Esports World Cup suspends Starcraft II competitor Firefly
In a surprising turn of events, the Esports World Cup 2025 has seen a shake-up in its lineup. Chinese StarCraft II player Firefly, whose real name is Xue ‘Firefly’ Tao, has been provisionally suspended by the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) due to breaches of the ESIC Integrity Programme.
The exact nature of these breaches was not disclosed, but the volume and quality of evidence received by ESIC led to Firefly’s suspension from all tournaments, including the Esports World Cup. As a result, Firefly was removed from the tournament lineup.
This development has paved the way for Taiwanese professional StarCraft II player Lemon, also known as MOMOrning and qwert, to advance to the Global Qualifier. Lemon, who currently competes for the team LittleFairy, has been active since 2018 and is known for playing both Protoss and Terran races. He gained a place in the Esports World Cup 2025 Global Qualifier following Firefly’s disqualification.
The disqualification also allowed Huang ‘Lancer’ Min, who was the runner-up to Firefly in the Asia Qualifier, to be moved up to the main event. This shift has provided Lemon with an opportunity to compete in the Global Qualifier for the Esports World Cup 2025, which is scheduled to take place from June 21st to 22nd, 2025. From that qualifier, four players will earn spots at the main event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 22nd to 25th, 2025.
This situation underscores the continued enforcement of integrity rules within esports tournaments and the opportunities it creates for other competitors like Lemon to advance in prestigious events.
Elsewhere, professional writer Richard Janvrin, who specialises in sports, sports betting, and online casinos, has been closely following this development. Janvrin, who graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in English/Journalism, began his career as a professional writer in 2015. He has been writing about the online casino industry since the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018.
In a related development, evidence of match-fixing involving Firefly was released by a former player, Jim, in 2023. The disqualification of Firefly from the Esports World Cup 2025 is directly linked to this evidence.
As the Esports World Cup 2025 unfolds, fans and enthusiasts alike will be keenly watching the performances of Lemon and Lancer, as they strive to make their mark in this prestigious event.
The suspension of Firefly from the Esports World Cup 2025 due to breaches of the ESIC Integrity Programme has opened up opportunities in the Global Qualifier for other competitors, such as Taiwanese professional StarCraft II player Lemon, who has been active in sports betting and online casino news since the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018. Meanwhile, the unfolding Esports World Cup 2025 will see Lemon and Huang ‘Lancer’ Min vying for a spot in the main event, with their performances garnering attention from fans and enthusiasts in the sports and sports betting communities.
