Esport MeCS2 player's lifetime ban confirmed after cash post during match-fixing suspension
Palkovics 'playN' Tamás had his three-year ESIC suspension for match-fixing upgraded to a lifetime ban within a day, after he posted a photo of cash and referenced a 2029 return.
The Esports Integrity Commission has handed a lifetime ban to Counter-Strike 2 player Palkovics 'playN' Tamás, upgrading a punishment it had only just issued a day earlier, according to Dexerto Esports.
Tamás, 22, was one of five NOMERCY players sanctioned by ESIC on 15 October following an investigation into suspicious results at Roman Imperium Cup VII, tied to an accumulator bet with a potential payout exceeding $4.5 million.
His initial punishment was a three-year suspension from ESIC-affiliated events, due to expire in April 2029. That penalty was lighter than those given to his teammates because he had cooperated with investigators, handing over financial records and answering questions in detail, Dexerto reported.
Soon after the sanctions went public, Tamás posted an image on X appearing to show thick stacks of cash, writing "2029 we back to @rmnimperiumcup" alongside a laughing emoji.
ESIC responded on 16 October, just one day after the original decision, by converting his suspension into an indefinite ban. The commission pointed to a pattern of public posts referencing cash, match manipulation and betting payouts, as well as the suggestion of an eventual comeback.
It described the conduct as an "egregious breach which created the appearance of improper conduct" under its rules, while explicitly noting that the photographs themselves did not prove the money pictured came from match-fixing.
The escalation also stripped Tamás of the cooperation credit that had reduced his original sentence. ESIC said that suspended players remain bound by its standards throughout their ban, and that prior cooperation could not offset conduct committed afterwards.
The commission confirmed it intends to pass details of the case to Valve, government bodies and law enforcement agencies.
The underlying investigation traced back to four NOMERCY losses in March 2026, each aligning with the conditions needed for a suspicious multi-leg bet carrying a payout above $4.5 million. The bookmaker involved is reported to have voided the wager before any money was paid out.
Tamás now joins former NOMERCY teammate Oliver 'kzy' Heck, who was already given a lifetime ban as part of the same investigation. Unlike his original three-year suspension, the new ruling carries no end date and bars him permanently from ESIC and its member competitions.