ESIC launches the FairPlay Academy, an anti-cheating education programme

The Esport Integrity Commission (ESIC) has announced the launch of the FairPlay Academy, a new online learning platform to promote fair play and ethics within esports and gaming. Announced today (April 18) by release, the FairPlay Academy seeks to make educational resources available for stakeholders throughout esports.

Created by ESIC with the aim of creating knowledge, integrity and a culture of fair play amongst players, coaches, organizers, and fans, the FairPlay Academy is a resource available to all comers. 

The inaugural offering, the ESIC Anti-Corruption Tutorial, went live yesterday (April 17) and covers the challenges of corruption esports and gaming. The initial tutorial reportedly challenges corruption “head-on” tackling complex issues such as match-fixing and betting fraud. It engages participants with understandings of anti-corruption strategies and mitigation tactics.

This first tutorial was sponsored by GG.Bet, an Official Anti-Corruption Education Partner of the commission. However, ESIC states that there was ‘no external influence’ in the development of the course curriculum and that GG.Bet’s role was limited to the course funding.

esic launches fairplay academy
Image: ESIC / FairPlay Academy

As per the release, ESIC describes the new FairPlay Academy as an educational resource:

“The FairPlay Academy is poised to become a dynamic hub for educational content, with plans to continuously expand its library of tutorials. Future offerings will delve into a wide array of topics crucial to the global esports ecosystem, from anti-doping and responsible gaming to professional conduct and conflict of interest management.” ESIC on the new FairPlay Academy.

Stephen Hanna, chief executive officer of ESIC, emphasized the significance of the new initiative:

“The introduction of the FairPlay Academy marks another step forward in our ongoing efforts to champion integrity within esports. With the Anti-Corruption Tutorial leading the way, we are laying the foundation for a comprehensive educational framework that will empower stakeholders across the global esports industry.” Stephen Hanna, CEO of ESIC.

The new initiative can be seen as a bold new strategy for ESIC, traditionally seen as focused on the investigation of match-fixing after the fact. In 2020, the organization banned around 37 coaches for various periods due to a spectator bug in CSGO. The organization later faced huge scrutiny towards the end of 2022 and start of 2023 amid revelations about its actual powers being limited.

FairPlay Academy is a brand new online platform operated by ESIC aimed at promoting integrity and ethical practices within the esports industry. Through its comprehensive tutorials, FairPlay Academy empowers individuals across the esports ecosystem with the knowledge and tools necessary to foster a fair, transparent, and competitive gaming environment.

ESIC is the recognized guardian of the integrity of esports and works to disrupt, prevent, investigate, and prosecute all forms of cheating and malpractice in esports. Its overarching objective is to protect youth, promote industry investment, and safeguard the sporting integrity of esports.

Michael Hassall
Michael Hassall

Since: January 31, 2024

Michael has worked in the esports industry for five years after a brief career in marketing. A professional writer for almost a decade, and a lifelong gamer, writing about esports is his one true passion, when he’s not glued to a screen playing the games he writes about.

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