Sweden Joel 'joel' Holmlund
Joel 'joel' Holmlund
Age:
18
Team:
No team
Rating 1.0:
1.08
Maps played:
344
KPR:
0.74
DPR:
0.67
Bulgaria Kamen 'bubble' Kostadinov
Kamen 'bubble' Kostadinov
Age:
32
Rating 1.0:
0.98
Maps played:
2398
KPR:
0.66
DPR:
0.66
Russia Ivan 'Hardwell' Alekseev
Ivan 'Hardwell' Alekseev
Age:
25
Team:
No team
Rating 1.0:
0.79
Maps played:
33
KPR:
0.55
DPR:
0.74
rip
2023-09-21 15:07
Deserverd
2023-09-21 15:08
#5
 | 
Poland t0ma5h
-Hardwell +Tiesto
2023-09-21 15:12
so sick they allow cheaters / scammers to play.. just let the other swedish team have the chance they looked good. cant be fun to play against known cheaters either
2023-09-21 15:12
16 replies
#8
lux | 
Brazil pitola
+1
2023-09-21 15:13
#17
 | 
Sweden Vrede
+1
2023-09-21 15:32
+1
2023-09-21 15:41
it wouldn't be fair. If you consider that the whole team should be penalized, then the whole qualifier should start from scratch, as the final was not the only match affected, MOUZ could've won it, as an example.
2023-09-21 15:45
5 replies
Just ban them, joel and bubble is now known matchfixers. Rip Joel's career he was crazy good but yea..
2023-09-21 15:50
4 replies
+1 i think matchfixes happens alot more than we think. just today sampi played vs los kogutios (with stand in) and lost first map from 15-8, had 5vs3 and lost that map in ot. next map they have 13-6 on overpass as ct side and they loose 14-16. probably more fixing than we get to know and nothing is happening
2023-09-21 16:03
1 reply
i think sampi fix a lot, but los kogutos just searching for their 5th, darch officialy left
2023-09-21 16:23
#41
 | 
Denmark fujiYEEZY
where bubble evidence?
2023-09-21 16:51
So is propleh
2023-09-21 22:03
#26
 | 
Russia Lessix
+1
2023-09-21 15:54
not a cheater, he is skiilled thats why he carried the qualifier. he may have MATCHFIXED in GODSENT some months ago , but that doesn´t mean he doesn´t deserve to be in blast , HE IS SKILLED.
2023-09-21 15:58
2 replies
Are you for real? You want a matchfixer to play?
2023-09-22 04:19
1 reply
Yeah stealing money from low IQ bettors and betting companies isnt a Bad thing
2023-09-22 15:22
+1
2023-09-21 16:00
+1
2023-09-21 17:13
+1
2023-09-21 20:09
why is rest of victory zigzag not banned yet
2023-09-21 15:13
5 replies
fucking dead scene I guess
2023-09-21 15:16
joel was suspended for something he did while playing for GODSENT months ago, there is no reason/evidence (as of yet) to ban the team/org.
2023-09-21 15:52
2 replies
What about propleh placing bets while playing for this team though?
2023-09-21 22:04
1 reply
I haven't seen any news articles about that so far. Any links you can provide? If anyone has any proof they should contact ESIC.
2023-09-22 17:53
#47
 | 
Egypt BomberMan_
ESIC spent all their resources on Joel and now everyone can get away with it. Tbf to ESIC easier said than done to completely prove that these people are fixing even if it is obvious at times with how odds move around when we see those players play.
2023-09-21 17:10
#9
 | 
Argentina EnvyJ
Joel on lan? I aren't think that
2023-09-21 15:13
2 replies
its jOELZ* newb jesust
2023-09-21 15:21
isnt even a lan
2023-09-21 15:52
spineless
2023-09-21 15:16
what happend to integrity of the game? now only lan events feels not rigged by cheaters / scammers.
2023-09-21 15:18
1 reply
everything is fixed, did you watch 9ine or monte? HAHAHAHA
2023-09-21 22:21
How can they even be at this event???
2023-09-21 15:19
14 replies
#16
 | 
Argentina fribergoat
Because mouz sucks
2023-09-21 15:30
13 replies
#32
 | 
Sweden DEVORANS
Yeah Mouz are really bad...... Hard to compete against this tbf clips.twitch.tv/VainPopularNigiriYouDont..
