YouTube accidentally deleted Team Falcons’ legitimate CS2 channel after scam advertisements impersonating star AWPer Nikola “NiKo” Kovač flooded the platform — but the account was reinstated within 24 hours following a public apology.
What Happened
Over the past few years, fake livestreams and scam ads promising free cryptocurrency have proliferated across Twitch and YouTube, often impersonating major creators like MrBeast, PewDiePie, and esports stars like s1mple. In Falcons’ case, scammers used NiKo’s likeness to promote fake case openings and in-game events during a major CS2 tournament.
Players, fans, and NiKo himself urged YouTube to remove the fraudulent ads. Instead, on June 11, the platform removed Falcons’ actual verified channel rather than the scam content.
The Reinstatement
CS content creator Erik “fl0m” Flom publicly flagged the mistake on X, writing: “YouTube didn’t remove the ads and to my knowledge have now banned the legitimate falconsCS account on YouTube.”
YouTube responded on June 12 with an apology, confirming the channel had been reinstated: “Your channel has been reinstated! This was a mistake on our end, we’re so sorry. We also terminated the channel that was reported earlier.”
A Cautionary Tale
The incident highlights the ongoing struggle platforms face with esports impersonation scams — and the collateral damage legitimate organizations can suffer when automated moderation systems misfire.