Team Odd Ends Partnership with Playmakers Esports
Last month, Team Odd signed the upstart Playmakers Esports roster for their debut in Dota 2. However, due to contract issues, the partnership has come to an end just before the upcoming StarLadder ImbaTV Minor.
In a TwitLonger post on March 2, Playmakers manager George Griffin described the past few weeks as “a nightmare.” On the other hand, Odd’s co-owner Vyacheslav “Smith” Kuznetsov claims that Gervin, the manager of Playmakers, started demanding more money.
Broken Promises and Unfulfilled Deals
Playmakers, a player-run startup team, did not receive a monthly wage. Instead, their earnings were based on tournament winnings, which amounted to just $7,500 from their previous tournament. Odd offered them a starting salary of $600 to $1,000, paying for LAN cafe fees, rebranding, and increased social media presence.
However, none of these promises were fulfilled. Playmakers not only made it to the closed qualifiers for the StarLadder Minor but also won the event. Despite this, they were not paid or given the resources they were promised. As a result, Playmakers has decided to end their partnership with Odd and revert back to their original team name.
The Allegations and Counterarguments
The details surrounding these contract issues are murky. Smith claimed that Gervin and his team began asking for additional funds and eventually refused to participate in the bootcamp due to lack of money. On the other hand, Gervin accused Odd of trying to attract sponsors using the Playmakers lineup and claimed that Smith and his partner avoided communication.
New Beginnings for Demolition Boys
Despite the turmoil, Playmakers has rebranded themselves as the Demolition Boys and will still be participating in the upcoming StarLadder ImbaTV Minor. They hope to leave this behind and start fresh.
The StarLadder ImbaTV Minor will be held from March 7 to 10, with eight teams competing for a prize pool of $300,000, 500 Dota Pro Circuit points, and a spot at the DreamLeague Season 11 Stockholm Major.
related keywords: Team Odd, Playmakers Esports, Dota 2, StarLadder ImbaTV Minor, contract issues, partnership, esports news