Into the Breach, an esports organization that made waves for being sustainable, has revealed that it’s winding down operations after a massive embezzlement scandal involving the CEO left the company without over $850,000.
A few days ago, Into the Breach made a public statement on X. It explained that an unnamed individual was embezzling company money for personal use, which left the organization without the ability to sustain itself. Because of this, Into the Breach has been forced to close its doors.
The statement doesn’t get very specific, probably due to legal matters. However, the CEO Sam ‘SlayTheMinotaur’ Cook admitted to being the individual in question.
According to Cook, his “character flaws” and “mental and destructive tendencies” undermined the success of Into the Breach:
“Unfortunately, I, the CEO, was acting as two people – one trying to match [the staff’s] efforts and another a destructive, alcoholic narcissist hellbent on self-immolation. I think everyone whose 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 later disappears in fiendish pursuit of dopamine and self-harm.”
Into the Breach’s former CSO, who goes by Momo, shared their own statement on X. According to Momo, the organization had Fisher8 (an investment partner of Into the Breach) take control of the organization’s finances.
After Fisher8 stepped in, the group discovered over £700,000 (roughly $870,000) missing from the past one-and-a-half years. This led to delayed payments and salaries for everyone involved.
Momo was clear that the missing funds would have easily covered the debts that Into the Breach now owes. They were also clear that Cook didn’t take accountability for the problem while the investigation was being done, which made everyone involved feel more betrayed.
Momo also had some hopeful words for the future:
“I love this industry–the players, the competition, the thrill of watching teams I care about compete at the highest level. It deserves better. I’m ready for a fresh start. To rebuild. To prove it can be done right.”
Into the Breach had several teams under its belt affected by the embezzlement scandal, including a digital racing team, a Halo team, and a Rainbow Six team.
For more esports news, check out the new League of Legends team from the Japanese organization Reject and Scottish Esports, the country’s newest national esports organization.