2023-09-21 16:02
12 replies
the fuck are you even trying to imply? :D
2023-09-21 16:58
5 replies
#49
 | 
Sweden DEVORANS
Look at that clip and tell me, who even plays like that?
2023-09-21 17:15
4 replies
I mean not defending them as IEM Sydney quali they played was also omega fishy, but you can't look at this situation and say he cheats cuz he went t-spawn for bomb. He sees frozen on short and xertion looking towards monster tunnel thats a give away there are no T's there because xertion wouldn't be looking at a position that his teammate is holding. Also if the 3rd player is there he would try to refrag instead of hiding, this isn't faceit. He didn't see bomb on either player, and if siuhy had bomb he would have already planted, its not impossible to assume they did not have bomb. Now are they using radar ? Probably, but you can't cherry pick situations that have valid explanations.
2023-09-21 18:34
1 reply
#76
 | 
Sweden DEVORANS
hltv.org/forums/threads/2818222/victory-.. What more can I say. They had radar this game and also at Sydney Qualifier
2023-09-24 00:03
u have under 3k elo so your opinion is not valid
2023-09-21 22:26
1 reply
#64
 | 
Sweden DEVORANS
Jokes on you, I have 7k elo on premier
2023-09-21 22:41
#50
 | 
Argentina fribergoat
And olks416 don’t even remember the name, a random 5 man team
2023-09-21 17:17
1 reply
#51
 | 
Sweden DEVORANS
Nah Olskroken are goated team
2023-09-21 17:20
This is 100% normal, these line up is good, as a lot of other tier2/3 teams are good, they all play togheter all day on Faceit against top tier players. Is normal to sometimes top teams lose to this kind of lineups, not all times they are cheating or fixing. Someplayers use hacks, probably, but in low tier events, in blast is harder to cheat. And they have a lot to lose and almost nothing to will chating in a qualifier to a qualifier that the prizepool in so small. Stop crying about everything. Who watchs tier 2/3 know it.
2023-09-21 19:18
2 replies
yeah, go watch CCT and get an aneurysm of how fixed they're, because eternity league is another level
2023-09-21 22:23
1 reply
eternity league? Didnt understand that. Just said that all pro players are skilled, and this clip dont say nothing, it is not even suspicious. Tier 2/3 100% have much more fixing and cheats.
2023-09-21 22:46
500IQ my guy, you don't understand because they're professional players... KEKW
2023-09-21 22:23
#20
poem | 
North America minte
let the man play
2023-09-21 15:42
1 reply
Nah
2023-09-21 15:49
Mr Spaceman pog
2023-09-21 15:54
#31
 | 
Algeria Zawwy
career destroyed
2023-09-21 16:00
ayyyy lets go, get fucked
2023-09-21 16:03
Promising career ruined by really stupid choices...
2023-09-21 16:25
1 reply
+1
2023-09-21 17:07
#37
 | 
England Jerry2805
Justice for 416Olsk
2023-09-21 16:26
where fat (gruby)
2023-09-21 16:41
poor robiin and the boys
2023-09-21 16:50
the whole team should be banned permanently cause im 99% sure they were aware of the cheating stuff..
2023-09-21 16:55
4 replies
Why would you ban the whole team then there isnt even any accusing of cheating? It's matchfixing that happened months ago, not with zig zag. Zig zag should continue playing and find another player.
2023-09-21 20:07
3 replies
You have not been following the situation at all then, most players they played against accused them of cheating and/or radar..
2023-09-22 09:42
2 replies
Yeah sure i've heard it, but without the evidence they will not get banned and therefore they can play the blast
2023-09-22 09:59
1 reply
For sure, but there have been accusations.. not saying they should do anything with 0 evidence, but when muliple teams call them out its most likely something fishy going on. Not saying they cant be wrong but ye
2023-09-22 10:31
- cheater + cheater
2023-09-21 16:58
Why not gruby instead of joel?
2023-09-21 17:05
Joel is done in cs he can now apply for work at mcdonalds. oh wait he will be fired cause he will take food home from the company.
2023-09-21 17:33
#55
 | 
France Saifu
lmaoo
2023-09-21 20:07
That guy aint not swedish Joel lol.
2023-09-21 22:50
random russian coach. Seems legit. Man has been accused of radar every match by the other teams lol
2023-09-22 09:41
hardwell got banned in faceit for cheating LMAOOOOOOO
2023-09-24 00:41
hardwell just got banned LOL
2023-09-24 05:07
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