Into The Breach Set To Discontinue Operations As CEO Used Funds For Himself

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The decline of the organization is attributed to the surprising mishandling and suspected theft of funds by its CEO, Sam “SlayTheMinotaur” Macedonio Cook. Once destined for greatness in the Counter-Strike community, ITB’s opportunity to become a leading organization was wasted because of Cook’s irresponsible behavior.

A Betrayal That Destroyed ITB’s Future

ITB’s official announcement disclosed that the organization found itself in a financially untenable situation following the discovery that an individual with full control over financial and monetary decisions had misused company funds for personal expenses. This person was eventually identified as Cook, whose actions not only disrupted ITB’s operations but also eliminated any prospects of creating a championship-level team.

— Into The Breach Esports (@ITBesports) January 27, 2025

In a confession, Cook openly acknowledged playing two contrasting roles: one focused on guiding the organization and the other he described as “a self-destructive, alcoholic narcissist with a propensity for self-destruction.” This duality had disastrous consequences for ITB.

Moreover, it was revealed that Cook unjustifiably borrowed approximately £600,000 as a director’s loan, at inappropriate times and without the required procedures. Instead of using this money wisely, he squandered it on reckless living and self-harming behaviors.

2023-04-08 sees ITB earning a spot at the Paris Major.

The company is witnessing an unprecedented expansion, leaving behind a rich history and, if managed skillfully, forming the robust base needed to establish a self-sustaining esports venture with potential longevity of decades.

Veb, on the other hand…

ITB secures qualification for the Paris Major on April 8th, 2023.

The company is undergoing rapid growth, boasting a storied past and, when wisely managed, establishing the solid foundation necessary to build a fully funded esports endeavor with potential longevity of many years.

Veb, however…

— STM (@SlayTheMinotaur) January 27, 2025

It appears that the hasty sale of ITB’s top players, such as CYPHER to TSM and volt to GamerLegion, following their impressive performance at the BLAST.tv Paris CS:GO Major in 2023, was probably a result of financial mismanagement by Cook. This decision, which was met with strong criticism from fans, seemed to abandon the momentum that ITB had built up. Now, it seems these sales were made out of necessity to cover for Cook’s poor financial decisions.

Squandered Prominence and Broken Promises

ITB’s run at the Paris Major was nothing less than astonishing. As underdogs, they managed to beat well-known teams like ENCE and fnatic to reach the quarter-finals. This exceptional performance resulted in a substantial income from in-game stickers and other earnings, a rare financial boost for a smaller organization. Unfortunately, Cook acknowledged that he made some significant errors while managing these funds.

According to Cook’s statement, each player from the Paris Major team was supposed to get $178,850.21 as per their contracts, but instead, they received an extra $241,071.61 each. However, this extra payment was part of a separate agreement where Cook promised additional earnings he couldn’t fulfill. This led to disagreements, revealing his shortcomings, which played a role in the team’s eventual downfall, as Cook admitted in his writing.

Here’s a more conversational way to phrase it: Hey there, it’s been quite a while since I received my salaries for nearly half the year, plus the sticker money. You remember what agreement we had, right? The earnings you generated for us are clear, and yet, you’ve been delaying payments. Don’t forget that actions have consequences – good or bad.

— Karol Rodowicz (@rallenHulk) January 27, 2025

Despite Cook’s account, the team members vigorously challenged his version of events. Specifically, one player on the Paris Major squad, Karol “rallen” Rodowicz, publicly pointed fingers at Cook for holding back wages and revenue from stickers.

The Collapse of a Promising Org

2024 found me in the midst of turmoil within ITB’s CS2 division. Despite landing a lucrative naming rights deal with Shuffle, worth up to a million dollars yearly for our Dota 2 and Counter-Strike rosters, we missed out on leveraging this chance effectively. Regrettably, the actions of Cook seemed to only intensify the confusion within our ranks.

Pretty nice looking apartment for someone who owes 500,000+$ to players.. GG

— Owen Butterfield (@smooyacs) January 27, 2025

In 2024, Owen “smooma” Butterfield, who joined ITB during a problematic roster restructure, declared that the previous management owed over half a million dollars to the players and further accused them of misappropriating company funds for their personal expenses such as food deliveries and designer clothing purchases.

Into The Breach’s final roster was as follows:

  • Owen “⁠smooya⁠” Butterfield
  • Nicolas “⁠Keoz⁠” Dgus
  • Dionis “⁠sinnopsyy⁠” Budeci
  • Kamil “⁠reiko⁠” Cegiełko
  • Hristiyan “⁠REDSTAR⁠” Pironkov
  • Gustavo “⁠Juve⁠” Alexandre (coach)

In this current stage, the ITB team has been unable to deliver stable victories, significantly underperforming compared to the Paris Major team’s achievements. Time will tell if they manage to find a new environment or decide to part ways.

The Final Nail in the Coffin

As a gamer, I’ve been following the rollercoaster journey of Into The Breach (ITB). From the inspiring underdog victory at the Paris Major, it soared to heights we never thought possible. But then, things took a turn for the worse, making ITB a tale of unfulfilled promise and heartbreak.

What started as an uplifting story of triumph soon became a lesson in caution – one about mismanagement and betrayal. The financial misconduct by Cook tainted not just the organization but also potentially ended the careers and dreams of players who believed in ITB for its promised stability and opportunities.

According to ITB’s announcement, they are collaborating with lawyers and financial experts to handle the aftermath in a “clear and responsible” manner. Nevertheless, for those players and employees who are owed large amounts of money, the path to reimbursement seems likely to be lengthy and unpredictable.

In the aftermath, esports enthusiasts ponder the potential success if ITB had preserved its Paris Major lineup and rebuilt the team instead. However, Sam Cook’s decisions systematically destroyed the organization, leaving behind an empty shell of what could have become a powerful presence in CS2. It is undeniable that ITB’s downfall serves as a somber lesson on the importance of responsibility and supervision within esports management. For those who supported ITB – players, staff, and fans alike – this act of betrayal has left a lasting wound, one that will not easily fade from memory.

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2025-01-28 21:10