VALORANT Players and Coach File Cases Against XSET Organization in California
Four professional VALORANT players and their coach have separately filed lawsuits against the XSET organization in California. The players, Zachary “zekken” Patrone, Matthew “Cryocells” Panganiba, Jordan “AYRIN” He, Rory “dephh” Jackson, and former coach Don “SyykoNT” Muir, are seeking an order that would require XSET to arbitrate disputes regarding owed proceeds from the Champions 2022 skin bundle. These cases were filed on Aug. 16, 2023, with the Los Angeles County Superior Court of California.
According to court documents, XSET has refused to pay any of the former team members their share of the digital items revenue. The documents also claim that XSET disregarded a letter sent in April requesting good faith negotiations, which led to the arbitration process.
Agreements Detail Revenue Split, XSET Allegedly Failing to Honor Them
The agreements between XSET and the team members clearly outline the agreed-upon skin revenue split. Each player and coach were entitled to receive 8.33 percent of all skin revenue sales. An addendum added in August 2022 also specified that XSET agreed to pay 50 percent of proceeds from in-game digital item sales to the five players and coach of the VALORANT roster at the time. Brendan “BcJ” Jensen is also included in this agreement.
The lawsuits allege that XSET is refusing to honor the terms of its own arbitration agreement by rejecting an issue from Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services (JAMS) to pay the $2,000 non-refundable filling fee, under the JAMS “Policy on Employment Arbitration Minimum Standards of Procedural Fairness.”
Players Seeking Court Order for Arbitration and Payment
The players and coach are seeking a court order that compels XSET to arbitrate the dispute over owed revenue shares. They also demand that XSET pays all administrative fees and costs associated with the lawsuits.
XSET Responds to Lawsuits
In response to the lawsuits, XSET has issued a statement expressing its disagreement with the complaints. The organization asserts that the contracts were not amended as claimed by the plaintiffs and states its commitment to supporting its players and the future of esports.
“Unfortunately, no one reached out to us for comment before publishing the article. Esports has faced significant challenges in the past year and continues to establish itself as an integral part of the sports world. Contract disputes are a sad reality in professional sports. We completely disagree with the claims made in the complaint and look forward to proving that the contracts were not amended. At XSET, we work hard every day to support our players and reinvest every penny generated back into the gaming community. Despite any obstacles, we are excited about the future of gaming and its continued evolution.”
VALORANT, XSET organization, dispute, arbitration, revenue, lawsuits, contracts, esports