Incident Overview

A professional Dota 2 player claims he was forced to play a full match of the game in front of police officers to verify his identity during a raid.

Nuengnara "23savage" Teeramahanon, a hard carry player for Xipto eSports, reported on Facebook that his team's boot camp in Kuala Lumpur was raided by police. He detailed how officers allegedly handcuffed the team and confiscated their belongings.

The officers interrogated the players about their presence in the city and their claims of being professional gamers. According to 23savage, one officer seemed familiar with Dota and checked the player's Instagram for evidence of his career.

A recent photo of 23savage with Malaysian influencer Ms. Puiyi was reportedly deemed somewhat acceptable proof. This led the police to remove his handcuffs and proceed to a more direct test of his skills: playing Dota 2.

The Live Demonstration

23savage then initiated a Dota match in front of the officers, achieving 32 kills as the hard carry Kez. He claims this performance was sufficient to convince the police to release the team, though he also alleged they took two jars of Nutella when leaving.

Public Skepticism

The player's account has been met with skepticism from commenters and Reddit users, many of whom believe the story is a joke. Despite the doubts, 23savage has actively defended his claims in replies.

Team Performance

The alleged incident appears to have had no negative impact on Xipto eSports' performance. The team has been successfully climbing the ranks in SEA Dota, recently winning the EPL SEA tournament with an impressive 10-match win streak and no series losses. They are currently competing for a spot in the DreamLeague Season 30 tournament, with a roster including 23savage (Carry), inYourdreaM (Mid), Fbz (Offlane), Q (Support), and Oli (Support).

Dota 2's Current State

Dota 2 has seen notable player growth in 2026, reaching its highest player count since 2022. While the game continues to receive patches and content updates, Valve's primary focus is reportedly shifting towards a new MOBA titled Deadlock.