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Yesterday we reported on how the anti-cheat, esports organisation, ESEA, had somehow managed to setup GPU bitcoin mining processes alongside its server software. Initially they blamed a server restart for implementing what they claimed was an “April fools” gag, but now they're pointing the finger at an unnamed employee.
The ESEA bitcoin mining scandal involved a process that ran alongside the server software and used consumer's idle GPU processes to mine bitcoins, by running an algorithm that over a couple of weeks generated several thousand dollars worth of the digital currency. The end result was that ESEA wallets filled up and some ESEA users had their GPUs damaged by constantly running at 100 per cent capacity.
ESEA, melting GPUs since 2013
Initially the ESEA staffers were keen not to compensate those affected by it, simply promising to add the Bitcoin funds to the next prize pack for competition winners. However, last night, the finger was instead pointed at an employee, which for some strange reason they refuse to name. “It came to our attention last night, however, that an employee who was involved in the test has been using the test code for his own personal gain since April 13, 2013,” reads the statement (via PCGamesN).
Apparently they have now taken steps to avoid this happening in the future and as well as that, have asked all those negatively affected by the mining software, to open a support ticket – hopefully where they will offer to replace damaged graphics cards – and they've also pledged to double all money earned in the hack and give it all to cancer research. On top of that, the next ESEA Season 14 price pot will be increased by the same amount.
KitGuru Says: So, do you guys think this makes up for everything? Or have you lost a bit of trust in ESEA?
It’s a step-up if they actually do what they wrote. But I’m still not convinced about the finger pointing…
I think their responses to it over youtube were awful. They talk about it in such a ‘meh we’ll just donate the dirty money to charity…. please keep paying us?’ kind of way.
In short they controlled users computers, damage to hardware/extra electricity costs are biproducts of a much bigger scandal. They were in essence using a BOTNET to turn peoples computers into slave machines to mine bitcoins EVEN WHILE IDLE. How this can be overlooked baffles me, offering a free month of ESEA which some users now say has expired? Good job ESEA.. good job.