Teams missing payments from Esports European League

More than seven months after the Esports European League came to an end, several organisations are still missing their prize payments.

The Esports European League took place between September and November 2017 and was broadcast on French TV Channel C8, with North Academy winning the event after beating EnVyUs Academy in the final.

HLTV.org has learned that neither the Danish side nor the French team have received their winnings of around $11,620 and $5,800, respectively.

The organisations behind the academy teams have tried several times to contact the tournament organiser, Kido Productions, who on several occasions have promised to eventually pay out the outstanding prizes.

North put forth the following statement about the payments:

"Since the end of Esports European League, we have tried to retrieve the prize money, but to no avail. In January, we were told that the money was on its way. But nothing has happened.

"First of all, it's sad for the players, who actually won the money, but it's also bad for the scene, since it in many other ways is becoming more and more professional."

Kido Productions have told teams that they themselves are missing sponsorship money from PokerStars, the main partner of the event. Allegedly, PokerStars still have not paid out their contribution, amounting to approximately $60,000.

Contacted by HLTV.org, ex-EnVyUs Academy, Loïc "⁠Neoskai⁠" Potages, said that the EnVyUs organisation have also tried to retrieve their winnings, but without success.

"After multiple emails to the head of production, and after making the request more "official", we were finally told that they understood our concerns, but they couldn't pay us until one of their sponsor, Pokerstars, had paid them the amount they were supposed to.

"In those kind of situations, you never really know who is to blame, the organizer or the sponsor, but it's not the first, and I don't think it will be the last time that sponsors take a long time to pay their event (or don't pay them at all), and that players suffer directly from this.

"What makes this situation uncomfortable for everyone is the lack of communication from the organizers, making players feel that they just played another of those "one shot" competition that tried to make something, but couldn't afford it, so died silently and disappeared from the scene. We'll now wait a bit and see to which category belongs EEL, honest people who encountered bad things, or the total opposite."

Meanwhile, former EnVyUs Academy player Ali "⁠hAdji⁠" Haïnouss has taken to Twitter to confirm the missing payments from the Esports European League:

HLTV.org knows of one team, ARES, that has been paid by Kido Productions for their 3rd-4th place finish at the event. The placement earned them ~$2,900, an amount that was paid out many months ago.

Vivien "⁠GoY⁠" Goyon, a former ARES manager, had the following to say:

"We received our due a few months after the competition. It is true that the rules stipulated a payment within a few weeks after the television broadcast, there was a delay, but after some exchange with the production, everything is in order ... For us."

Pressed by North on the matter, Kido Production justified the payment to ARES with the fact that it was "a lower amount."

HLTV.org have contacted Kido Production for a comment, but have not heard back.

Stars Group, the parent company of PokerStars, have told HLTV.org that they are 'looking into the concerns'.

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