Cygames hosted the online player draft event for the upcoming Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond esports tournament Shadowverse Premier Series 26-27 on April 3, 2026. However, less than a week after all members of the participating teams had been drafted for the tournament, the company announced that one of the selected players would be removed from the competition due to confirmed violations. While this isn’t something rare in professional esports, the punishment itself has been garnering attention on Japanese social media due to its severity.
On April 4, professional Shadowverse player MURA, who was selected to participate in the Shadowverse Premier Series 26-27 as part of the RIDDLE ORDER team, held a live stream on his personal channel where he allegedly made defamatory remarks against other players and suggested that the draft may have been rigged. Cygames took this offense seriously, calling it “conduct that severely violates the principles of the Shadowverse series.”
In accordance with this, Cygames indefinitely banned MURA from participating in the Shadowverse Premier Series as part of the RIDDLE ORDER team. Furthermore, the company indefinitely banned the player from participating in any other official tournaments and events related to the Shadowverse franchise. Additionally, MURA will also be banned from livestreaming Shadowverse series games privately and monetizing such content in any way until March 31, 2027.
The announcement made rounds on the Japanese side of X for how severe the punishment was, with both fans and other pro players surprised to see a “penalty worse than just getting fired.” And while some harshly criticized the move calling it “overblown,” others praised Cygames for taking the matter seriously and protecting the sportsmanship of their tournament.
Cygames also stated that the bans may be lifted after April 2027 in case they determine that improvements have been made, though considering the severity of the initial punishment and the intense backlash, we can’t say with certainty how long the “indefinite ban” may be.
Related articles:
Rainbow Six Siege pro will not be prosecuted in alleged kidnapping and torture case
Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada denies rumors about wanting to monetize official tournament streams
