In January 2023, the Commissioner’s Office of the Louvre Agreement was made aware of a range of claims about possible breach of the partnership’s rules and regulations. In line with its governance code, an independent investigation was commissioned, approved by the ESL Pro League’s Executive Board.
That investigation has now concluded. It found that Astralis asked for and received services from a future employee between April and July 2021, which created a Conflict of Interest as that party held a position of authority within a competitor team. It did not report this to league authorities and the competing team itself. This was found to be a breach of the regulations of the Louvre Agreement. Other claims were investigated in this process, however no other breaches were identified.
This total includes legal and procedural fees. The independent inquiry found that no competition or match results were impacted, which the Executive Board wishes to place on record.
“From the moment Astralis were approached by the Commissioner’s Office with regards to these allegations, we worked closely and collaboratively with them, the Executive Board and the investigators to support their process. We are equally surprised and disappointed with the conclusion of the investigation, but we believe all parties have learned a lot throughout this process, and we accept the verdict. In Astralis, we firmly believe in maintaining high standards of professionalism, integrity, and fair play, and as such we are proud of the fact that the Louvre Agreement is at the forefront of good governance and regulatory discipline, under which a complaint by a Member is taken seriously and followed up on with a thorough investigation. We also wish to recognize the diligent work done by all involved parties in this matter. As the Louvre Agreement is a continually-evolving document, we anticipate working together with the Members in the near future to see if and how we can iterate this process further, and keep it at that best practice level.”
