Home

Chaos Hits Esports’ Biggest Brands

In a bizarre turn of events, several major esports organisations had their official YouTube accounts compromised this week, all to push a fake cryptocurrency scam. Channels belonging to ESL, BLAST Premier, BLAST Rainbow Six, and even the Esports World Cup were hijacked early on October 16, 2025, to broadcast a fraudulent “Memecoin” giveaway on the Solana platform.

However, the attack was short-lived, with the fake livestreams taken down within minutes. Still, the incident sparked confusion and humour across the community, especially after users noticed that all the compromised streams used an old clip of Gabe Newell promoting the Steam Deck,  now repurposed with a QR code for the bogus token drop.

“Can’t Believe Gabe Newell Himself Agreed…”

The situation quickly went viral on X (formerly Twitter), with content creator @aquaismissing joking, “Can’t believe Gabe Newell himself agreed to present the launch of the BLAST Solana meme coin.” The same user later pointed out that ESL and BLAST being hit together was “too convenient,” joking that “they’re the same company, I just can’t prove it yet.”

While the memes rolled in, cybersecurity experts pointed to a much more plausible explanation. The breach likely stemmed from shared access between esports production teams and contractors. If even one social media manager was phished via a fake email or Slack message, attackers could have gained access to multiple linked accounts.

How It Happened

All four channels showed the same fake livestream at around the same time, suggesting that one individual or coordinated group was behind the attack. The fraudulent streams directed viewers to scan a QR code linked to a so-called “Memecoin giveaway” on Solana, one of the most popular blockchain networks for crypto projects.

The use of Gabe Newell’s likeness, without his consent, was a clear attempt to make the scam appear legitimate, preying on fans’ trust in major gaming brands and personalities.

This type of YouTube breach isn’t new. Over the years, numerous creators, tech influencers, and even corporations have fallen victim to phishing schemes that briefly take over their channels to promote fake giveaways, NFT drops, or crypto scams.

Damage Control and Valve’s Involvement

Fortunately, the damage from this incident seems minimal. The fake streams were quickly removed, and affected accounts have since regained control. However, an update after the initial report revealed that even Valve’s official Dota 2 YouTube channel was later compromised to host a similar scam, indicating the attackers may still have access to certain accounts or credentials.

While no official statements have been released by ESL, BLAST, or Valve at the time of writing, fans are urging these companies to strengthen their digital security practices and review who has access to key brand channels.