The recent TI12 qualifiers for Dota 2 have been overshadowed by allegations of match-fixing involving three Chinese teams: Team Bright, Team Disillusion, and Holy Grail. These allegations were brought to light by JieChuGe, a prominent caster in the Chinese Dota 2 scene, who has a track record of exposing match-fixing.
JieChuGe's allegations are supported by hard evidence, including in-game voice comms of the members of Holy Grail discussing match-fixing strategies during a game in the TI12 qualifiers. The evidence also reveals discussions about what to do if they are caught, including threats against those who expose them.
There are indications that Team Disillusion and Team Bright may have also been involved in the match-fixing scheme. JieChuGe has forwarded the evidence to organizations such as Perfect World, ESL, and Valve, but there has been no official response yet.
The players allegedly involved in the scandal are Tang “Summer” Kaiwen, Gan “GaN–” Hou Sing, Hu “dolem” Sen, Duan “Dqq” Songjun, Wang “sj” Sijie from Holy Grail; Lu “L’enfer, c’est les autres” Yubin, Liew “Eren” Jun Jie, Chen “Small.Kk” Zhichao, Wang “AYuNiD” Wei, Li “RanFuDao” Xinyuan from Team Disillusion; and Li “Undyne_” Qiancheng, Hu “Upon a Time.” Xin, Yuan “phoenix” Cewei, Li “Irving” Jian, and Chen “imitator” Ren from Team Bright.
This scandal comes at a time when there are concerns about the declining state of the Chinese Dota 2 scene. The representation of Chinese teams at The International has significantly decreased over the years, raising questions about the professional competition system and the actions taken by organizations like PerfectWorld and Valve. Prominent player Yang “Chalice” Shenyi has warned that this could lead to reduced investment in Chinese Dota 2 and a potential downfall of the region's esports scene.
The TI12 qualifiers scandal involving match-fixing allegations against Chinese teams has raised serious concerns about the integrity of the Dota 2 competitive scene. It remains to be seen how Perfect World, ESL, and Valve will respond to these allegations and what actions will be taken to address the issue. The outcome of this situation will have significant implications for the future of Chinese Dota 2 and the esports industry as a whole.
