The coach and manager of Korean Overwatch team Luminous Solar have been charged with fixing the wildcard qualifier match for OGN APEX Challengers Season 3, according to a report from Inven.
In a translation from ESPN Esports, Luminous Solar manager Jin Seok-hoon and coach Baek Min-jeh were booked without detention by police after OGN, the tournament organizer, revealed a large amount of circumstantial evidence pointing to match fixing. The match in question was against UnLimited, who allegedly threw the match in return for sponsorship. The two staff members also allegedly used a fraudulent doctor’s certificate to add a last-minute substitute for Luminous Solar’s match.
Both had received lifetime bans in February from OGN events alongside the Luminous Solar organization, but the criminal charge against the two is specified as “interference with business.” UnLimited player Choi Yoon-soo also received a lifetime ban for colluding with the Luminous Solar staffers, but has not yet had any criminal charges levied against him.
This marks one of Overwatch’s first grapples with the issue of match fixing, one many esports have struggled with over their lifespan. This hefty response to a qualifier match fix will hopefully deter any prospective cheaters from trying any funny business in OGN for the near future.