For 19-year-old Brazilian Matheus “Brutt” Queiroz, 2019 seemed like a dream come true. He made it into a rising professional team of Counterstrike: Global Offensive (Steam). But even before his career as an e-sports player in CS:GO really began, it ended tragically.
What caused the boy’s death? We reported on MeinMMO in July 2022 about it.
The young man moved into the gaming house of “Team Reaper” in August 2019. He was considered a highly talented AWP player.
The players of the team complained about severe headaches, constant vomiting, and loss of vision.
The players suspected that it might be due to the water or the food.
The 19-year-old switched to another team, “Imperial”, a few weeks later. They published in December 2019 that the player had suffered from headaches, decided to leave the team, and return to his family.
He died in a hospital in Rio de Janeiro.
As the site globo.com reports, the cause of death was a nonspecific infection of the central nervous system. Even after days in the clinic, no conclusive diagnosis could be made before his death.
Judge sees blame with the team – But they deny it and file an appeal
What was the dispute? The question ultimately was who was to blame for the player’s death. The boy’s mother filed civil lawsuits against the teams of the player.
In 2022, three years after the player’s death, a Brazilian judge at a labor court decided that “Imperial” had indirectly contributed to the player’s death. The team had not made sufficient efforts to create a safe and healthy work environment. While the 19-year-old was in the gaming house, he had been hospitalized multiple times, but the doctors could not make a diagnosis.
The judge criticized the team’s behavior: The young man had been taken to the hospital by “underage teammates and their girlfriends” without a representative of the organization being present.
The athlete could neither sleep nor eat healthily in the house:
- For one, the house was near an airport, which disturbed sleep. In the sleeping area, it was far too warm.
- The food was also only inadequate; the team should have provided three meals a day but had not done so.
His condition could not improve. This should have been obvious to everyone.
The judge ordered the company to pay €72,000 to the family.
His team, Imperial, stated in essence: The player had only been with the team for a few days. Therefore, they could not possibly be at fault. He had only been with Imperial for 40 days, so the company could not be held responsible for his death and illness. They announced they would appeal the verdict.
3 judges unanimously reject the appeal
How did it turn out? On May 26, the hearing took place at the appeals court. All 3 appellate judges rejected the appeal. With his move into the gaming house, Imperial had been responsible for the physical and mental well-being of the 19-year-old, which was a legal obligation of the company. They had not fulfilled this obligation.
The appeals court upheld the 2022 ruling; the company must pay €72,000 to the parents and the two brothers of the player.
As Dotesports reports, the team may still file a new appeal with the highest labor court in Brazil. However, it is considered unlikely that Imperial will take this route. Dotesports notes that since the death of the 19-year-old, Imperial has risen to become a globally recognized team in CS:GO and has participated in numerous international tournaments.
The family of the deceased e-sports player says in a statement that they feel a sense of relief after having achieved justice.
