The Indian esports crew “We Back” hit a rough patch this week when two players got busted for using cheats, resulting in the whole team getting kicked out of the PUBG Mobile Global Championship (PMGC) 2025.
The squad was riding high after snagging second place in the PUBG Mobile National Championship (PMNC) Philippines, earning their spot in the PMGC through Southeast Asia qualifiers. With players KALEROG, JATTLYF, MICKEY, and INSANE, they were pumped for a major tournament. But that excitement didn’t last long.
Officials caught MICKEY and INSANE using illegal software in official matches. The punishment was quick and brutal: both players are banned from all PUBG Mobile events until August 2028, and the entire “We Back” team got the boot from PMGC 2025 before it even started.
A Blow to Indian Esports
This mess is a tough one for Indian esports fans. It brings back bad memories of the Forsaken incident, where Counter-Strike player Nikhil “Forsaken” Kumawat got caught using an aimbot at the eXTREMESLAND 2018 Finals in Shanghai. That disaster tanked India’s rep in global esports, leaving players facing doubt on the world stage.
Just when India was starting to rebuild trust and show off real talent, this new scandal drags the community back into a bad light. Industry folks say these kinds of incidents don’t just hurt the team involved—they make the whole scene look sketchy.
Bright Spots Amid the Controversy
Even with this letdown, Indian esports has some wins to celebrate. 2025 has been a big year, with Ved “Beelzeboy” Bamb making history as the first Indian to win the Pokémon GO World Championships.
On top of that, groups like S8UL Esports are holding it down at the Esports World Cup (EWC), and Global Esports is still competing in the Valorant Champions Tour, keeping India’s name strong in global competitions.