South Korean eSports world rocked by latest match fixing scandal

The eSports world has been rocked by another match-fixing scandal, underscoring the sports’ vulnerability to manipulation.

Early Monday, South Korean media began reporting that 12 individuals had been arrested in connection with a fixing scandal linked to Prime, a local StarCraft II team. The arrested figures include Prime coach Gerrard (Park Wae-Wik) and pro player YoDa (Choi Byeong-Heon), both of whom have been banned for life from competitive play in sanctioned eSports matches.

Others who found themselves under arrest include team member BBoongBBoong (Choi Jong-Hyuk) and former gamer and current eSports journalist Enough (Seong Jun-mo). Enough reportedly acted as a broker between players and two financial backers with ties to organized crime rings.

An investigation by the Changwon Regional Prosecutor’s Office and the Korean e-Sports Association (KeSPA) determined that a total of five matches in the Proleague and Global StarCraft II League (GSL) competitions this year were reportedly subject to tampering. KeSPA said they first got wind of the scandal via an anonymous tipster seeking a reward.