Is Match-Fixing Ruining Esports Reputation?

Every sport around the world, both big and small, at some point in its history, has had some big match-fixing or game-fixing scandal at the highest level, but many of these sports have been typically well-received by a wider audience from the go. Esports has always been in a tricky position, whilst it appeals widely to a younger audience, there has been some difficulty getting an older audience typically more attracted by traditional sporting on board, and big scandals from the offset certainly don’t help. With consistent reports year on year of match-fixing, is it harming esports reputation?

The early CS:GO situation, and recent issues – Perhaps the most well-known instance of match-fixing occurred way back in 2014 that led to an entire team being permanently banned from Valve sponsored events, although there are some that justify the actions back then as prize pools and salaries were still very small and esports had only just started to emerge, it certainly leaves a bit of a black stain on the game.

Along the way, we’ve seen other instances of cheating such as the coach scandal, but recently once again more reports of match-fixing in the North American scene as many players made the shift from Counter-Strike to Valorant – what has been more impactful this second time around however is that it comes at a time where being a professional esports athlete comes with many perks, and even in the tier 2 scene being caught up in a scandal doesn’t help any permanent prospects. 

It’s also important to consider at this time that a developing betting market was starting to form as esports betting had hit new highs, and with operators jumping on board with a growing number of services available not on gamstop through sites like Max Casinos, big scandals certainly discourage some knowing that there are known risks in match-fixing. 

The latest from LoL – Another recent story has come as Zhou “Bo” Yang-Bo, jungler for FPX, had turned himself over to League officials for being coerced into match-fixing, one of the first big instances in professional League of Legends. Whilst certainly not on the same level as Counter-Strike, it does show that it is a problem even in games where the money is much less of an issue today, there are still instances where it can happen. Bo has since received a suspension for now, but it may also be an instance where precedence needs to be set and something harsher is decided upon. 

Given esports is still so young, and still, in a period of rapid growth, it does raise the question of just how these scandals will impact the growth of esports as a whole – especially given there are fears that match-fixing is rampant in smaller games and amateur scenes too. The change will certainly need to be made with stricter rulings and a better approach, but it’s just whether or not it’ll be too late to make a difference when change is made.