 On 13 April 2010, Ma was implicated in a cheating scandal involving several Korean pro gamers, illegal betting websites, and allegations of games being deliberately lost.By May, it was alleged that the "Maestro" had been a ring-leader in a scheme that saw at least 12 StarCraft matches deliberately lost and eleven pro-gamers (current and former) implicated.He was subsequently banned for life from professional competition and it has been reported that all awards and honorary achievements have been revoked.