Chaos in Tier 2 VALORANT: MrFunhaver Exposes Deep-Rooted Issues in Riot’s Challenger Ecosystem

Prominent esports figure Timothy “MrFunhaver” exposed a long list of alleged issues plaguing Riot Games’ Tier 2 VALORANT ecosystem, leveling criticism at tournament operations, Riot’s business practices, and even serious allegations of cheating, match-fixing, and corruption.

Disclaimer: These are allegations unless proven. This report is based on claims made publicly by MrFunhaver and have not been independently verified.

Challengers System Under Fire

Tim began by criticizing Riot’s Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for Challengers, which he claimed is based on player promotions from T2 to T1. According to him, this data point is misleading — “Only three truly new players were promoted to Tier 1 in the last year,” he stated, implying that most were previously signed professionals returning to the ecosystem.

Tim submitted a 500k USD proposal to run the Challengers League, but Riot reportedly opted for a lower bid from Liga Ace. He alleged that the chosen bid was so minimal that it barely covered the prize pool and production, leaving tournament organizers to cover major operational expenses.

“They want TOs to foot the bill. It’s a terrible deal,” said Tim, also pointing out that Riot still demanded their preferred production vendors, which increased costs and hurt broadcast quality.

Accusations Against Liga Ace

Tim leveled criticism at Liga Ace, the tournament operator, for:

• Inconsistent rulings

• Personal decision-making bias

• Poor communication and overall mismanagement
  

Cheating and Match-Fixing Allegations

Perhaps the most serious allegations involved claims that an active Riot Games employee in the Anti-Cheat (AC) department is being paid off to allow players to cheat. He also discussed:

• Bettors offering huge sums for match-fixing

• Allegations of teams accepting bribes

• Win trading in ranked and competitive play

• Widespread closet cheating
  

These claims coincided with an appearance on stream by Sean Gares, a former pro player and Riot broadcast talent. Gares cryptically stated:

“What you’re saying is just 1% of what’s happening.”

He urged Tim not to disclose more information, referencing an ongoing investigation and hinting at a much broader scandal looming.

Community Fracture and Player Exploitation

Tim alleged that many Tier 2 organizations are in financial trouble or considering exiting VALORANT altogether. He cited:

• QoR as a “nepo org” with questionable internal politics

• M80 allegedly failing to pay players and mismanaging funds
  

He also pointed to a recent scam involving a fake T3 org promising $2,000–5,000/month salaries. Many players paused real opportunities to pursue the phantom offer, only to be let down.

Scrim VOD & Comp Leaks

Tim revealed that while helping Talon Esports with strategy during Champions, he became aware that scrim VODs and comps were being leaked by teams. Lower-tier scrim partners would allegedly leak strategies to other teams, compromising competitive integrity.

Riot’s Premier System Critique

He took aim at Riot’s Premier system, calling it “absurdly horrible,” and criticized its:

• Best-of-1 format

• Harsh penalties (e.g., 30-day bans for leaving TDM)

• False bans hurting legitimate players
  

What’s Next?

Tim admitted he expects backlash from Riot and possibly being blacklisted from future tournaments. He also teased that if Sean Gares follows through with his own investigation and potential exposé, “Split 3 might not even happen.”

“The system is so broken that it needs to be torn down and rebuilt from scratch,” Tim concluded.

Final Thoughts

If even a fraction of the claims made are true, Riot Games may be facing one of the most serious crises of integrity in VALORANT’s competitive history. With calls for transparency mounting and potential investigations ongoing, the coming weeks may redefine the structure and trustworthiness of the Tier 2 VALORANT scene.

Stay tuned as this story develops.