Jonno is a writer for Esports Insider and has been part of the team since 2019. Over the past ten years, he's written for several outlets including Gfinity, GGRecon, and Radio Times. As an avid sim racer, he aims to provide insight on one of the fastest growing sectors in esports.
Olivia Richman is a seasoned esports journalist who has worked with Inven Global, Esports Illustrated, Esports.gg, and more. As an editor and writer at Esports Insider, she loves telling unique esports stories, especially within the FGC. When not working and gaming, Olivia loves collecting Kirby plush, eating sushi, and driving her cars at the track.
Several factors are required to ensure the smooth operation of an esports tournament. Whether it’s preventing hardware crashes, providing adequate practice facilities, or making sure that the power doesn’t cut during a crucial moment, keeping things on track in front of a sold-out arena is no easy feat.
Counter-Strike tournament organizers are no strangers to staging huge arena spectacles with minimal disruptions to the on-stage action. While fans have gotten used to the near-flawless experiences, the XSE Pro League is the polar opposite, demonstrating how organizers shouldn’t run a Tier 1 tournament.
Image Credit: StarLadder During the group stage, BetBoom rifler Kirill “Magnojez” Rodnov encountered an issue that should never arise during a tournament where a $1 million prize pool is up for grabs. While preparing for a match on the main stage, Magnojez spotted a Trojan agent and a keylogger on the PC being used, throwing the tournament’s integrity into question.
Magnojez had his Steam account hacked at XPL and it looks like he found out how 😭 "We were all working as a team to sort out the computer. Here's my computer. A keylogger, a Trojan agent, it didn't even try to hide. Geek exe. So, those are the viruses that were found on the… pic.twitter.com/SqM7XgqadP
The presence of a keylogger allows external parties to see the inputs a user makes without being present. From an esports perspective, it enables those with access to the keylogger direct access to personal accounts, resulting in hacks, stolen items, and the inability to compete.
Thankfully, Magonjez managed to rescue his account and help guide BetBoom to a flawless 3-0 group stage record and a place in the playoffs. Although XSE managed to resolve the issue, having players’ accounts compromised due to hardware not prepared for tournament play is hardly appropriate for a tournament, given Valve’s coveted Tier 1 status.
It wasn’t just PCs riddled with malware that impacted the action. During the Group Stage match between 9z and SINNERS Esports , the electrical transformer powering the tournament exploded, resulting in an hour-long delay.
EXPLOTÓ TODO EN CHINA Es peor de lo que esperabamos, explotó el transformador del torneo y el match ante @SINNERS_Esports se suspendió Iba 1-3, avisaremos por este medio en caso de reanudarse https://t.co/7BjBj6Csvj pic.twitter.com/vuKjatN0p1
Following the issues, XSE issued a statement addressing the problems, acknowledging “insufficient preparation” before concluding the final three days of group-stage action with only minor delays. The statement itself reaffirms the organizer’s efforts to put on an event worthy of Tier 1 status, but it’s clear that the damage has already been done. Fans have branded the tournament “ garbage ” while other frustrated viewers believe that the XSE Pro League will b…