A professional gamer claimed to have mistakenly received more than $100,000 in tournament prizes after competing in just a few matches at the International Series last year. ESL FACEIT Group, the prominent event organizer, has taken responsibility for the controversy surrounding its recent gaming events, where multiple participants experienced issues with fees and significantly reduced prizes.
Due to a technical glitch, numerous gamers participating in the ongoing International Series competitions received inaccurate prize payments, according to an ESL FACEIT spokesperson who provided clarification through official game feeds. Because the responsible party behind the prize-winning performance, we are actively working to swiftly address this issue and ensure that all players receive their rightful prize rewards.
The International Sequence, an official esports league developed by Respawn Leisure and written by Digital Arts, launched its inaugural season in January. The tournament structure is compartmentalized into distinct sections, ultimately culminating in regional events and a championship round. Zeddo, the gamer who received a life-changing payout of $100,000, initially partnered with Native Gaming for a couple of video games, expecting a significantly smaller reward.
Zeddo recalled being motivated by the promise of compensation for his work, specifically a weekend getaway with N8V, as he shared in a direct message exchange with game-feeds. “Streaming abruptly stopped as I checked my email and couldn’t believe the notification – I had finished first in Break-Up 1 Professional League, a remarkable achievement.”
The tech mogul described the sudden influx of funds as “astoundingly dramatic” and “slightly unsettling,” remarking on the surreal experience of having a substantial amount of money unexpectedly deposited into his digital wallet. “I’m concerned that this situation might impact my tax obligations or create additional financial burdens for me.” “[It’s also] motivating. The $100,000 windfall was a game-changer, prompting me to seriously consider the tangible impact it could have on my life if it were genuinely mine.
Chase “Shooby” Vasquez is one of several gamers who claim to have been underpaid: The team he played with, Elev8 Gaming, allegedly received $11,000 for their 16th-place finish in the playoffs and $6,000 for their sixth-place finish in the North American event. Despite earning individually $5,600, he received a solitary payment of just $512. Gamers are typically paid individually, not as part of a team. Tyler “Tyler” Wooden, competing with Navi in the Europe, Middle East and Africa division, had expected around $2,000 for his second-place finish; as a team, Navi was anticipating a prize pool of $15,000, but Wooden claimed he received only $600. A participant from the same division, known as Feuda online, shared a screenshot of their earnings: £137,430.55, despite their team finishing eleventh, suggesting their entire team’s expected total payout could be around $3,000. While Lee “KaronPe” Min-hyuk, a South Korean professional, and his team at Winnity garnered a total of $315,000, they were unexpectedly awarded just $475.85, according to a report published on X.
Stephen “Reedz” Bailey, a Canadian competitor from the North American region, has yet to receive payment despite his placement; he’s expecting around $1,000 for finishing 12th in late March? A representative for the ESL FACEIT consulting firm chose not to disclose the exact number of gamers affected due to concerns surrounding General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and privacy matters.
Disappointingly, payout problems are a commonplace occurrence in the world of competitive gaming. Is no esports protection provided: Esports players, along with countless others, are affected by this reality. Professional gamers often spend months in anticipation of their tournament winnings. “Zeddo was stunned by the sheer scale of winnings sent to unwitting players.”
The latest updates to this narrative have integrated another declaration from an English as a Second Language (ESL) FACEIT expert.
