Space Soldiers' player Çağatay "DESPE" Sedef has been handed an ESL ban, making him ineligible to play on the German tournament organizer's platforms.

Despite not being part of Space Soldiers' starting five, the Turkish player is still under contract with the organization and was unable to stand in for Engin "⁠ngiN⁠" Kor during the IEM Oakland qualifier due to a cheating ban, which is set to expire two years from now. He did, however, play the ECS EU Season 4 Development league match Space Soldiers played against North.

DESPE is currently banned from all team games for two years on ESL

When contacted by HLTV, Space Soldiers answered saying they are "surprised by this" and that "our player has been falsely accused and this issue will be solved as soon as possible." The Turkish organization also tweeted about being in contact with ESL to enquire about the two-year cheating ban their player was handed.

We are in touch with the ESL about the false accusation towards our club and our player "DESPE", who allegedly violated ESL rules. — Space Soldiers (@SpaceSoldiersTR) September 21, 2017

Space Soldiers are due to play at ESEA's Season 25 Global Challenge LAN, which starts tomorrow. This ban will not affect the team, however, as the five starting players on the Turkish side will be in action in Burbank.