Apex Team Accused of Cheating in APAC South World Cup Qualifiers

The Apex Legends Esport World Cup (ESWC) qualifiers have kicked off, but the start has been anything but smooth. As the first team from the APAC South region, Lightning Unicorn, secured their spot for the ESWC this July, accusations of cheating and collusion have cast a shadow over their victory.

Our first #ApexLegends team to qualify for the #EsportsWorldCup is Lightning Unicorn!

Big congrats to this APAC South team🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/m1STI8nQ3P
— Esports World Cup (@ESWCgg) May 25, 2024

Pro players have voiced frustration over the lack of communication from the event organizers during the signup process and leading up to the competition. This discontent has been amplified by recent allegations of unfair play. The controversy began with a team known as CIH, previously accused of cheating in Split 1 of the pro league earlier this year and of making racist remarks toward competing Chinese teams. Following these accusations, CIH was banned from the Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS).

Hi meyels, I think I can explain it all to you:
Two backstories: a team called MDYR made racist comments and hated Chinese people in y4 AP South pq and were eventually disqualified from the PL for it.
— CaffèLatte (@Caff3L4tte) May 25, 2024

In y4 AP South cc, a team named CIH had strange movements and was questioned for being open. They were able to pinpoint endzone's position in every hand and 3v3 without any information, with a high win rate, where horizon even often shot the enemy early without information
— CaffèLatte (@Caff3L4tte) May 25, 2024

Fans and viewers now suspect that teams might have been colluding with this team and possibly other teams during the finals. The accusations suggest that this alleged collusion aimed to target and undermine dominant Chinese teams like Dreamfire, thereby boosting other’s chances or possibly specifically Lightning Unicorns chances of qualifying. This was done through contesting them off spawn while Lightning Unicorns went uncontested in finals.

Further fueling these suspicions are peculiar observations from certain players’ point of views (POVs) during the finals. Viewers have pointed out anomalies in gameplay that they believe could indicate cheating from a team within the lobby. These irregularities have raised serious concerns about the competitive integrity of the event.

look how the enemy's bullet shot through the wall. (This is a screenshots from VKG's live streaming) pic.twitter.com/vOA91Fg84g
— JeffShaw (@jeffshawjx) May 25, 2024

The APAC South qualifiers’ controversy underscores a critical need for transparent communication and stringent anti-cheating measures from organizers to maintain the integrity of esports competitions. As the ESWC progresses, it will be crucial for the organizers to address these concerns promptly and ensure a fair playing field for all participants.

These are not the only cheater allegations amongst the Esports World Cup. Many accounts that shouldn’t be eligible are showing up in prime fashion. Apex Pro “Rkn” had posted a level 12 player who had killed him in their lobby. The newness of this account verifies many suspicions from players and fans alike.