Matthew spoke out sharply about the state of the South American Dota 2 region amid ESIC investigations
Streamer and professional player Farit “Matthew” Puente spoke out during a live stream about the South American scene amid investigations by the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) into local players.
I think there are match-fixers on every team in the qualifiers [for The International 2026 in South America]. ...> To be honest, I thought the only team that didn’t have any was LGD [Later, when listing teams with players allegedly involved in “322,” he also did not mention Team Nemesis. — Ed.]. I won’t make any claims right now, but TaiLung is under investigation. <...> Let’s consider him a match-fixer until a verdict is reached. <...>
To help you understand the situation we’re in, the conclusion is this: South America is beyond redemption, and it’s truly preferable for our active players to pursue their careers in Europe, because South America is doomed—it’s so deeply mired in this that there’s no way to pull it out.
In every South American team with players who could represent us, there are people who have been involved in match-fixing. ...> If Valve really cared even a little bit about this, perhaps more than 20 players from this qualifier would have been suspended.
Earlier, the Esports Integrity Commission issued a ruling on the case involving former PlayTime players. The ESIC concluded that Juan David “Vintage” Angulo Nicho attempted to manipulate the outcome of a match against Team Liquid at the 2026 Esports World Cup in Dota 2 in order to receive a monetary reward. Oswaldo Gonzalo “DarkMago” Herrera Martinez has been suspended for five years for failing to report information about the violations that occurred.
Photo — SC PGL Esports S.R.L.
