Tier-two NA VALORANT faced with match-fixing allegations following Sean Gares video

Shopify Rebellion VALORANT General Manager Sean ‘sgares’ Gares has publicly spoken about match-fixing allegations affecting the competitive integrity of tier-two VALORANT in North America.

In his video statement, Gares spoke of ‘match-fixing, cheating [and] underground gambling rings’, which he allegedly uncovered in a personal investigation. Exact details such as names and teams involved were not disclosed.

Gares has been involved in the esports industry for more than 20 years, beginning his career in Counter-Strike and later switching to VALORANT as a coach, caster and now general manager of North American esports organisation Shopify Rebellion.

A few hours prior to today’s video, Gares had already made comments seemingly about the state of tier-two NA VALORANT, where he called the scene ‘rotten to the core’. In his later statement, he then claimed that he had evidence of many parties within the scene who engage in match-fixing. The content creator spoke of ‘tens of thousands of dollars’ in bribes to throw a single game.

The VALORANT personality revealed that he had been ‘looking into this for quite a bit’ to be diligent with any accusations. “I’m trying to clear as many people as I can. I want people to be innocent,” emphasised Gares.

He further claimed that others in the scene might be aware of the match-fixing issue and that Riot Games and VALORANT’s tier-two circuit, NA Challengers, were conducting their own investigations.

Esports Insider has reached out to Riot Games regarding the allegations and has yet to receive an official comment.

While Gares considers match-fixing ‘inexcusable’, he also highlighted the apparent deterioration of NA’s tier-two VALORANT esports ecosystem. He specifically pointed towards the absence of major organisations, such as Complexity Gaming and FaZe Clan, which used to compete in the scene just a few years ago.

“Back in the day, there wasn’t really much money to begin with. So, you know, [match-fixing] was kind of unforgivable because everyone was just doing it for the love of the game. These days, there was money. And it was so recent,” explained Gares. “‘All of these jobs gone, in a couple of years. What has happened to the scene?”

According to Gares, some tier-two VALORANT players have grown desperate and, therefore, more willing to disregard competitive integrity for financial gain. However, he did not name any specific players or entities and instead promised to reveal more information next week.

Following Gares’ video, several individuals involved in VALORQNT esports have come out to agree with the content creator’s sentiment about tier-two VALORANT in NA.

Similarly, the Owner and Founder of tournament operator Funhaver, Timothy, detailed numerous allegations regarding the scene in his livestream a few hours ahead of Gares’ statement. Some of his claims overlapped with the general sentiment of the community about Riot’s mismanagement and overall lack of investment in VALORANT’s path to pro system.

In the eyes of some, the current ecosystem is financially unsustainable for smaller organisations, forcing teams and players out of the scene entirely. Furthermore, some have criticised how the current franchising model fails to give tier-two players enough opportunities to showcase their skills.

After his stream, Timothy turned to X to emphasise: “My only goal is to get this scene fixed and righted, and I felt it was time. I have poured my heart and soul into this thing and I want it to be so incredible.”