Accusations of unpaid wages resurface against tournament organizer Epulze and the Dota 2 scene is reminded of the unstable financial nature of the industry.
A story as old as time—or at least as old as competitive Dota 2. Allegations of non-payment have once again surfaced. This time it is against Epulze, a tournament organizer that has been accused of failing to pay talent and teams for their work in the past.
Sopy was the main host for all three DPC tours of 2023 in the SEA region. Although the focus is on Southeast Asia, this isn’t the first time Epulze has found itself at the center of controversy regarding unpaid fees. Six months ago, similar accusations were brought to light concerning the Lima Major, held by the tournament organizer in February 2023.
Lima Major was organized by Epulze in partnership with 4Desports, an organization that had previously hosted Division I and II for the entire DPC 2021-22 season in South America. Incidentally, 4D Esports was thrust into the spotlight when veteran South American player Heitor "Duster" Liberado took to Twitter to raise concerns about non-payment. At the time, Duster was part of Wolf Team, and his tweet quickly brought attention to the broader issue of unpaid wages in the region.
GosuGamers confirmed then that several other Division I teams also had not been paid by 4D. Sources indicated at that time that the issue stemmed from complications between 4D Esports and one of its major sponsors, which resulted in significant payment delays. This situation left 4D Esports scrambling to cover the shortfall, leaving talent and teams in financial limbo.
Fast-forward a few years and now reliable sources have reported that the amount of money owed and the list of individuals affected by Epulze's alleged non-payment is staggering. Each time someone went public with their claims, a representative from Epulze purportedly contacted some of the owed individuals, offering assurances that payments were forthcoming, citing delays due to pending investments or other financial issues.
Despite reported promises to rectify these issues, the claims have persisted for over a year, casting a shadow over the organization’s reputation once again.
This ongoing situation is particularly concerning given that income from Valve-sponsored events, such as the DPC or Majors/Minors, has traditionally been considered one of the safest sources of revenue in the esports industry.
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident in the history of Dota 2. A few years ago, Valve filed a lawsuit against tournament organizer GESC for failing to pay $750,000 in wages and prize money during the DPC 2017-2018 season, relating to both GESC Indonesia and GESC Thailand. Reports suggest that, to this day, the debt remains unsettled.
With trust eroding and the potential for more claims to surface, the community is left to wonder whether these issues will ever be fully resolved.
The repeated allegations against Epulze raise serious concerns about the financial stability and integrity of tournament organizers in Dota 2 – especially in light of Valve's recent decision to eliminate in-game ad placements which has sent shockwaves through the industry.
