Team Liquid’s Nisha Linked to Battle Cup Smurf With Russian Flag

A Dota 2 account allegedly linked to Team Liquid midlaner Michał ‘Nisha’ Jankowski was spotted on a Battle Cup team whose logo featured a Russian flag, even though Jankowski was logged in an official Team Liquid match at the same time.

Players noticed the team name and logo during Valve’s weekly Battle Cup on May 31, 2026. Early claims that Jankowski had personally played in the Battle Cup match were contradicted by match records showing him in a sanctioned fixture against Aurora. Team Liquid’s coach posted a statement that led to the removal of the original discussion thread and to a change in the suspected profile’s nickname.

Community members examined the profile further. The account displayed a Polish flag, used the name Jankos, and reached Rank 1 on the Dota 2 leaderboard. Those details aligned with the player’s nationality, a nickname Jankowski has used previously, and public attention around his leaderboard position.

Andrii ‘Ghostik’ Kadyk, head coach of Ukraine’s Dota 2 national team and a serviceman in the Azov Regiment, told reporters the connection ‘has long been known within the high-MMR community.’

Some players proposed that Jankowski may have shared access to the smurf account with third parties who then entered the Battle Cup under the contentious name and logo. Steam’s terms of service and Valve’s rules for Dota 2 prohibit account sharing. Only an internal review by Valve can confirm whether the account owner or another person used the profile during the event.

If Valve finds a breach of its rules, penalties can include actions against the account and sanctions for players who shared access. In past cases of proven account sharing, affected accounts have received bans and competitive restrictions.

Jankowski remains a regular member of Team Liquid’s Dota 2 roster and appeared in the official match log for the Team Liquid vs. Aurora game. The wider European and Ukrainian competitive scene is preparing for events including Esports World Cup 2026 qualifiers, where organizers enforce rules against account sharing to protect competitive integrity.

The matter is unresolved pending comment from Valve. Team Liquid and Jankowski have not issued a detailed public denial addressing the specific smurf allegations.