Leaked audio recording implicates ESEA MDL players of match-fixing

A leaked audio recording implicates former Rebirth players, Sebastian “retchy” Tropiano, Kevin “4pack” Przypasniak, and Carson “nosraC” O’Reilly of match-fixing. The players discuss fixing CS:GO matches in the ESEA MDL Season 35 CS: GO tournament, revealed Dust.us. The audio transcript also mentions Russian Canadian players, Alex "vek" Voynov and David "J0LZ" Jolin as being party to these discussions.

In the recording, retchy and 4pack discuss the fixing of two matches against Incognito and Russian Canadians. The recording has been verified by multiple premier players. The players discuss their plans to fix their match against Team Incognito. The conversation then shifts to intentionally losing the match against Russian Canadians. The match against Incognito was postponed twice while Russian Canadians ended up forfeiting their game. 

Retchy explains to 4pack that Rebirth had been planning to throw the game against Russian Canadians for several days. Throwing the game to Russian Canadians made the most sense as Russian Canadians needed the win while Rebirth did not said Retchy. The tasks would be relatively easy with Russian Canadian IGL, Alex "vek" Voynov having agreed to stream his in-game radar. This would allow the rebirth players to orchestrate their misreads in the game and make it look realistic. Vek had released a now-deleted Twitlonger in February denying any involvement in match-fixing, as reported by Richard Lewis for Dexerto. 

At this point, the transcript shows nosraC entering the conversation with doubts on whether vek would stream his radar. Retchy dismisses him saying that vek had ‘agreed to radar’ in return for ‘letting vek use two Bitcoin betting sites and share profit from those sites.’ The players also named David "J0LZ" Jolin as being ok with the arrangement. 

The recording surfaced days after ESIC commissioner Ian Smith revealed they are working with the FBI in investigating organized match-fixing in North America.

Here is the full transcript of the recorded audio via Dust2.us:

retchy: No it would be sus[picious] if you played Incognito like the full game, but if you joined at half, it would look real. Or not even at half, in the middle of the game while it's going, you just join, "my internet's back", we get shrek out of the server and it looks normal. 

4pack: I'm not doing it, bro.

retchy: As long as shrek plays like four or five rounds, it's gonna look good.

4pack: And the fact that you didn't even say anything about the Russian Canadians game, that's even more fucked, but…

retchy: What?

4pack: What do you mean what? You didn't say anything about it.

retchy: What do you mean?

4pack: Okay, now you're just acting dumb. 

retchy: No, I'm serious, what are you talking about?

4pack: What do you mean? I was just talking yesterday about winning a match so we can play Mythic in playoffs, you didn't say anything. Now today you just come into the TeamSpeak and you're like, "yeah, we're just gonna lose the game." Like what? *scoffs* What do you mean?

retchy: We've been planning to lose this game for the last five days; it makes the most sense out of every game in MDL. They need this win, we don't need the win, and with their IGL on radar and you off the server, it looks guaranteed real. 

nosraC: I don't know if vek will agree to radar.

retchy: He does, he agrees to radar. On the condition that I'm letting him use two Bitcoin sites, and I'm going to share profit from those two sites. And J0LZ is okay with it too. And they're not- I told them there's no way you tell battery or Saturn, it needs to look like a legit tryhard game.

4pack: Alright, whatever. But I'm not setting up the Incognito game, I told you.

retchy: I know, I don't think you should, you should join in while shrek is playing, like three rounds in.

4pack: No. *laughs*

retchy: No, the main thing is that if it shows six people on HLTV, it'll look so good. 

4pack: Well, you can set it up or something, I dunno. 

retchy: I'm going to restart for [ESEA Pro] client, hold on.

There are multiple investigations into incidents of CS:GO match-0fixing in the ESEA MDL. The Esports Integrity Commission has been investigating these incidents for over a year. ESIC is also assisting the FBI in its investigations into organized betting syndicates’  involvement in CS:GO match-fixing. 

A Dexerto report claims Riot Games is also investigating match-fixing in CS:GO by current VALORANT players. 

Stay tuned to Esports.gg for the latest news on match-fixing in CS:GO.