ESL One Raleigh 2025 organizers have announced the disqualification of NAVI Junior from the tournament due to their player Riddys repeatedly using the Smoke Bug during the Western Europe qualifiers. AVULUS, the team ranked right behind NAVI Junior in the qualifying round, was invited to replace the eliminated team to participate in the tournament.

What happened?

Smoke Bug is a bug in the game that allows players to gain an unfair advantage and has repeatedly caused controversy in the professional gaming industry. This time, foul abuse was recorded in many matches involving NAVI Junior. Therefore, ESL decided to remove this team from the tournament.

Specifically, the Smoke Bug error is as follows:

When you look through your opponent's inventory for the active "Smoke of Deceit" item, you can determine if it has been used or not.

How to do it: Hover over the enemy hero, select "Smoke" in their inventory and try to "drop" this item.

If the game reports an error, it means the item has not been activated.

This bug allows players to track the use of "Smoke," even when the opponent is hidden in the fog of war, giving the team a huge tactical advantage.

In the past, use of the Smoke Bug has resulted in serious penalties, including player and team disqualification. At ESL One Raleigh 2025, organizers continue to apply a strict approach to ensuring fairness, emphasizing the importance of following the rules of the game for all teams.

Who will replace NAVI Junior?

AVULUS, the team that lost to NAVI Junior in the deciding match to qualify for ESL One Raleigh 2025, suddenly received the opportunity to participate in the tournament after their opponents were eliminated. AVULUS's recent results demonstrate the team's great potential. They have just successfully qualified for DreamLeague Season 22.

ESL One Raleigh 2025 will take place from April 7 to 13. The tournament's total prize pool is 1,000,000 USD, bringing together the best teams from around the world.