Into The Breach (ITB) CEO criticized after that confessing he was the culprit who embezzled funds, betrayed the team, and caused the organization to face a complete disbandment..

On the eve of the Chinese New Year in 2025, Sam Cook (STM), CEO of the British e-sports powerhouse Into The Breach (ITB), suddenly confessed through his personal official X (Twitter) account that he was the culprit who embezzled funds, betrayed the team, and caused the organization to face a complete disbandment.

In his official confession tweet, STM described himself as a person who had been split in two, and as a result, his selfish decisions made the organization like "a house of cards that was repeatedly toppled and hastily rebuilt after his own behaviour", and eventually fell into such a irrepairable situation.

He pointed out that the company "earned about £4 million" in 2023 and "about £1.5 million" by 2024, and he "embezzled about £600,000  in the name of a director's loan, but the timing was inappropriate and due process was not followed", and he "squandered all the money on revelry and self-harming behaviour".

During this period, STM had a bad habit of alcoholism and indulging in online gambling, which eventually led him to the point of constantly embezzling funds to satisfy his own selfish desires.

Finally, he also said that he was mentally prepared to bear all legal responsibilities and knew that it was too late to apologize now, but he still had to express his most sincere apologies to all team members, employees, investors, contracted players and fans who had been betrayed by him.

STM wrote: "ITB qualified for the Paris Major on April 8, 2023."

"The company has experienced tremendous growth and inheritance, and if handled properly, it will have the foundation needed to create a well-funded operation to support multiple e-sports aspirations and last for many years."

Veb, Kuba, Momo, Bainy, Blainey, Punico and most recently Bevve, TeaGuv and Raine have all played their roles perfectly and deserve every opportunity. They are talented and hardworking by nature. ”

“Unfortunately, I, as CEO, played the role of two people, one trying to match their efforts; the other a destructive, alcoholic narcissist bent on self-immolation.”

“I think everyone who has met me has probably seen one of these two sides, the former being able to convince everyone around me that I was a sensible person who behaved responsibly and would not betray their trust, and the latter disappearing into a mad pursuit of dopamine and self-harm. It is the ultimate caricature of the worst in people and in this industry.”

“The result has been a house of cards that has been repeatedly torn down and then hastily rebuilt in the wake of my actions. The fact that we have achieved so much despite the destruction just goes to show what we could have achieved without the destruction. Today, that house has fallen down forever and there is nothing I or anyone around me can do to fix it.”

“ITB is bankrupt, people are out of work, salaries will not be paid, money has been lost, hatred has been created, it is all my fault and all my responsibility.”

“There will be several legal liability consequences, all of which I will accept and face. People will be fully compensated to the best of their ability with available funds. This will be managed outside of my influence.” ”

“I’m sorry that people will turn a deaf ear to me, but I’m sorry.”

“For those who don’t want to be another cliché about how to screw up your life, address your character flaws, mental and destructive tendencies before you succeed, otherwise you’ll only be building on wet sand.”

“I will keep the lines open for anyone who needs it.”

However, in response to STM’s confession, ITB’s former contracted player smooya did not buy it. Later, many people accused the former of owing players more than $500,000, and also claimed that “some former managers used the company’s money to buy takeout for themselves, and some used the players’ money to buy branded clothing, etc.”

winteriio even accused STM of promising to give players extra income, but stole the Paris Major sticker income and avoided talking about it.

In response to this dispute, STM responded: “The money I paid to players from all channels was about $241,071.61 per player. According to the contract, they should get $178,850.21. ”

“However, due to the aforementioned confusion and alcoholism, I signed another contract promising them an additional $42,000 each, which I personally guaranteed. This then led to a controversy that exposed all my mistakes, which was only a small part of the reason for the company's collapse. ”

“The players of the Paris Major did receive bonuses, wages and transfer fees.”

After STM responded, another former contracted player, rallen, slammed the former for lying, and revealed that he and his teammates had been owed wages and sticker income by the former for more than half a year, and pointed out that he knew what agreement STM had signed and what promises it had made.

With STM's confession and the escalation of conflicts between smooya, winteriio, rallen and others, netizens and fans all criticized the former one-sidedly and expressed their disappointment in his two-faced behaviour.