Into the Breach to wind down operations after "significant mismanagement" results in embezzled funds

"An individual entrusted with all financial and monetary decisions was embezzling funds for personal use," the organization's statement revealed.

Into the Breach has been left in an "unsustainable position" and will wind down its esports operations after an investigation revealed that "an individual entrusted with all financial and monetary decisions was embezzling funds for personal use," the organization announced in a statement.

The individual in question appears to be Into the Breach CEO Sam "SlayTheMinotaur" Macedonio Cook, who in a separate statement claimed he was acting as two people: one trying to match the efforts of the staff he had, and the other "a destructive, alcoholic narcissist hellbent on self-immolation."

"The result is a house of cards repeatedly knocked down and then rebuilt hastily in the wake of my actions," his statement continued.

Cook admitted that there would be several legal consequences that he would accept and face, and that "people will be made as whole as possible with what funds are available."

In a reply to his post, Cook claimed that the company made "around £4m in 2023" and "somewhere around £1.5m up to 2024," and that he "took around £600k in director's loans, but at incorrect times and without due process." He added that he "blew it all on benders and self-harm action."

Into the Breach rose to prominence in Counter-Strike in 2023 when the organization's roster made a Cinderella run to the BLAST.tv Paris Major quarter-finals before bowing out in a loss to the eventual champions, Vitality.

The organization struggled to settle on a consistent roster in the months that followed the Major and embarked on a complete rebuild in June 2024 after signing a naming rights partnership with Shuffle that offered up to a $1 million salary budget per year for rosters in Dota 2 and Counter-Strike.

Owen "⁠smooya⁠" Butterfield, one of the players signed during that rebuild, alleged Cook owes upward of $500,000 to players and that "some ex-managers were spending companies money on personal food delivers as well as others buying designer clothes ect all with the players money."

In a second statement, Cook revealed details about a dispute around Paris sticker Major revenue, stating he signed a second contract that promised players additional revenue.

"What I did was pay the players from all sources, which amounted to around $241,071.61 per player," he said. "By contract, they were owed $178,850.21.

"However, as per aforementioned retardation and alcoholism, I'd signed a contract promising them an additional $42k which I underwrote personally. What followed was a dispute, which laid bare all of my failures, and is one small part of this collapse."

Although Cook claimed that "the Paris guys did get paid, prize-pool, salary, and transfer fees," Karol "⁠rallen⁠" Rodowicz publicly disputed that in a reply.

"Stop, you owe me salaries from almost half of the year and sticker money, you know what did you sign, everyone knows how much we made money for you and how were you delaying all payments," he said.

In its statement, Into the Breach said its priority is to support its players, staff and partners and that it is "working with legal and financial advisors to handle this situation transparently and responsibly."