In a stunning and scandalous development, British esports organization Into The Breach has announced it will cease all operations, effective immediately. This also includes their most prominent division, Counter-Strike 2.
The organization’s downfall stems from the shocking mismanagement and alleged embezzlement of funds by its CEO, Sam "SlayTheMinotaur" Macedonio Cook. Once a rising force in the Counter-Strike scene, ITB’s potential to cement itself as a top-tier organization was squandered due to Cook’s reckless actions.
A Betrayal That Destroyed ITB’s Future
ITB’s official statement revealed that the organization had been left in an “unsustainable position” after discovering that “an individual entrusted with all financial and monetary decisions” had misused company funds for personal purposes. That individual was later confirmed to be Cook, whose actions not only derailed ITB’s operations but completely obliterated its chances of building a championship-caliber roster.
— Into The Breach Esports (@ITBesports) January 27, 2025
Cook admitted in a personal statement that he was acting as two different people: one dedicated to leading the organization and another, in his own words, “a destructive, alcoholic narcissist hellbent on self-immolation.” This duplicity proved catastrophic for ITB. Cook disclosed that he took around £600,000 in director’s loans “at incorrect times and without due process,” only to waste the money on “benders and self-harm action.”
April 8th 2023 ITB qualifies to the Paris Major. The company experiences massive growth, a legacy and, if handled correctly, the foundation required to create a fully funded operation supporting several esport aspirations and capable of going years into the future. Veb,... https://t.co/sIwaGPEC91
— STM (@SlayTheMinotaur) January 27, 2025
These reckless financial decisions are also, most likely, what forced ITB to sell off its star players, effectively gutting the roster that had brought the organization its greatest success. Following ITB’s historic Cinderella run at the BLAST.tv Paris CS:GO Major in 2023, where the team reached the quarter-finals before losing to eventual champions Vitality, Cook sold Cai "CYPHER" Watson to TSM and Sebastian "volt" Maloș to GamerLegion. Both moves were heavily criticized by fans, who felt the organization was giving up on its momentum. Now, it is clear these sales were likely driven by desperation, in order to cover Cook’s financial missteps.
Squandered Prominence and Broken Promises
ITB’s Paris Major run was nothing short of miraculous. As underdogs, the team defeated household names like ENCE and fnatic to secure a spot in the quarter-finals. The performance generated significant revenue from in-game stickers and other earnings, a rare windfall for a smaller organization. However, Cook admitted to grossly mishandling these funds.
Cook claimed that players from the Paris Major roster received $241,071.61 each, exceeding the $178,850.21 stipulated in their contracts. Yet, this generosity came at a steep price - he signed a separate agreement promising players additional revenue he personally guaranteed but failed to deliver. “What followed was a dispute, which laid bare all of my failures and is one small part of this collapse,” Cook wrote.
stop, you owe me salaries from almost half of the year and sticker money, you know what did you sign, everyone knows how much we made money for you and how were you delaying all payments, remember that karma is a bitch
— Karol Rodowicz (@rallenHulk) January 27, 2025
The players, however, strongly disputed Cook’s narrative. Karol "rallen" Rodowicz, who was part of the Paris Major roster, publicly accused Cook of withholding salaries and sticker money.
The Collapse of a Promising Org
By mid-2024, ITB’s CS2 division was in disarray. Despite securing a naming rights partnership with Shuffle that promised up to $1 million annually for rosters in Dota 2 and Counter-Strike, the organization failed to capitalize on this opportunity. Instead, Cook’s actions plunged ITB deeper into chaos.
Pretty nice looking apartment for someone who owes 500,000+$ to players.. GG https://t.co/xxcPqeee9F
— Owen Butterfield (@smooyacs) January 27, 2025
Owen "smooya" Butterfield, who joined ITB during its ill-fated roster rebuild in 2024, claimed that Cook owes over $500,000 to players and accused former managers of misusing company funds for personal expenses. “Some ex-managers were spending company money on personal food deliveries and others buying designer clothes, all with the players’ money,” smooya alleged.
Into The Breach’s final roster was as follows:
- Owen "smooya" Butterfield
- Nicolas "Keoz" Dgus
- Dionis "sinnopsyy" Budeci
- Kamil "reiko" Cegiełko
- Hristiyan "REDSTAR" Pironkov
- Gustavo "Juve" Alexandre (coach)
This iteration of ITB struggled to achieve consistent results, falling far short of the Paris Major team’s success. It remains to be seen whether they will find a new home or split up.
The Final Nail in the Coffin
Into The Breach’s rise and fall is a tragic tale of unrealized potential. What began as an inspiring story of underdog triumph at the Paris Major quickly devolved into a cautionary tale of mismanagement and betrayal. Cook’s financial misconduct didn’t just ruin the organization - it also might have destroyed the careers and dreams of players who trusted ITB to provide stability and opportunity moving forward.
In its statement, ITB emphasized that it is working with legal and financial advisors to manage the fallout “transparently and responsibly.” However, for the players and staff owed significant sums of money, the road to restitution will likely be long and uncertain.
Esports fans, meanwhile, are left to wonder what might have been if ITB had kept its Paris Major roster intact and reinvested in the team. Instead, Sam Cook’s actions dismantled the organization piece by piece, leaving nothing but a hollow shell of what could have been a dominant force in CS2. One thing is clear: ITB's collapse is a sobering reminder of the need for accountability and oversight in esports management. For the players, staff, and fans who believed in ITB, this betrayal cuts deep, and the damage will not soon be forgotten.