EDIT: Riot Games have told Sheep Esports they're not responsible for this communication — it came from Webedia, the organizer of EMEA Masters.

In a statement published on X on Wednesday, Riot Games revealed that Ismaïl "ISMA" Boualem should not have been allowed to participate in the EMEA Masters Winter Split with Karmine Corp Blue, due to league regulations. The tournament operator (TO) apologized and took full responsibility for the mistake, committing to handle such situations better in the future to ensure more consistent enforcement of the rules.

According to the EM regulations, two specific rules should have prevented ISMA from participating in the EMEA Masters:

The Isma-Boukada Swap

As a reminder, ISMA played the Winter Split in the LEC with SK Gaming, finishing in 9th place. Following that, an agreement was reached between SK and Karmine Corp to swap junglers: Mehdi "Boukada" Lahlou moved up to the LEC, while ISMA went the other way. This exchange was finalized on February 27, the same day as the LFL final, meaning his inclusion on the EMEA Masters roster should not have been permitted.

By the time the issue was identified and escalated to Riot Games, Webedia was faced with two options: either prevent ISMA from participating in the EMEA Masters—effectively punishing KCB, who would have been left without a jungler—or allow him to play and preserve the team’s competitiveness. This was especially relevant as the team was already weakened by the absence of their support, Kim "Piero" Jung-hun, who was replaced at the last minute due to visa issues by KC Blue Star support Emilien "Nsurr" Gergaud. Given the difficult circumstances at the time, the TO decided in alignment with Riot Games to let the Franco-Belgian jungler play for the Blue Wall, despite knowing it was against the rules and has since apologized for the mistake.

ISMA has since played the EMEA Masters with KCB, falling short in the semifinals against Ici Japon Corp, and was then immediately promoted back to the LEC—this time with GIANTX, who had been weakened by Can "Closer" Çelik's departure due to personal reasons. It’s been an unusual offseason for the LEC, one that created a unique and complex situation for Webedia to manage.