The Breach wind down operations after CEO embezzles funds

Into The Breach wind down operations after CEO embezzles funds for personal use

The shutdown comes just a week after Into The Breach signed a new Dota 2 team led by The International 2017 champion MinD_ControL.
British esports organisation Into The Breach (ITB) will be “winding down operations” after its co-founder and CEO, Sam “SlayTheMinotaur” Cook, was found to have embezzled the organisation’s funds for personal use that left it in an “unsustainable position”.

ITB revealed its dire financial straits in a statement posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday (January 28).

“Recent events at ITB have highlighted significant mismanagement within the organisation. Upon further investigation, we discovered that an individual entrusted with all financial and monetary decisions was embezzling funds for personal use. The betrayal has left ITB in an unsustainable position, and with deep regret, we must begin the process of winding down our operations,” said ITB.

While the organisation did not directly name the individual behind the embezzlement, Cook admitted it was him that was responsible in a separate statement on his personal X account shortly after ITB’s announcement.

“I, the CEO, was acting as two people – one trying to match their efforts and another a destructive, alcoholic narcissist hellbent on self-immolation. I think everyone [who has] met me has likely seen one of these two sides, with the former able to convince everyone around me I was a sensible person, acting responsibly and not betraying their trust, while the [latter] disappears in fiendish pursuit of dopamine and self-harm. The ultimate caricature which embodies the worst of people and this industry,” said Cook.

“The result is a house of cards repeatedly knocked down and then rebuilt hastily in the wake of my actions. We still managed to achieve a lot despite sabotage, which just goes to show what could have been achieved without it. Today, that house falls permanently, and I nor anyone around me can fix it.”

Cook added in a reply to his original statement that ITB “made around £4m in 2023, somewhere around £1.5m up to 2024”, of which he took “around £600k in director’s loans, but at incorrect times and without due process. Blew it all on benders and self-harm action.”

Owen “smooya” Butterfield, who played for ITB’s Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) roster, also claimed that Cook still owes over $500,000 to players and that some of the organisation’s former managers were spending ITB’s money on “personal food [deliveries] as well as others buying designer clothes [etc.], all with the players money.”

Karol “rallen” Rodowicz added that he is still owed almost half a year of salary and “sticker money” from ITB’s Cinderella run to the quarterfinals of the BLAST.tv Paris Major in 2023.

ITB’s sudden shutdown notably comes just a week after the organisation signed a new Dota 2 team led by The International 2017 (TI 2017) champion Ivan “MinD_ContRoL” Ivanov.

Aside from its CS2 and Dota 2 rosters, ITB also operated teams that competed in VALORANT, Rainbow Six Siege, Halo, Trackmania, and Sim Racing.

With the shutdown of ITB’s esports operations, the organisation said that they are also working with legal and financial advisors to handle the situation “transparently and responsibly”. Cook said that there will be “several legal consequences” from his actions, all of which he claimed he will “accept and face”.

ITB added that their priority is to support their players, staff, and partners “during this difficult transition”.

“This is a heartbreaking moment for all of us. ITB was built on the passion of underdogs and the belief that hard work could overcome any odds. But more than anything, it was built on you – our fans. Your support, your chants, and your unwavering belief in us have been our driving force. We are so sorry to let you down,” said ITB.

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