Thai eSports goddess cheats against Vietnam national team, suffers crushing defeat, yet continues to plead her innocence.

A Thai female esports player has caused a stir at the 33rd SEA Games by speaking out against a cheating penalty. She was found guilty of misconduct by the organizers during a match against the Vietnamese team and was immediately disqualified from the tournament, sparking intense debate about transparency.

Semifinal scandal: Hardware tampering to cheat?

The earthquake began on December 15th, during the dramatic semi-final match between the Vietnamese and Thai women's Arena of Valor teams. The technical department detected unusual activity on Tokyogurl 's equipment. After a rigorous technical inspection, the Head of eSports Technical Department of Thailand confirmed that Naphat Warasin had violated section 9.4.3 of the eSports Technical Manual, relating to the use of unauthorized software or physical manipulation of equipment to interfere with the competition.

The highest form of disciplinary action was immediately applied on December 16th: Tokyogurl was removed from the list of competitors at the 33rd SEA Games. The repercussions didn't stop there; TESF President Santi Lothong announced that the entire Thai women's team would withdraw from the tournament, missing their final match against Laos. This decision was seen as a strong move to protect the reputation of Thai esports after a scandal that tarnished the spirit of fair play.

The "Goddess's" Confession: Crying and protesting her innocence due to stress.

Despite the disciplinary decisions being implemented, Tokyogurl still had controversial responses before officially locking all her social media channels. Responding to fans, she asserted her innocence: "If I cheated, I would have won. How could I possibly cheat when I was competing by myself?" The female player explained that the phone connection cable that people suspected could not possibly be used to share the screen or interfere with the game.

Naphat stated that she faced immense psychological pressure, leading to panic attacks and hospitalization immediately after the match. Even her controversial "middle finger" gesture in front of the cameras was explained as an unintentional joke with friends due to extreme stress. "I was severely stressed, panicked to the point of fainting, and had to be hospitalized," Naphat asserted, claiming that what viewers saw was simply a misunderstanding of the visuals during a moment when she was not in control of her emotions.

The downfall of an icon of beauty and talent.

Before the controversy, Naphat Warasin was considered a new icon of the generation of female esports athletes in Southeast Asia. With her pretty appearance and large fan base, she carried expectations of presenting a talented and radiant image on the international stage. However, being fired by her management company immediately after the incident shows the seriousness of this unethical behavior.

Tokyogurl's scandal is not only a personal tragedy but also a costly lesson for athlete management in major tournaments. While the Vietnamese women's team marched straight to the championship and convincingly won the SEA Games 33 gold medal, the shadow of this cheating scandal will haunt Naphat's career and the Thai Arena of Valor community for a long time. The downfall of an esports "goddess" shows that, in esports, talent and beauty are meaningless without honesty and transparency.

Nguyen Khanh Linh: The female athlete who caused a sensation at SEA Games 33, her beauty wowed netizens. Minh Hạ14:10:18 17/12/2025Not only did she make her mark with professional achievements, but Nguyen Khanh Linh, a young athlete of the Vietnamese athletics team, also unexpectedly became a name frequently mentioned in the Thai media at the 33rd SEA Games.