The Korea eSports Association have finished their investigation into the testimony of professional League of Legends player Promise, who attempted suicide last week after revealing the extent of match fixing within AHQ Korea.
After examining replays and audio files from Ongamenet and speaking to Promise’s former teammates, KeSPA have reported that his account of player coercion was mostly accurate – and will file a lawsuit against AHQ’s coach.
In spring 2013, AHQ Korea coach Mr Noh gathered his players together. The team had advanced to the round of 16 stage of OGN Champions, one of South Korea’s most prestigious tournaments.
Mr Noh, it is alleged, told his team that OGN had a tradition of taking an ‘advertisement fee’ from large qualifying eSports companies like AHQ. Noh said that, amid some language difficulties, he had refused to pay – and as a result, OGN were demanding that AHQ must throw their games against certain other Champions teams.
AHQ weren’t convinced. But according to KeSPA’s report, two of its players – Promise and ActScene – later agreed in private to help fix two upcoming matches against KTB and CJ Frost. They would do so in exchange for some of the money Noh said he had received from OGN.
KeSPA emphasise, in contrast to Promise’s post, that ActScene did not follow through on his agreement. His unwillingness to help throw the team’s match against KTB ensured they won one round – and the team lost their following match against CJ Frost not through any deliberate effort, but because they were distracted by events outside the game.
By the time of AHQ’s game against Najin, the entire team had refused a request from Noh to throw the match for individual $2000 payouts. After the game, they returned to their shared house to find all of their computers and equipment gone and were forced to prepare for their next match independently.
Player testimony has led KeSPA to conclude that only Promise took part in the match fixing. The organisation are in the process of filing a lawsuit against Mr Noh, and plan to use the details of their report as evidence in a case against him.
KeSPA’s ManSoo Choi added that his organisation will follow up with investigations into the treatment of other eSports teams.
Thanks to the League of Legends subreddit.