iBuypower CSGO Scandal: Detailed Explanation of Match Fixing Drama

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) hit the streets in 2012 and since then, it’s been one of the most sought-after and competitive games out there. With the rise of eSports, it’s not surprising that the game’s popularity has only increased.

But, as they say, with great fame comes great responsibility, and in the case of CS:GO, that responsibility also includes dealing with scandals, bans, and toxic communities.

iBUYPOWER CSGO SCANDAL

One such scandal rocked the CS:GO professional community back in 2015 when North American teams iBUYPOWER and NetCodeGuides were caught in a match-fixing scandal that sent shockwaves across the gaming world.

So, what happened? Well, on August 20, 2014, iBUYPOWER and NetCodeGuides faced off in the CEVO Professional League’s Season Five. Despite being the fan-favorite, iBUYPOWER lost to NetCodeGuides with a final score of 16 – 4. The team claimed that their loss was due to jetlag and their lack of familiarity with the map.

But, as spectators and fans later noted, there were some strange and odd plays executed by iBUYPOWER, like randomly trying to get knife kills.

Initially, these rumors were dismissed, but then, eSports journalist Richard Lewis dropped a bombshell article on January 16, 2015, that blew the whole thing wide open.

Lewis’s article contained text and chat messages with Shahzeb “ShahZaM” Khan, who spilled the beans on how the match was fixed.

But, he didn’t disclose who was behind it.

Later that same year, Derek “dboorn” Boorn admitted in a series of screenshots that he had bet on the match with Duc “Cud” Pham, and that iBUYPOWER was supposed to lose.

Boorn used multiple alternate accounts to bet on the “CS:GO Lounge” site, and over $10k-worth of bets were placed on the match. After the game, Boorn distributed around $7k-worth of in-game skins. Valve investigated and confirmed unusual high-value-item betting patterns by Pham and Boorn.

And, as expected, Valve wasn’t amused. They banned Derek “dboorn” Boorn, Duc “cud” Pham, Sam “Dazed” Marine, Braxton “Swag” Pierce, Keven “AZK” Larivière, Joshua “Steel” Nissan, and Casey Foster (Founder of NetCodeGuides) from all professional tournaments sponsored by the company. The remaining players signed to NetCodeGuides left and formed another group called Mythic.

But, wait, there’s more! In 2017, iBUYPOWER players were unbanned from ESEA and ESL events, except for events partnered with Valve. DreamHack also lifted the indefinite bans on all players that year, allowing them to participate in future DreamHack events.

iBUYPOWER and NetCodeGuides scandal was the first major match-fixing scandal in CS:GO, smaller instances of cheating and match-fixing still occur. But, eSports organizations and gaming companies are fighting back and working tirelessly to combat these issues and ensure fair and competitive play.

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