Notorious Dota 2 pro released from team after mafia betting, match-fixing claims

Under-fire Dota 2 pro player Tommy “Taiga” Le has been dropped from South American squad Leviatán today after just a month as the fallout from match-fixing allegations continues to leave a mark on the 25-year-old’s storied career.

Taiga was unceremoniously dumped from Leviatán on April 16, with the organization stating on Facebook the parting was mutual, though the statement did make it clear the allegations had taken their toll. “Leviatán rejects any unsportsmanlike attitude and we reinforce our values based on integrity,” a translated version of the post said. Indonesian player Kenny “Xepher” Deo will reportedly replace Taiga, according to Leviatán’s lineup on Liquipedia, for this week’s EPL World Series: America match.

Taiga backflipped on his February 2024 decision to retire from competitive Dota after just a month, linking up with the Argentinian org as part of its entrance into the esport in March. The squad had yet to truly catch fire, finishing fourth in the South American closed qualifier for PGL Wallachia before the support player departed the team.

Taiga’s second exit from Dota comes after heavy allegations of match-fixing Dota 2 matches throughout his career, specifically centered around his time on OG in 2022 and 2023. He was also accused of leaking insider knowledge and scrim information under the threat of blackmail from a group of Russian match-fixers known as the “322 Mafia.”

OG originally condemned Taiga’s actions following an independent investigation of its own, stating the org “maintained neutrality on the issue without substantial evidence to the contrary” before the investigation’s conclusion. Following this, Taiga linked up with Bleed Esports but after poor results, chose to announce his retirement from Dota 2 competition and instead took up streaming on Kick before returning for Leviatán.

It is unclear whether Taiga will suit up for another competitive Dota 2 team, with the 25-year-old immediately returning to Kick to stream today. Neither Valve nor any official organizer have publicly acknowledged the allegations against Taiga.