A bunch of alleged Counter-Strike matchfixers determined to make a sudden swap to League of Legends professional play, leading to a “faux” professional crew that obtained caught after their very first collection.
It’s more and more frequent for tier 2 esports leagues to be a hotbed for matchfixing and rigged matches, to the purpose that it’s been alleged matchfixing is the one cause groups in these leagues keep afloat.
A Valorant scandal hit earlier this yr that alleged tier 2 groups have been betting lots of of hundreds of {dollars} on matches, and comparable scandals have come to cross in League of Legends through the years. China’s tier 2 league is especially infamous for this, with one bust leading to virtually 40 gamers getting banned.
Article continues after advert
Nonetheless, one Lithuanian esports crew within the Rift Legends league was so unhealthy at hiding it that they obtained caught after their first match and have been thrown out of the league.
Article continues after advert
LoL crew instantly banned for creating faux crew to matchfix
It’s no secret that competing in tier 2 esports leagues isn’t probably the most worthwhile enterprise on the market. The price of sustaining a crew is so excessive that Riot Video games needed to exempt groups within the LCS (now LTA) from fielding a compulsory tier 2 roster in order that orgs within the league might keep afloat.
Article continues after advert
However, whereas there aren’t some ways to earn money off of fielding esports groups on this league, some lower than authorized means are on the market for groups to make a fast buck.
A crew referred to as MY STAR dumped its whole roster forward of the Rift Legends 2025 Summer season Break up and fielded a wholly new one, with not one of the gamers from the prior crew having something lined up. Additionally they signed substitute gamers last-minute to skirt regional restrictions.
Article continues after advert
MY STAR fully threw the primary sport, with some gamers trying like they’d by no means touched League of Legends of their lives. Balukos specifically had it tough, with him dying 5 occasions in lane by the ten minute mark.
Article continues after advert
By the way in which, it’s potential to guess on how unhealthy a sure participant will get beat in lane on sure betting websites, which may very well be a potential motivation for this participant specifically fully throwing the lane.
Article continues after advert
That is on high of kory and LakatosD being accused of matchfixing in Counter-Strike, although they’re each nonetheless allowed to compete because the allegations have been by no means confirmed. kory’s LoL title is similar, whereas LakatosD goes by SZLOBESZKOV in Counter-Strike.
Viewers additionally observed that the gamers’ expressions within the webcams not often modified and that none of them talked for all the length of each matches, a weird incidence for a professional sport.
What’s extra, the webcam for the participant labeled as Balukos matches the looks of Lesterik, a former fundamental roster participant who had been moved to “substitute”.
Article continues after advert
Balukos’ title is listed as Luka Glisic, whereas Lesterik’s title is Danijel Šego, making it unimaginable to inform in the event that they actually did get a brand new participant and simply looped their former participant’s webcam or if the “actual” Lesterik was actively taking part in for the crew.
Article continues after advert
Ruf is the one participant who has proof he was truly taking part in, with the sport’s draft being mirrored in his glasses. Nonetheless, he wasn’t speaking in any respect. Somewhat, he spent a good portion of his time typing and observing his second monitor, prone to talk with the actual teammates he was taking part in with fairly than the individuals on their webcams.
Article continues after advert
Rift LegendsMY STAR’s webcams seemed like this for all the collection, with gamers blankly staring in random instructions and saying nothing
In consequence, all the org has been booted from the league efficient instantly for matchfixing and breaking a number of elements of the league’s code of conduct. Extra data may be discovered on this Reddit submit from dudanced, a passionate fan of the league who recapped the leadup to this crew’s ban.
Rift Legends is bringing the problem to Riot instantly and will pursue authorized motion in opposition to the crew for damaging the league’s picture.
Article continues after advert
