Evil Geniuses VALORANT Championship 2023 Roster Faces Contract Dilemma
Evil Geniuses (EG) are currently in contract talks with their VALORANT championship-winning roster from 2023. However, negotiations have put the team in a tough spot, where they must either accept a pay cut or find another team willing to pay a buyout for the players’ contracts. According to reporter Richard Lewis, EG has already turned down several buyout offers, leaving the players in limbo.
Players Express Disappointment on Twitter
The news came as a surprise to many, including the players themselves, who took to Twitter to express their disappointment. Speculation about their next destination quickly spread, but everything hinges on the buyout structure of EG’s contracts.
According to reports, these contracts do not have a specific buyout price, allowing the organization to determine the amount that works for each deal. So far, EG has rejected significant buyout offers. Max “Demon1” Mazanov and Ethan “Ethan” Arnold had their buyouts denied, even though each offer was around $100,000. Demon1 is reportedly frustrated and unlikely to continue with EG due to these issues.
Buyout Rejections Leave Players in Uncertainty
Additionally, 100 Thieves’ planned buyout of Kelden “Boostio” Pupello was also denied, despite his intention to leave prior to the pay cuts at EG. These player contracts run until 2024, giving EG the upper hand in these negotiations.
If EG continues to reject buyout offers, they can force players to remain with the team until their contracts expire. This could result in players entering the free agency market with fewer teams interested in signing them. It’s unclear whether this is EG’s intention, but considering their players were the best in the world in 2023, they have not been satisfied with the buyout offers so far.
This contract dilemma is not the first significant roster issue in the VCT Americas offseason. After The Guard’s Ascension win, they released their roster, leading to community outrage. The community fought for the players to secure their spots under the G2 banner instead. Now, the best team in the world finds itself caught between a rock and a hard place: accepting a pay cut or entering free agency late, unless another team presents a lucrative offer to EG.
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