The player at the center of a Thailand eSports cheating scandal, Tokyogurl, has maintained her innocence since the controversy began. But all of that ended January 2 when her boyfriend, an Arena of Valor pro player known as Cheerio, admitted on TikTok he played in Tokyogurl's place using illegal software in the now infamous December 15 SEA Games match between Thailand and Vietnam.
“I want to come out and clarify the issues that have happened in the past during the SEA Games period and other competitions, where everyone suspected that a third party was playing in place during several matches. I admit that it’s true,” Cheerio said. "I didn’t intend for things to escalate to this point and cause disappointment to many people,” he added. “I humbly accept all criticism and the consequences that follow, without any excuses.”
It's likely the end of both their eSports careers. Arena of Valor publisher Garena has already banned Tokyogurl from its events, I'd expect a similar punishment for Cheerio.
Despite Tokyogurl's protests, the Thailand Esports Federation was already confident in the results of its investigation. TESF had confirmed that a different IP address from its competition network was in use during the match.
As Tokyogurl's boyfriend and a known eSports player, Cheerio was always suspected of being her accomplice. Before this, Cheerio was a well-respected player. This scandal is disheartening and it will be a while before the players or the eSports scene recovers. Whatever the short term benefits of cheating, these people always get caught in the long run.