Why was swag banned? The full story behind CS:GO’s infamous match-fixing scandal.

Braxton “Swag” Pierce was once considered one of North America’s best young talents – but today he remains permanently banned from Valve events due to his role in the shocking iBUYPOWER match fixing revelations that rocked the CS:GO world in 2014. Let’s analyze the full context behind one of esports history‘s most infamous scandals.

Swag’s Early Promise

At just 17 years old, Swag had quickly risen as one of North America’s foremost rising stars and the next homegrown NA talent that could challenge the elite tier of European professionals. boasting some impressive flashes of brilliance throughout 2014 with new squad iBUYPOWER:

With the veteran leadership of players like steel and DaZeD combined with Swag’s prodigious aim, iBUYPOWER entered the summer of 2014 marked out as a potential top 5 team. And with a HLTV top 20 placing already under his belt, Swag seemed destined to lead a new era of North American Counter-Strike.

The Match Fixing Scandal

But on August 20th 2014, theTrajectory of Swag’s career was forever altered when iBUYPOWER faced NetCodeGuides (later Cloud9) in a routine online CEVO match. The favorites iBP were unexpectedly routed 16-4, sparking community suspicions around foul play.

Investigators discovered that the iBP squad had bet against themselves in an attempt to cash in on lucrative pre-match odds favoring their own victory. In a gross betrayal of competitive integrity, they had deliberately underperformed to manipulate the outcome.

Swag was found to have been involved alongside his teammates Skadoodle, Steel and DaZeD, with betting evidence implicated him directly in the conspiracy. The revelations came as a crushing betrayal for CS fans who felt deceived over the legitimacy of high-level competition.

Consequences and Punishments

Valve responded swiftly, determining permanent bans for all members found to have been involved in orchestrating the fix. As tournament organizers followed suit by blacklisting players, Swag and his cohorts found themselves exiled from the pro CS scene overnight.

At the peak of his powers aged just 18, Swag was now branded “North America’s lost talent” and robbed of realizing his competitive potential. Also banned was CS:GO luminary DaZeD, who retired from gaming altogether following the fallout.

Proponents argued Swag’s permanent ban was disproportionately harsh given his youth at the time and efforts to take responsibility. Nonetheless, Valve’s sentence stood firm throughout appeals over the following years in order to protect the wider integrity of Counter-Strike competition.

The scandal left the credibility of esports in tatters, serving as a warning over lax regulation around integrity. Today, anti-corruption mechanisms remain a central focus for tournament organizers and betting sites alike following iBUYPOWER’s actions which betrayed fans and opponents alike.

Aftermath and Updates

Swag has remained active in Rank S and FPL over the years, but banned from returning to top tier Counter-Strike since his punishment in 2015.

Now 26 years old, Swag has seen his window of peak performance stalled while waiting on a reprieve for his actions as a teenage phenomenon. Last year saw Flashpoint become the first major organizer to roll back bans on iBP players in a pioneering move to rehabilitate past offenders, with Swag returning for their 2nd season.

Nonetheless Swag and DaZeD both remain ineligible at all Valve sponsored events including the prestige Majors. For these legendary North American talents, the door back to the highest level continues barred shut.

While match fixing scandals have certainly declined following Valve’s strong response, figuring out player bans and second chances remains an ongoing discussion around integrity and rehabilitation. With veterans like Swag and DaZeD entering their late 20s, time is running out for them to resume their once sky-high careers.