Newbee’s entire Dota 2 roster has been banned indefinitely by ImbaTV and the newly-formed Chinese Dota 2 Professional Association (CDA) after recent match-fixing allegations. The five players and team manager are now barred from competing in all events run by both the CDA and ImbaTV.
Newbee is one of the most recognizable names in competitive Dota 2, having won The International in 2014. Now a Dota staple, the organization has competed in every International since their win, placing second in 2017. The roster features TI2 champion Zeng "Faith" Hongda and TI7 runner-up Xu "Moogy" Han, both of whom are now banned.
The fixed games supposedly took place in China Dota 2 Pro League Season 2 and DPL-CDA Professional League Season 1, run by ImbaTV and the CDA. Premier Chinese Dota sides like Vici Gaming and PSG.LGD also compete in these leagues.
Newbee found poor results throughout both the China Dota 2 Pro League and DPL-CDA Professional League, prompting the tournament organizers to investigate. After evidence was found suggesting matches had been fixed for gambling benefits, Newbee were ejected from both leagues and handed lifetime bans from future events. Their remaining matches were cancelled, and their opponents were given automatic wins. Banned alongside the Newbee players is manager Feng, who allegedly played a major role in the scheme.
Valve has not yet given Newbee a wider ban, though the evidence has reportedly been sent to the Dota 2 developer. Valve has not taken kindly to match-fixers in the past, as evidenced by iBUYPOWER’s lifetime bans from CS:GO Majors.