MIBR fined by FLASHPOINT for stream sniping in match against OG

By Nick Johnson

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Dec 3, 2020

Reading time: 2 min

MIBR was fined $10,000 for having its match against OG visible by players during the game, according to an official announcement by FLASHPOINT. 

Although FLASHPOINT made it clear that it’s livestream is on a considerable delay, FP and its board of governors decided to impose the fine and called the action “a breach of competitive integrity.” The announcement went on to say that all teams have been informed that the tournament organizer considers viewing the stream to be in violation of its rules. MIBR has not yet issued a statement on the incident.

MIBR’s FLASHPOINT fine is latest CSGO controversy

The incident took place during MIBR’s 2-1 win against OG on December 1 during the FLASHPOINT 2’s upper bracket quarterfinals. Details about how FLASHPOINT found out about the incident are unknown, but the size of the fine and MIBR’s continued participation in the tournament mean that the tournament organizer doesn’t believe that it had any impact on the result of the match. Because the streams are on a significant delay, stream sniping would not have given MIBR an immediate tactical advantage.

FLASHPOINT went on to make it clear that it  it would take action against any teams it felt had acted against the organizer’s standards for competitive integrity. The $10,000 fine will be donated to charity, according to the announcement.

The news comes the same week that the Esports Integrity Commission announced that it wouldn’t penalize any teams it had investigated for streamsniping. FLASHPOINT, however, took a different route and made its own decision without the involvement of the third-party commission.

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This is also the second publicized penalty leveled against MIBR stemming from breaches of competitive integrity. Earlier this year, MIBR coach Ricardo “dead” Sinigaglia was one of the first coaches to be sanctioned for abusing the CSGO coaching bug. dead left the MIBR organization in October.