Traditional sports are plagued by all kinds of controversies – doping, personal player scandals and match fixing cause outrage, but are expected. It appears that eSports is reaching that point, too, as a match fixing scandal was revealed at the highest levels of play. Unfortunately, it also led a player to try to take his own life.
Former ADC of ahq Korea, Promise (aka Pimir, aka patience, aka MinKi Cheon) took to inven to reveal the awful underbelly of eSports. You can read the entire translation over on Reddit. According to Promise, during the 2013 League of Legends Championships, the team manager Noh told the teammates a series of lies about needing to lose specific matches. These including matches against major teams KT and CJ. Promise and Actscene (another ahq Korea player) were apparently the only ones involved in game fixing, with other teammates finding out about it after the games.
Of course the big question is why. Was it just pure greed? Well, according to Promise’s statements:
When we first made the team, AHQ didnt actually sponsor us in cash. THey just gave us gaming gear and the team name. Manager Noh borrowed money for our living costs, housing, computer, our pay etc. Players didnt know about this and learned about it later. He was going to play illegal sports gambling by fixing games to pay back all the borrowed money + make profits.
So this top tier team wasn’t actually sponsored for salaries and living costs, only their gaming gear. This led their manager to borrow money, later hoping to recoup those costs through match fixing and illegal gambling? What a sad state of affairs. Korea is usually the pioneers when it comes to eSports, I just worry about what we may see globally in the coming years. Apparently another top player, ReSEt of team KT also tried to reveal it to the public last year, but failed as the manager sued him for libel.
Promise couldn’t handle the guilt and shame as a result of this match fixing scandal, posting a suicide note to his Facebook page. He then proceeded to jump off a 12 story building in an attempt to take his own life. He survived the fall, first going into a coma before waking up in critical condition. It is such a terrible shame that this awful situation led him to feel the only solution was to take his own life. Here’s hoping that he makes a speedy recovery and is rewarded by the eSports community for exposing this awful underbelly. I hope Riot helps support players, giving them an anonymous way to report these problems and ensure they are protected from predatory sponsorships and managements.
Last Updated: March 13, 2014
Gerhard Davids
March 13, 2014 at 11:33
Man that’s hectic.
There’s a dark side to everything (except cake) and seeing it is never fun.
ToshZA
March 13, 2014 at 11:36
http://www.quickfoodrecipes.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Hersheys-Decadent-Dark-Chocolate-Cake.jpg
That looks pretty dark to me.
Gerhard Davids
March 13, 2014 at 11:39
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!!!
ToshZA
March 13, 2014 at 11:43
Dunno, but now I want some. And I don’t even like cake.
TiMsTeR1033
March 13, 2014 at 11:55
Who doesn’t like cake…. you like other sweet things surely?
ToshZA
March 13, 2014 at 12:00
Not really, no. I’ve never been much for sweets or chocolates. As an example, a slab of chocolate takes me a month to finish.
TiMsTeR1033
March 13, 2014 at 12:01
Damn takes me 5 minutes.
Alien Emperor Trevor
March 13, 2014 at 11:44
Great. Now I want chocolate cake.
VampyreSquirrel
March 13, 2014 at 11:47
I’ve wanted cake since yesterday… Damn you @rincethis:disqus
Alien Emperor Trevor
March 13, 2014 at 11:51
I had some of his mom’s cake on Tuesday. It was great.
And you know what the best part of saying that is? It has layers of innuendo & literal truth.
Admiral Chief of comments
March 13, 2014 at 11:56
Jou ma se koek?
TiMsTeR1033
March 13, 2014 at 11:56
is baie lekker?
VampyreSquirrel
March 13, 2014 at 11:58
lol… the pun in that is kinda dodgy… funny, but dodgy.
Rince’s mom, has got it going on… in the kitchen, serving cake
TiMsTeR1033
March 13, 2014 at 11:59
*shakes head*
RinceIsIngwer
March 13, 2014 at 12:02
Damn bro.
TiMsTeR1033
March 13, 2014 at 12:03
I want some of your moms cake!
Hammersteyn
March 13, 2014 at 11:46
light cant escape it!
Admiral Chief of comments
March 13, 2014 at 11:56
But WHY the silly sprinkles?????
TiMsTeR1033
March 13, 2014 at 11:57
They add PAZAZZ!
Admiral Chief of comments
March 13, 2014 at 11:58
Pah, a Jedi craves not pazazz
TiMsTeR1033
March 13, 2014 at 11:59
The sprinkles are there to make you feel like a kid again when eating it.
TiMsTeR1033
March 13, 2014 at 11:57
Fuck it I want that cake!!!
Alien Emperor Trevor
March 13, 2014 at 11:58
Apple pie doesn’t cut it anymore?
TiMsTeR1033
March 13, 2014 at 11:58
no it doesn’t!
Alien Emperor Trevor
March 13, 2014 at 11:37
Chocolate cake has a dark side :/
Kensei Seraph
March 13, 2014 at 11:47
Portal, enough said.
Gerhard Davids
March 13, 2014 at 11:53
That wasn’t cake… that was a lie!
Kensei Seraph
March 13, 2014 at 12:03
The dark side of cake is when it’s a lie.
Idea for the next Portal game Portal 3: The Dark Side of Cake.
Unavengedavo(aka. Bilbo)
March 13, 2014 at 12:29
Fruit Cake?
ToshZA
March 13, 2014 at 11:37
I wonder if certain individuals in this country are involved in this sort of thing. Wouldn’t surprise me.
Edit: no, I’m not saying anyone actually is, and I’m not calling out any names or pointing fingers. It just wouldn’t surprise me.
Stephen Snook
March 13, 2014 at 11:39
Pretty crazy that he survived a fall like that.
VampyreSquirrel
March 13, 2014 at 11:48
Agreed
TiMsTeR1033
March 13, 2014 at 11:56
He was ,what one calls LUCKY.
Ultimo_Cleric N7
March 13, 2014 at 22:28
Or had an item equipped granting an aura of armor.
Umar Praise The Golden Sun
March 13, 2014 at 11:39
The hell, not making fun but Seppuku????????
Damn man…..This is horrible
Alien Emperor Trevor
March 13, 2014 at 11:39
…
RinceIsIngwer
March 13, 2014 at 11:40
Eish.
Hammersteyn
March 13, 2014 at 11:52
Look at their uniforms. These guys mean business. No wonder he took it so bad. Hope he makes a full recovery.
SargonTheGreatPandaOfAkkad
March 13, 2014 at 12:16
What is LoL, precious….?
Sk3tz0
March 13, 2014 at 12:28
Hectic… Those hairstyle my word…
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
March 13, 2014 at 15:02
Wow! I actually had to read the article twice. I couldn’t believe my eyes. hectic!
Thomas Gour
March 13, 2014 at 17:39
This picture is AHQ TW, not KR…
Ultimo_Cleric N7
March 13, 2014 at 22:26
My word that’s terrible. Also…. HOW THE HELL DOES SOMEONE SURVIVE A 12 STORY FALL!?!??! Obviously had an item equipped granting +10 to hp and armor.
But back in real life, Hope he gets better soon.