keizo/n1legG banned on FACEIT; suspicious account confirmed to be smurf by FACEIT source

Supposed Russian player Artur "keizo" Andreev (also known as "n1legG") has been banned for six months on FACEIT for an undisclosed "Policy Breach" on the platform. While the ban itself provides no insight on why keizo has been barred from the platform, Dust2.us has learned from a source within FACEIT that the account was banned due to "deactivation abuse", a process by which a player attempts to delete and buy a new account in order to circumvent FACEIT's restrictions on "smurfing" and buying alternative (alt) accounts.

While this supposed "keizo" individual has next to no footprint on FACEIT or the wider internet, "keizo" was the subject of multiple posts in late February alleging that the account was another player's smurf and allegedly cheating to help team "Rolling Stone" make the PGL Bucharest NA Closed Qualifier via the open qualifiers on Esportal.

As noted by Dust2.us' Editor in Chief Jeffrey "Mnmzzz" Moore at the time, the account had numerous red flags associated with it, with keizo/n1legG posting impressive numbers in the qualifier despite their Steam account only being made a week before the qualifier on February 17th. Additionally, their linked FACEIT profile only boasted eight matches and had never played in ESEA leagues. The sudden emergence of this player, their lack of background, and their impressive stat lines lend credence to accusations that the account was being operated by another player.

Even more damning, however, is that Dust2.us' FACEIT source was able to conclude that the "keizo" account was recently purchased from a third-party account selling service, websites that breach Steam Subscriber Agreement and cater to smurfs and cheaters among other clientele. Our FACEIT source also told Dust2.us that FACEIT had previously banned a "smurf" account belonging to the same unknown individual or individuals who operated the keizo account.

Prior to the revelations from our FACEIT source, Dust2.us previously inquired with "keizo's" teammates on Rolling Stone about the individual, with them claiming keizo was not a smurf or otherwise a fake account.

With our new information in hand, Dust2.us reached out to Dastan "T0rby" Beisenov and Saidikrom "Hiro" Saytazhiev and sent friend requests on Steam to Alen "Sh1rax" Ismagambetov and Kuanysh "stanf1x" Zhasbulatov for comment outside of normal operating hours. We will update this story should they reply.

During his time with Rolling Stone in the Bucharest qualifier and with mskIaners in the Astana qualifier, keizo played with the following individuals:

• Dastan "T0rby" Beisenov

• Alen "Sh1rax" Ismagambetov

• Kuanysh "stanf1x" Zhasbulatov

• Saidikrom "Hiro" Saytazhiev

• "sleepz0rk"

• "b4blo"

• "mQerrr"

• "Folkram"

An interesting connection here is that one of the individuals the "keizo" account played with a user named "sleepz0rk", who recently played with someone named "sabLo" in the third Astana NA Open Qualifier. sabLo was recently banned from the platform for two years for violating Esportal's Terms of Services, potentially suggesting a through line between all of these recent cases of Eastern European players being banned or otherwise timed to integrity violations.