Into The Breach Is Officially Closing Its Doors

As of January 27th, 2025, CS2 Esports has once again lost another legendary organization. The team exploded in popularity mostly for their performance in 2023, especially at the Paris major, where they made it all the way to the finals. Now, out of seemingly nowhere, Into the Breach (ITB) is officially disbanding after announcing the embezzlement and mismanagement of company funds by their CEO, Sam.

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In a statement from the organization, they apologized, admitting without their dedicated fans, they wouldn’t be anything. “ITB was built on the passion of underdogs and the belief that hard work could overcome any odds. But more than anything, it was built on you-our fans. Your support, your chants, and your unwavering belief in us have been our driving force. We are so sorry to let you down.” They end the post hoping to eventually find a way to honor their legacy.

What Was Into The Breach?

Into The Breach was an Esports Organization founded in the United Kingdom back in 2020. The team found little success in its earlier years, constantly cycling through more and more upcoming CS talent while continuing to struggle against competition. Fast forward to 2022, and ITB has to make the bold decision to drop their entire roster and pick up an entirely new one consisting of their in-game leader Thomas, flashy entry CYPHER, skilled riflers Rallen and Volt, and CRUC1AL on the AWP.

The new team found instant success on the server almost instantly. They easily qualified for the Paris 2023 major and swooped in, securing second place after two tight matches and a tough defeat against their opponents in Vitality. The massive prize pool and sticker money both greatly helped support players and the Esports organization itself, allowing them to continue to help grow the potential of more and more talented Counter-Strike players.

The Esports organization continued to grow slowly, winning more and more B and A-tier tournaments over the entirety of 2023. However, after entering 2024, results began to slow, and their entire roster was benched once again. Into The Breach continued to struggle through the year, swapping further through more and more players due to performance, mental health, and other issues. This continued until they signed the last player they ever would, reiko, only two weeks before their shutdown.

Why Are Into The Breach Disbanding?

Into The Breach made the disappointing announcement on January 27th stating “we discovered that an individual entrusted with all financial and monetary decisions was embezzling funds for personal use.”. After the embezzlement, Into The Breach was put into an “unsustainable position” and chose to begin the process of shutting down.

The CEO, Sam Macedonio, responded to this announcement, admitting that it was him behind the embezzlement. He began to apologize and gave his explanation for the sudden financial troubles: “The result is a house of cards repeatedly knocked down and then rebuilt hastily in the wake of my actions. We still managed to achieve a lot despite sabotage, which just goes to show what could have been achieved without it… I’m sorry not the less.” He even stated further in a Twitter post responding to the controversy. “I took around £600k in director’s loans, but at incorrect times and without due process. Blew it all on benders and self-harm action.”

Overall, it seems like the shutdown of ITB was a surprise to its viewers, fans, employees, and even players. The shutdown has left all of the people working behind ITB jobless, orgless, and stuck with no source of income. While the future of these people is uncertain, we can hope other programs, Esports organizations, and other opportunities can help them join straight back into the workforce.