BLEED Slammed for Contract Breaches and Payment Delays
The Singaporean esports organization, BLEED Esports, has once again found itself in troubled waters. Aleksandar “Kassad” Trifunović, the Counter-Strike head coach, posted a statement on X, detailing months of player and staff mistreatment.
The statement, co-signed by the players, accuses the organization of delayed payments, including player salaries, and failing to meet basic contractual obligations. The squad initially tried to resolve the matter privately, but after receiving no response from the organization, they were forced to go public.
BLEED has repeatedly failed to settle payments for the team, including reimbursements for their RMR bootcamp, portions of tournament prize money, and other outstanding dues. They have also neglected to pay player buyouts.
Despite threatening legal action, the organization continues to ignore these contractual obligations, sparking public outrage from the Counter-Strike division.
BLEED – A Sinking Ship
Other divisions, such as DOTA, VALORANT, and Rainbow Six, have reached out to Kassad and his team with similar concerns. Many employees have reported breaches of contract and delayed salaries.
Not long ago, BLEED’s VALORANT division was put under scrutiny when Riot Games cut ties with the organization, removing them from the VCT system, citing “failure to comply with critical reporting requirements.” Around the same time, Juani, a talent manager, made a post about BLEED's attempt to acquire Aspas and the fallout that ensued. The post revealed that after the details of the deal were leaked, several former players contacted Riot Games with complaints of delayed payments.
These incidents were foreshadowing BLEED's current troubles. Now, with the Counter-Strike squad speaking out, it’s clear that BLEED is a sinking ship. Symbolically, the captain of the ship—the CEO—has gone AWOL, abandoning the organization.
BLEED has yet to respond publicly to these allegations, and it seems unlikely that they will. As for the Counter-Strike squad, they plan to compete in the RES Regional Champions and the Thunderprick World Championship 2024 under the name "UNPAID."
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Featured Image Credits: BLEED
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