Match-fixing continues to be a persistent problem in Dota 2, with reports claiming that the Eastern European Dota 2 scene may also be rife with corruption.
The latest information regarding the region’s state surfaced in the form of a YouTube video by popular content creator Morf. The video, filled with allegations and evidence, was followed by community translations, which got Dota 2 fans from other regions up to speed.
According to translations, Morf collaborated with an “agent” to infiltrate the ranks of a private Discord server, The Red Book. Inside this closed group, players from the EEU region gathered to play Dota, and there was one individual named Anton Monetin, who previously held a coaching position at Winstrike Academy.
In this server, Anton was allegedly spotted talking about match-fixing and betting. It wouldn’t take long for Morf’s agent to establish contact with Anton. Shortly after the two parties got closer, Anton allegedly started offering the agent a chance to bet on fixed matches in exchange for splitting the winnings.
During this time, the agent was baffled by the sheer number of fixed matches and estimated that Anton could take home $2,800 to $4,000 monthly via his alleged match-fixing ring. From Chinese to NA DPC matches, there was always a match to bet on.
In NA, the main culprit was allegedly Thiuth Gaming, according to the agent. Thiuth was initially affected by a preseason ban wave that suspended Bauyrzhan “lilskrip” Bisembaev. In the reports, Thiuth was accused of acquiring a division one slot just to be able to match-fix on a more major stage. After the first DPC tour of 2023, Thiuth got relegated to the second division, and the team disbanded in March 2023.
Albert “alberkaaa” Chernoivanov from cybercats, Anatoliy “Lefitan” Krupnov, and Siarhei “HappyDyurara” Kharonzhy from HYDRA were also in the files, as the agent stated that there was an instance where HYDRA’s core players were allegedly paid to lose, while supports were paid to win.
In some cases, players were even required to cheat to guarantee they would win. The match-fixing ring allegedly went as far as creating a fully fixed tournament where five teams out of eight were in on the scam.
Just a month ago, over 40 players were banned from the Chinese Dota 2 league for their involvement in match-fixing. Considering Valve has been cracking down on match-fixer lately, Morf and his agent’s work can alert Valve to take a deeper look at what’s been going on under the hood.
