Match-fixing has long been a worry (and problem in) professional sports. As more and more money begins to circulate through eSports competitions, cheating will logically follow. The Heroes of the Dorm tournament, which pits college squads against one another in a March Madness-style Heroes of the Storm tournament has seen that first hand, with two teams this year being disqualified for cheating.
Harvard University’s Heroes of the Storm squad had a player that was sharing his account with another, higher rated player during tournament matches. Since all players need to be current students at the school they represent, this is a big problem. Blizzard was quick to disqualify Harvard from the tournament and issue a press release explaining the situation. In the same press release, they also mention that the team representing the University of Michigan was also disqualified earlier in the tournament for a similar issue.
As part of their press release, Blizzard stated, “We have zero tolerance for cheating in our tournaments. The rules are in place to ensure a fair playing field for all participants—when these rules are abused, they put the integrity of the competition at risk. The students found to be sharing their Battle.net accounts and the players with whom they were sharing will be banned indefinitely from participation in any future Tespa tournaments.” They also say that the accounts themselves will face disciplinary action.
With how big Heroes of the Storm has become in the eSports scene, it is good to see that Blizzard is not afraid to take a hard stance on cheating. This weekend will see the team whittled down to the last four teams, dubbed the “Heroic Four.” The semifinal matches will take place in two weeks on April 9th, with the Grand Finals occurring a day later on Sunday, April 10th. You can find full brackets, tournament information, and how to watch over at Blizzard’s official Heroes of the Dorm site.
Surprised to hear there are cheaters in the Heroes of the Dorm tournament? Who are you rooting for to win? Let us know!
