The Dota 2 scene was unpleasantly greeted with groundbreaking information days earlier than The Worldwide 15, with LGD Gaming’s prodigy Santiago “TaiLung” Agüero Gustavo getting banned from the match and all future PGL occasions for all times.
The 17-year-old Peruvian was closely suspected of potential aggressive integrity points – so dangerous that his personal crew needed to reportedly snitch on him.
A case like this has, in fact, despatched shockwaves to the group, notably these in South America. Filipe “Astini” Ribeiro, a Brazilian Dota 2 coach, had loads to say concerning the matter, so I made a decision to shoot him a message, and he responded.
He didn’t maintain again, and truthfully went even additional than I anticipated – issues go even deeper than match-fixing in South America. Right here’s what he needed to say.
Did TaiLung know what he was doing?
Astini is a reasonably high-profile coach from South America, having labored with quite a few groups from the area, however he has additionally gone worldwide. You’ve most likely heard of him from his most notable stint with PARIVISION, the place he helped the crew place within the high three at TI14 final yr.
He’s labored with quite a few South American gamers earlier than, however Astini advised me he had barely interacted with TaiLung straight. He solely remembers one attainable interplay.
Astini’s pal, CaioGordo, advised him about Osito (TaiLung’s former in-game title) and Máximo “Wits” Orozco Alza (now PlayTime’s carry) once they had been 14 and 15 years previous. He did a 30-minute teaching session with a crew that had one of many two prospects, and he can’t even recall which one.
Quick ahead to his most up-to-date ban, and many in the neighborhood have sympathized with TaiLung. Folks argued that perhaps {the teenager} didn’t perceive the implications, or could possibly be influenced by others into doing what he did,
Properly, Astini doesn’t purchase it.
“This ‘was only a child’ narrative is a really weak argument to defend criminals,” he advised me. “The most important streamers in Peru had been banned for matchfixing. They know what occurs. They only suppose they gained’t be caught and that the risk-reward ratio pays off.”
In response to him, TaiLung wasn’t this naive teenager who discovered himself in a nasty scenario – the child knew what he was entering into.
Why is South America plagued with match-fixing?
TaiLung’s case isn’t the primary time one thing like this has occurred in South America. Actually simply final month, we had PlayTime’s scandal involving Gonzalo “DarkMago” Herrera and Juan “Classic” Angulo whereas they had been competing on the Esports World Cup.
If you happen to’re a Peruvian professional like TaiLung or DarkMago, enjoying for high squads like LGD Gaming and PlayTime, you’re most likely getting paid salaries in USD. Getting such salaries ought to already be greater than sufficient to place you in a snug spot residing in South America. So, why do they nonetheless become involved?
“Peru esports tradition is to suppose quick time period,” Astini stated. “Even when they’re making wage, match-fixing will all the time pay extra. However they normally begin on Tier 3/Tier 2 the place they don’t make a lot cash. They usually keep endlessly.”
A second disaster: dishonest
Probably the most attention-grabbing half about my chat with Astini was his perception on cheaters in South America.
Match-fixing has been the recent subject, however in keeping with him, it’s not the one factor dragging the area down.
“Dishonest can also be an enormous drawback not solely in SA, but additionally in NA. Certain, NA is a useless area for 99 causes, however one of many greatest ones is that there are a whole lot of Peruvians utilizing cheats in Open Qualifiers to go to Closed Qualifiers, then match-fix there,” he defined.
“So, new expertise in NA won’t ever go previous Open Qualifiers in the event that they meet the improper Peruvian crew on their path.”
For these with restricted betting data: you’ll be able to’t match-fix in any sequence. Bookies gained’t open markets for Open Qualifier matches, the place issues can get very sussy. Nevertheless, when you make it to the Closed Qualifiers for an enormous occasion like TI, many websites will truly open the gates.
So, Astini claims Peruvians have been dishonest in Open Qualifiers – even collaborating in North American ones – to work their approach up the place the dough is at. “Beforehand, you wanted to be no less than considerably good on the recreation to match-fix, to make it to a match to repair,” Astini stated. “However now they qualify by hacking, then match-fix.”
He was fast to level out he’s not simply speculating both. “Earlier than folks name me loopy, there was an ESIC ban wave made on Peruvian scripters and hackers lately.”
Crew Falcons coach Kurtis “Aui_2000” Ling additionally suspected TaiLung of probably utilizing scripts or a macro as a result of he was toggling his Armlet of Mordiggian on Huskar nearly completely.
I requested Astini if he agreed.
“I don’t have a last opinion on TaiLung utilizing scripts. What I can inform you is it’s very doubtless,” Astini stated. He then went on to inform me that TaiLung may be very shut associates with a selected participant he believes used cheats.
Who’s saving South America now?
If you happen to’ve been following the skilled Dota 2 scene this season, you would’ve simply seen that TaiLung was set as much as be the area’s subsequent famous person. So, who’s going to avoid wasting the area now?
Me and Astini had been in fast settlement – Wits, PlayTime’s carry, who performed alongside each TaiLung and DarkMago earlier than they acquired caught.
At solely 18, Wits has been placing in some critical work for PlayTime, but it surely’s even crazier to suppose that his progress might have been derailed by enjoying with the 2 banned gamers all through his profession.
I imply, after breaking free from these chains, Wits instantly gained Video games of the Future 2026, a million-dollar match.
“Wits deserves all of the reward,” Astini stated. “All of the power the Peruvian group places into making an attempt to guard the hackers and match-fixers ought to be put into praising this man. Scofield, Wits, Elmisho – F*CKING LEGENDS!”
As for whether or not the area can truly get well from back-to-back scandals, Astini is surprisingly optimistic, so long as we proceed clearing folks out.
He stated: “Brief time period, it’d harm a bit. But when the responsible guys, and I swear to you it’s no less than half the playerbase on Closed Qualifiers, get punished, it should open house for brand spanking new expertise. Lengthy-term, it will likely be good for the area. And once more, not solely SA, but additionally NA.”
Bans apart, the South American scene has regarded fairly promising over the previous month, so I can see the place his hope is coming from. PlayTime has been wanting nice for the reason that entire ordeal, and Wits has been successful the hearts of many.
Now our eyes ought to flip to LGD Gaming, who’ll be repping South America at TI15 in just a few days.
