Sources: 3DMAX deal with CyrilMP4 collapses as club accumulates nearly €2M in debt

After Karmine Corp, Joblife, Mandatory, and Gentle Mates, France was set to welcome another influencer-led esports organization. As French 3DMAX Counter-Strike players had been searching for a new project for several months due to recurring payment issues, a new initiative led by French content creator Cyril “CyrilMP4” Soudant tried to sign the roster, according to sources close to Sheep Esports. With over five million YouTube subscribers, more than one million Instagram followers, and around half a million Twitch followers, he could be a new name in the growing list of Francophone influencers investing in esports.

Despite coming very close to signing the 3DMAX roster, Spanish organization Team Heretics will ultimately not field a French Counter-Strike lineup, nearly five years after its last CS project. First reported by French outlet Lasourcegg and later confirmed by Sheep Esports, Heretics were initially the frontrunners in talks that began several months ago but collapsed in early May. According to French content creator Sébastien “KRL” Perez, ENVY also positioned itself for the roster. Under the name Team EnvyUs, before its shutdown and later revival, the North American organization historically fielded French CS:GO lineups for years, even winning a Major in 2015.

Returning to Counter-Strike in 2023, 3DMAX is one of the historic names from the early CS:GO era, notably known for its Major stickers from 2014 and 2015, which still sell for thousands of dollars. The tag eventually returned in late 2023 with the signing of Looking4Org, a French core built around Lucas “Lucky” Chastang, formerly of G2 Esports and Team Heretics, and Ali “hAdji” Haïnouss, who has played for organizations such as ENVY, Team Falcons, and Team LDLC.

The project took time to stabilize but eventually paid off in late 2024, when the roster qualified for the Perfect World Shanghai Major.

In early 2025, the organization brought in Alexandre “bodyy” Pianaro, one of the most recognized names in French CS history. With him, they secured qualification for both Majors of the year under Valve’s new format. With the VRS (Valve Ranking System), Valve replaced the former RMR system, emphasizing consistent activity and stability throughout the season to earn invitations to top-tier events (ESL, BLAST, PGL) and Major qualification slots.

After attending BLAST Austin and PGL StarLadder Budapest in 2025, the start of 2026 proved much more difficult for the French roster, leading to roster changes. This included benching bodyy and parting ways with coach Pierre “YouKnow” Marco, who had been with the team since mid-2025. They were replaced by Kévin “misutaaa” Rabier, formerly of Team Vitality and Team Falcons, along with a revamped coaching staff featuring Damien “wasiNk” Dufour as head coach and Nathan “NBK-” Schmitt as assistant coach, marking a first step into coaching for one of France’s most iconic CS players.

Despite these changes, qualification for Cologne and the “Cathedral of Counter-Strike” Major did not materialize, with the team finishing 19th in the European VRS rankings on April 6, just outside the top 17 qualifying spots. The roster, still grinding and climbing the rankings, is now set to join the new influencer-backed project.

This move is largely linked to ongoing payment issues within 3DMAX since its return. Already in September 2024, streamer Sébastien “KRL” Perez warned on X about more than €25,000 in delayed payments. These issues were later confirmed by CEO Stéphane Pons in an interview with French media LaSource in February. He explained that before his arrival in May 2025, the organization suffered “a scam from a former partner of the structure,” adding that “all team revenues, including stickers, disappeared.” He also stated that legal action was underway, with losses estimated in the six to near seven-figure range.

Our reporting confirms that total unpaid amounts could now reach around €2 million, including salaries, bonuses, and Major sticker revenue.

As a result, legal proceedings have been initiated, though outcomes remain unclear. The CEO also stated that the organization was working on solutions to stabilize its financial situation, suggesting positive developments were expected soon. However, the club now appears likely to lose its roster despite previously expecting to retain it. He had also said in the same interview: “I can say this team will continue,” when asked about 3DMAX’s future even in case of Major failure.

The missing funds represented a major issue for the roster, which reportedly feared losing hundreds of thousands of euros each if they left 3DMAX. In January 2026, Spanish organization Team Heretics entered negotiations with the French structure.

Aware of the financial difficulties, Heretics reportedly offered, according to our sources, to cover player salaries at the start of the year while contract discussions were ongoing. At the same time, 3DMAX president Benoit Compagnaud reportedly stated the organization would no longer take on salaries, making the Heretics proposal more attractive for everyone.

Initially, the deal structure involved Heretics covering around 75% of outstanding payments (something like 1.3 million dollars at this time), with Compagnaud responsible for the remaining 25%. In addition, Heretics reportedly offered him a role within the organization as well as equity, potentially paving the way for the closure of 3DMAX, which currently only operates its CS2 division.

As discussions between all parties progressed, the negotiations stalled over several issues:

On the day of the deadline set by Heretics to sign and finalize the agreement, he reportedly requested a contract restructuring, which meant that the agreement could not be signed on the scheduled date. This incident meant that Heretics had to restructure the agreement once again, further delaying its finalization. In addition to delaying the signing, the slow pace of negotiations since the beginning of the year contributed to increasing the overall cost of the acquisition.

A revised draft was eventually presented by Team Heretics following further work. However, after months of negotiations and internal fundraising efforts to support a potential entry into Counter-Strike, Compagnaud began to show resistance, suggesting he may have identified another potential French partner. In the meantime, during this restructuring period, 3DMAX narrowly missed out on qualification for the Cologne Major, resulting in the loss of sticker-related revenue. According to Sheep Esports, he ultimately chose to move forward with this new project, bringing an end to discussions with Heretics.

Ultimately, after discussions with Cyril, the debt continued to pile up. On August 20, 2026, the club’s players and staff were informed that the deal had fallen through, a development confirmed to Sheep Esports and also reported by French streamer KRL on X.

A source close to the situation also described the sums involved as substantial, arguing that the deal, alongside the previously canceled agreement with Team Heretics, had serious consequences for those involved. According to the same source, 3DMAX’s players now believe they are unlikely to ever recover the money and are struggling to understand the situation. After several months of negotiations, the French YouTuber’s side ultimately walked away from the discussions, as the organization’s debt continued to increase while its CEO made further demands.