Valve finds conflict of interest in seven CS:GO teams

Companies that host esports leagues and tournaments are always on the lookout for conflict of interests. According to Investopedia, a conflict of interest occurs when “an entity or individual becomes unreliable because of a clash between personal (or self-serving) interests and professional duties or responsibilities”. HLTV discovered that Valve supposedly sent an email to seven CS:GO teams containing an ultimatum. After reviewing their declarations of interest, Valve found three instances of conflict of interest. Valve’s ultimatum asks for concerned teams to solve these issues if they want to participate in future tournaments.

CS:GO Conflicts of Interest

Yeah Gaming

The Brazilian team currently has four owners that have ties with other esports organizations. First, Wilton “zews” Prado is part of Evil Geniuses as a coach. Epitacio “TACO” de Melo is a professional MIBR player and Ricardo “dead” Sinigaglia is its team manager and coach. Furthermore, Marcelo “coldzera” David is currently playing professionally for FaZe. If one of these three teams were to face Yeah Gaming, it will create a situation where these teams have an unfair advantage.

Image credits to Yeah Gaming.

However, there is still more to this situation. Immortals Gaming Club is MIBR’s parent company and has an agreement with Yeah Gaming. Twice a year, IGC is able to buy out a player from Yeah at a set price. This is clearly a situation showcasing conflicts of interest. Even if the four owners claimed to have no decisional power in Yeah, they still must find a solution to solve this problem.

GeT_RiGhT and lurppis

Christopher “GeT_RiGhT” Alesund plays for Dignitas but also owns stakes in NIP. While Tomi “lurppis” Kovanen is working for IGC, he still owns some shares. When someone owns a share of a company, they want it to succeed. If this company is this person’s employer’s competitor, it can create situations like match-fixing.

Valve’s Ultimatum

Valve’s response after analyzing all these reports is normal. After all, its goals are to erase any instances that can be “a threat to the integrity of the Majors” and preserve the integrity of the CS:GO esports scene. Valve’s ultimatum gives them until the next Major to settle things. The next Major is a $2 million cash prize tournament creates a powerful incentive. Fans can expect to see some shares being sold or some changes in allegiance before the beginning of the next Major.

Written by Charles FUSTER