Danil “Dendi” Ishutin and B8 Face Match-Fixing Allegations
Former teammate Glib “Funn1k” Lipatnikov has accused Danil “Dendi” Ishutin and his Dota 2 team B8 of match-fixing. Funn1k raised questions about the team’s finances and sustainability on Twitter on Aug. 14.
B8, a Ukrainian organization, faced challenges due to the ongoing war and had to relocate at the end of 2022. Funn1k claims that he received assistance from B8 and joined the team for six months as a token of his gratitude.
Related: Ukrainian Dota 2 team retains Division 1 seat while playing NA matches from home
Funn1k shared a political message on a Dota 2 community forum, prodota.ru, during his time with B8. Shortly after that, B8’s CEO and Dendi asked him to remove the post, which raised questions in Funn1k’s mind.
However, when it came time for payment, Funn1k was told that he was scaring investors and couldn’t be paid immediately. He was instructed to refrain from making online comments and calm down.
Given the series of peculiar events, Funn1k began to suspect that B8, a Ukrainian organization on the surface, might secretly be sponsored by a Russian organization. He also suggested the possibility of match-fixing as he couldn’t explain the team’s poor performance in official matches.
Despite performing well in ranked matches, Funn1k believed that Dendi and two other players, Denis “StoneBank” Korzh and Oleg “Lodine” Kvasha, showed questionable performances with excuses that felt “fake.”
Due to Funn1k’s history of making over-the-top claims, many Dota 2 fans dismissed his allegations as a rant. However, some expressed concerns regarding long-standing curiosities within the community. B8, formed in 2020, has consistently struggled in Dota Pro Circuit campaigns, lacking major qualifications or high-profile tournament wins. It’s unusual for a team of B8’s caliber to stay together for more than two seasons.
Besides Dota 2, B8 also ventured into CS:GO in 2021. Some fans speculate that B8 might have a private investor since the organization lacks official sponsors. This isn’t the first time Funn1k has spoken negatively about B8 and his former teammates. Earlier in August, he criticized the organization for not paying DPC players and being “low skill.”
match-fixing, B8, Dota 2, esports, allegations, Funn1k, Dendi