With multiple Valorant content creators reportedly running into throwers on stream, professional athlete Travis "tdawgg" Regan took matters into his own hands to expose crypto-betting groups, intentional match throwers, and cheaters, whose motive is to destroy players' high Elo-ranked experience.
Tdawgg posted several screenshots and uploaded a video explaining the ongoing situation. He also revealed a few names to be wary of while urging creators and professionals to stop streaming to help Riot Games' supposed investigation.
Crypto-betting in video games has been prevalent for a long time, and Valorant isn't the only game affected by intentional throwers who trade wins to earn money. Unfortunately, the popular tactical shooter has recently seen a steep rise in such practices.
Creators and professionals like Tyson "TenZ" Ngo, Yassine "Subroza" Taoufik, Pujan "FNS" Mehta, and Tarik "tarik" Celik have shed light on this rapidly-increasing situation for Valorant Ranked. However, Riot Games is yet to comment on the same.
How is crypto-betting affecting Valorant and its player base?
Valorant's ranked experience is addictive but extremely competitive, which leads to players putting in a tireless effort to win games, especially in high Elo. Thus, it can be infuriating for top-ranked players to lose a match because a teammate sabotages the game.
Crypto-betting is an illegal but popular practice designed to force a match's outcome and ensure major profits.
A crypto-bettor queue snipes into a pro player's game while they stream, placing a losing bet on the match, and intentionally throwing or sabotaging the game to win the gamble and earn money. If the crypto-bettor lands on the streamer's opposing team, he places a winning bet on the said streamer and then sabotages the match for his team.
As expected, the Valorant pro community isn't happy about this.
Tdawgg also shed light on account sellers, cheaters, and boosters who blatantly break Riot's TOS (Terms of Service) agreement without facing any strict measures. These practices severely affect the game's ranked experience.
Esports betting is legal, but only to an extent. While some countries allow regulated betting practices, a few restrict the concept. Despite such rules, many users continue to malpractice and find new ways to bypass the legal system.
With many popular streamers speaking out, Riot Games will likely investigate the issue and mitigate the scandal's intensity. However, it is difficult to stop such video game services permanently.