Jame’s first words after winning the Major was a request to unban his friend, but it wasn’t translated. Who is tr3vl?

When Outsiders claimed victory over Heroic during the championship match of IEM Rio Major 2022, even their typically stoic leader Dzhami “Jame” Ali couldn’t contain his feelings. However, when Sjokz and Heccu came to interview him post-victory, his initial statement focused on someone else entirely. He made a public appeal to lift the competitive ban on his longtime friend Ilya “tr3vl” Globa, though unfortunately this crucial part wasn’t conveyed to English-speaking viewers. This raises important questions about what really happened behind the scenes.

[You are a Major winner!] Absolutely correct, that’s who I am. Please remove tr3vl’s ban! I definitely needed to say this, we made an agreement long ago. He’s dealing with a VAC restriction, which is why he approached me. Appreciate all the support, I’ll provide additional commentary through my YouTube platform. Currently, I’m overwhelmed. Sentiment is taking control, I’m fighting back tears. Thank you, everyone. This tournament has been incredible. Obrigado, Brazil!

“Such a great feeling. It’s like when you find a good anime,” Jame comments on top-1 HLTV, names the titles that helped him win Rio Major

Ilya “tr3vl” Globa began his competitive journey as a member of the original Gambit Youngsters lineup, the organization that eventually promoted its talent to the primary Gambit squad, and subsequently transitioned to Cloud9. He actually took part in the inaugural training camp alongside future stars nafany and sh1ro. Ultimately though, the Youngsters roster was forced to find a replacement for Globa, and the decision wasn’t performance-related at all.

During November 2018, he received a Valve Anti-Cheat (VAC) prohibition. Based on the competitor’s account, the incident stemmed from utilizing cosmetic alteration software. While competing in a minor online competition, the Gfinity Cup featuring a modest £200 prize pool, tournament officials noticed expensive weapon skins appearing on his stream that weren’t present in his actual game client.

Following three match rounds, a tournament administrator joined the game server and inquired, “why does it appear you’re displaying premium skins on stream while using standard defaults in-game?” I responded, “This is a skin modification tool.” Subsequently they issued a platform-specific suspension. In May 2018, I received an Overwatch competitive ban. I exclusively employed the skin alteration software during practice sessions, never during official tournaments. I never implemented it during any competitions employing anti-cheat protection. I have tremendous appreciation for cosmetic items, but financial constraints prevented actual purchases. During October, my previous gaming account became permanently restricted. I was completely stunned. My Overwatch prohibition transformed into a comprehensive VAC ban.

HuNter- to m0NESY: “Shut your mouth and watch Jame’s POV, brother.”

Understanding the skin changer controversy requires examining both technical and ethical dimensions. Skin changers represent third-party software that temporarily modifies cosmetic appearances without actual ownership, creating discrepancies between stream displays and in-game reality. For tournament organizers and developers, this constitutes a form of visual deception that undermines competitive integrity.

The Gfinity Cup incident demonstrates how even minor tournaments maintain strict enforcement standards. Tournament administrators are trained to identify visual inconsistencies between stream content and actual gameplay, particularly regarding premium cosmetic items that carry significant market value.

Professional players should recognize that any software modifying game files or appearances, regardless of intent, risks triggering anti-cheat systems. The evolution from Overwatch bans to permanent VAC restrictions highlights Valve’s zero-tolerance approach toward unauthorized modifications.

Common misconceptions about skin changers include believing they’re harmless since they don’t affect gameplay mechanics. However, tournament organizers view them as creating unfair presentation advantages and potentially misleading sponsors or viewers about a player’s actual inventory status.

The Gambit organization refused to abandon their player despite the serious allegations. Director of sports operations Groove leveraged his professional network to arrange a direct meeting with Valve representatives, as team management representative sweetypotz discussed during an Escorenews interview. The squad aimed to determine whether any resolution possibilities existed within this challenging scenario.

I entered the conference room, “Good afternoon, gentlemen.” Everyone immediately stood up. The atmosphere was remarkably courteous and deferential, treating me as though I held executive board membership. They conducted the review efficiently: an employee retrieved his mobile device, examined the evidence, and stated, “We apologize, but the answer remains negative. He [tr3vl] unquestionably utilized unauthorized software.

Ilya maintained he never employed cheating programs but I believe (and as he acknowledged himself) it involved cosmetic alteration tools. For Western development companies, this clearly represents fraudulent activity, and it receives severe penalties.

This case reveals significant cultural differences in how gaming communities perceive cosmetic modification tools. In some regions, players view skin changers as harmless visual enhancements, while Western developers consider them integrity violations. This disconnect often leads to situations where players genuinely don’t understand why their actions warrant permanent competitive exclusion.

Professional esports organizations now implement comprehensive educational programs about authorized software usage, recognizing that cultural understanding gaps can have career-ending consequences.

Ilya Globa faces a permanent competitive exclusion that won’t be reconsidered under revised enforcement protocols similar to Jamppi’s situation — the Finnish professional will regain competitive eligibility in 2023. Even FURIA’s roster member drop, who received restrictions for skin alteration usage in 2016, eventually had his competitive limitations removed.

Based on tr3vl’s account, Valve’s final determination stated “We were unable to determine precisely what software he utilized, therefore we cannot lift his ban under any conditions.” Even accepting his version as accurate, considering the corporation’s established enforcement framework, Jame’s public appeal won’t alter the outcome. Nevertheless, he fulfilled his commitment to his companion from one of Counter-Strike’s most prestigious competitive platforms.

Ax1Le is carrying Cloud9 on Rio Major with sh1ro. Did you know he nearly got VAC due to account breach?
Who would have carried Cloud9 then?

The contrasting outcomes between tr3vl’s permanent ban and other players’ temporary restrictions highlight Valve’s case-by-case evaluation process. Factors influencing these decisions include the specific software employed, the competitive context of usage, and the player’s transparency during investigations.

Professional players should understand that early-career infractions, even for seemingly minor violations, can have lifelong competitive consequences. Organizations now emphasize comprehensive compliance training during player onboarding to prevent similar career-derailing incidents.

No reproduction without permission：Game Guides » Jame’s first words after winning the Major was a request to unban his friend, but it wasn’t translated. Who is tr3vl? Exploring Jame's emotional Major victory plea and the untold story of tr3vl's controversial VAC ban