The iBUYPOWER match-fixing scandal remains one of the most infamous chapters in Counter-Strike history, resulting in permanent bans for several top-tier North American players, including Joshua "steel" Nissan.
While the players were eventually unbanned by third-party organizers like ESL and DreamHack in 2017, Valve’s "Major" ban remained permanent. This effectively ended their professional CS:GO careers at the highest level, as they could no longer compete for the game's most prestigious titles. ibuypower steel banned
Joshua "steel" Nissan eventually transitioned to professional VALORANT, where he found significant success and a fresh start. The legacy of the iBUYPOWER ban serves as a permanent cautionary tale regarding competitive integrity and the severe consequences of match-fixing in esports. The iBUYPOWER match-fixing scandal remains one of the
In January 2015, Valve issued a formal statement indefinitely banning the involved players from all Valve-sponsored events. The banned individuals included: Joshua "steel" Nissan Sam "DaZeD" Marine Braxton "swag" Pierce Keven "AZK" Larivière The banned individuals included: Joshua "steel" Nissan Sam
The incident occurred in August 2014 during a CEVO Professional Season 5 match between iBUYPOWER and NetCodeGuides.com. Despite being heavy favorites, iBUYPOWER lost 16-4 in a suspicious performance characterized by strange tactical choices and failed knife kills. Subsequent investigations revealed that the players had conspired to throw the match to profit from high-value weapon skins bet against them on the site CSGOLounge.