Starcraft 2 is one of the most popular e-sports in the world, particularly in Korea where it's followed with the avidity of a real sport - not that e-sports aren't real sports but, well, you know... E-sports are a big-money business in Korea, complete with TV deals, sponsorships, and celebrity status. As with any sport, when these things happen, the cracks of corruption start appearing pretty quickly. The first major Starcraft match-fixing scandal happened back in 2010, in the wake of which several players were banned and fined. In the wake of this, the Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA) began cracking down on cheating in e-sports. And it looks like the KeSPA is taking its job seriously, because just a few months ago another major match-fixing scandal was busted, with several players being paid off to throw matches. Five Starcraft 2 matches at a recent tournament were revealed to have been fixed, with players being bribed for several thousand pounds each to lose. The culprits, YoDa and BBoongBBoong (very big in Korea, so I hear) have been banned from e-Sports for life, and are set to receive hefty fines. Back to the cyber cafés they go.
Gamer, Researcher of strange things.
I'm a writer-editor hybrid whose writings on video games, technology and movies can be found across the internet. I've even ventured into the realm of current affairs on occasion but, unable to face reality, have retreated into expatiating on things on screens instead.
