PTime Removed From EWC 2026 Following DarkMago and Vintage Integrity Investigation

PTime's Esports World Cup 2026 campaign has ended amid an ongoing integrity investigation involving midlaner Oswaldo "DarkMago" Herrera and coach Juan "Vintage" Angulo.

The Esports Integrity Commission issued provisional suspensions to both participants following a preliminary assessment of information relating to suspected breaches of its Anti-Corruption Code and Player Code of Conduct.

The suspensions took effect immediately.

DarkMago and Vintage are currently prohibited from participating directly or indirectly in the Esports World Cup and other events covered by ESIC while the investigation continues.

Importantly, the suspensions are provisional. They do not represent a final determination that either individual has committed an offence.

Match Postponed Over an "Integrity Issue"

Attention around PTime began growing after the team's scheduled Survival stage match against Vici Gaming was postponed on July 14.

Tournament organizers cited an integrity issue while the matter was reviewed.

Shortly afterward, ESIC confirmed that DarkMago and Vintage had been provisionally suspended.

For Vintage, the suspension extends beyond simply appearing as a coach. He is also prohibited from carrying out management, strategic, team-facing or other support duties connected to participating players or teams.

The situation left PTime's participation in the tournament uncertain before ultimately bringing their EWC campaign to an end.

A Serious Case for South American Dota

The involvement of DarkMago makes the situation especially significant for the South American Dota community.

The Peruvian midlaner has been one of the region's most recognizable international players for several years.

He was part of the Thunder Awaken roster that finished 5th-6th at The International 2022, one of the greatest performances by a South American Dota team at the event.

That history makes the current investigation particularly notable.

PTime have also distanced the organization itself from allegations of wrongdoing while taking action regarding the individuals involved.

Investigation Remains Ongoing

At this stage, there are still major unanswered questions.

ESIC has not publicly disclosed the complete evidence behind the suspensions, and no final ruling has been issued.

That distinction matters.

A provisional suspension is intended to protect the integrity of a competition while an investigation is underway. It should not be treated as proof that the allegations have been established.

More information is expected once ESIC completes further investigative work.

For now, however, PTime's EWC 2026 run is over — and one of the tournament's biggest stories is now taking place away from the Dota 2 server.