How “322” Became Shorthand for Esports Corruption
As match-fixing in esports has become ever more common, a meme has become a powerful reminder that fans are keeping watch.
On June 14, 2013, Alexey “Solo” Berezin, a respected Russian Dota 2 pro, deliberately sabotaged his own team, RoX.KIS, in a meaningless StarLadder game.
His motive? A meager betting payout of exactly $322.
What Solo didn't know was that his act would become one of esports’ most enduring memes - as the three digits became a universal shorthand for corruption.
How did it start?
Solo placed a clandestine bet against his own squad in a StarLadder StarSeries match in Dota 2, a colossally popular MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena). The match was effectively meaningless in standings, yet Solo’s play was conspicuously poor, dying 50 times in a single game, It soon emerged that Solo had wagered $100 on his team to lose at 3.22 odds, which would net about $322 in winnings.
When evidence of the fix came to light, StarLadder organizers acted swiftly:…
