In the early 2000s, competitive PC games went beyond computer clubs and formed a new direction – eSports. The popularity of the disciplines CS:GO, DOTA 2, LOL grew exponentially. Obviously, bookmakers immediately paid attention to this new type of competition and began to offer bets on competitions. Unfortunately, some unscrupulous participants saw this as a chance to make money in a dishonest way, which led to the emergence of such a term as “322”, which later became a famous meme and firmly rooted in the slang of bettors.
In our article, we will consider the history of the emergence of this term, and also tell several examples of how successful eSports players ruined their careers by getting caught in fixed games.
Background of the term 322
In June 2013, the prestigious StarLadder StarSeries Season 6 tournament was held in Dota 2. On June 14, the final match of the group stage between the teams ROX.KIS and zRage took place. This match no longer had any significance for the teams. At the same time, the ROX.KIS team was considered the strongest in the CIS, while zRage occupied the position of a clear outsider. So the difference in class was obvious, bookmakers set quite high odds for zRage to win.
After the start of the match, during the game, commentators immediately noted atypical actions on the part of ROX.KIS players. This fact immediately aroused suspicions of unfair play, both among commentators and viewers in the comments to the stream.
After zRage’s unexpected victory, bookmakers passed on information about suspicious large bets on zRage to the tournament organizers. Soon the scandal flared up with incredible speed. As a result, the fact emerged that one of the ROX.KIS players, Alexey “Solo” Berezina, made a bet against his own team. Surrounded by facts, he did not deny it and admitted his guilt. This resulted in his lifetime disqualification from participating in StarLadder tournaments, and the entire team was temporarily suspended from competition.
The Appearance of Solo 322
The heated discussion of the scandal with the leaked match continued for almost a month. Very soon, a screenshot appeared on the Internet confirming the bet that became the epicenter of this incident. As it turned out, the bet was made by Alexey’s girlfriend from Alexey’s own wallet.
The image showed that a $100 bet was made against ROX.KIS with odds of 3.22, which would bring in $322 if successful. It was this amount — 322 — that formed the basis of the slang and meme that is now associated with fixed matches. Since then, the nickname “Solo 322” has stuck with Berezin.
Additional punishment followed immediately: the esports organization to which Berezin belonged received a ban from participating in tournaments and a fine of $1,500. However, his teammates avoided individual sanctions, thanks to the fact that “Solo” took full responsibility, cooperated with the investigation, and publicly apologized. He assured that his teammates were not involved in the fixing.
Despite the serious violation, Berezin avoided a lifetime ban from participating in professional tournaments, which many expected given the risks of his actions. The community was shocked that he was willing to risk his career for a win of only $322.
However, this incident did not stop other players from trying to cheat. Subsequently, several more e-sportsmen followed the “Solo 322” route, but their punishment turned out to be much harsher.
The End of the 322 Story for Alexey Berezin
The story with 322, despite its scandalous nature, ended relatively well for Alexey Berezin. Although he initially received a lifetime ban on participation in tournaments, this punishment was later softened to one year. During this time, Alexey did not sit idle – he used the break for intensive training and improving his gaming skills.
In early 2014, Solo returned to the professional scene, assembling a renewed roster of the ROX.KIS team. Together they won several trophies and almost qualified for The International 2014, one of the most prestigious Dota 2 tournaments. After that, Berezina continued his career in such teams as Team Empire and Vega Squadron, where he also showed excellent results.
A new turn in Solo’s career began in 2016, when the management of Virtus.pro offered him to form a new team. Under his leadership, Virtus.pro quickly became leaders in the Dota 2 scene in the CIS and Europe. During his performances with the team, Alexey and his team earned about $1.5 million in prize money, securing his status as one of the most successful eSportsmen in the region.
Internet creativity on the topic of 322
Immediately after the scandal with the fixed match began, Internet users launched a whole stream of photo-toads.
What’s the bottom line?
The phrase 322 eventually became firmly established in the betting slang not only in eSports, but also in other sports. Today, it is used not only in the context of fixed matches, but also in situations where a player demonstrates insufficient involvement in the process or makes serious mistakes in elementary game episodes. Viewers on Twitch often react with lightning speed, filling the chat with messages containing the number 322, thus expressing sarcasm or suspicion that the player’s actions may have been intentional.