Payment Delays for North American VALORANT Players
Several VALORANT players from North America claim that they have not been paid by tournament organizer Nerd Street Gamers.
The Philadelphia-based esports infrastructure company partnered with VALORANT developer Riot Games to cover the North American VALORANT Champions Tour in 2022. However, players are still waiting for their prize money from events held throughout the past year. Some members of the broadcast talent team have reported waiting up to six months for payment.
While some players have spoken out publicly about the delay in payment, others have chosen to remain anonymous due to concerns about potential reprisals in the industry.
The issue came to light when former TSM Academy player Timothy “ZK” Ly tweeted that he had not received his share of the prize money from his team’s second-place finish at the Nerd Street Summer Championship in August 2022.
According to one commentator, they are still waiting for thousands of dollars in salary payments, while another commentator only received payment after constant reminders and a four-month delay.
This is not an isolated incident, as a third commentator also reported difficulties in receiving payment. They expressed concerns about NSG’s ability to fulfill its financial obligations to teams and talent while hosting VCT tournaments and Game Changers events.
Additionally, several players and coaches, including the former core of Ghost Gaming, have stated that they are awaiting payment.
Oxygen esports player Yassin “Reduxx” Aboulalazm stated that his organization is owed $2,000.
Another player, Benita Novshadian from the Shopify Rebels, revealed that she is still waiting for payment from two events: Game Changers Championship NA Series 2 and 3.
The former manager of Teal Seam Vapor reported that his team has not received the $1,250 prize money they earned from finishing in the top eight of an event. Another team, VIRTUOSO, received their payment only after persistent follow-ups.
became aware of the payment issues in December, but due to Riot’s holiday break, they were unable to obtain a comment from the company at the time.