What Is Happening in the NLC, Accused of Multiple Late Payments?

Targeted on X since Monday, February 16, the NLC attempted to respond this Wednesday, February 18, with a lengthy statement across its social media platforms. The Northern League of Legends Championship, which brings together players and clubs from Northern Europe and the United Kingdom, found itself in turmoil after many of its on-air talents and collaborators highlighted management issues and significant payment delays.

The story publicly began with Adam “Eragon” Harney, caster and host since 2023, who, after several months without responses from Leagues.gg, the company managing the league, came forward to complain about the treatment he had received. “NLC doesn't pay their talent,” he wrote, before explaining that he first waited nearly five months for a salary, which was eventually paid, and then revealed that the organization refused to cover late fees.

He ultimately concluded, with screenshots to support his claims, that “after which their accounting messages you for the first time since 2024 after many, many emails and messages saying actually no, they won't be paying late fees because they fucked up their finances!”

It is worth noting that in Denmark, individuals who issue invoices are entitled to claim additional fees in case of late payment. As Leagues.gg is based in Denmark and reportedly missed the 30-day payment deadline on several occasions, it is required to pay those fees. This point resurfaced following the NLC’s statement on Thursday the 18th, in which the organizers publicly indicated that they had “declined certain late fees,” despite European law clearly stating that “a contractual term or a practice which excludes interest for late payment shall be considered as grossly unfair.”

On the same matter, the league stated that it had “offered to cover any documented costs incurred as a direct result of delayed payments. We did not receive a response.” This sentence was notably addressed by Sam Sugarman, stage manager at NLC Stockholm in August 2025, who said on X this Thursday that he had never received such a message from the organization: “I have not received any correspondence post or prior concerning the arrival of my pay, nor any offer to cover or compensate any delayed payment costs.”

In a second statement published on Thursday, February 19, the NLC announced that the competition would be paused, with Week 7 of the Winter split postponed. In addition, Leagues.gg explained that it had “initiated dialogue with Riot Games and other relevant parties,” adding that these discussions may continue into the following week.

Shortly after this post on X, several league stakeholders told Sheep Esports that the day’s matches would indeed go ahead, organized by the teams themselves, without the official broadcast but with referee support. According to those sources, this would take place with Leagues.gg’s approval, both for the matches and for the alternative stream setup for the day. “There is no time to postpone it,” some individuals told us, pointing to the league’s tight schedule. A few minutes before the publication of this article, the NLC confirmed on X that the matches would ultimately go ahead, without providing any indication regarding the official broadcast.

This was a major blow dealt to the NLC by Eragon, but neither the first nor the last. Back in January, Esports News UK, through journalist Hannah Marie ZT, reported in an article on the league’s recurring payment delays. At the time, the league had stated “their intention to provide an official statement but have not done so by the time of publishing.” That statement ultimately arrived more than a month after the article was released, prompted by the scale of the communications from former collaborators.

Following this initial revelation, many other figures from the scene, whether former NLC contributors or still in contact with the league, spoke out about delays. Alexandre “Archarom” Maia, host since 2022, stated that “Eragon is not the only case” and, above all, that “they keep doing it.” In the same post on X, the Portuguese caster explained that he was also affected: “I had a contract with them, and I'm still waiting for the full payment but am being ignored.” He is obviously not the only one to have said so, as Antonis “Rev” Stepchenko simply wrote, “Still haven't been paid.”

Beyond these unpaid invoices, several long-standing collaborators also revealed that they had been removed from the project. Jake “Hiprain” Matthews explained that he “was let go via a DM on Discord.” According to him, it may have been a blessing in disguise, as he wrote in the same statement on X that “week after week my mental was getting battered being tied to the NLC,” describing the situation as “a complete dumpster fire.”

He is not the only longtime figure in this position. Georgia “Troubleinc” Paras, who has been co-streaming for Team Vitality since the beginning of the year and had been active with the NLC since 2020, expressed her dismay following her departure: “As of today I am no longer part of the NLC. [...] I am speechless atm.”

The departure of some of the biggest names was also addressed by the NLC in its statement, which began by explaining that “Trouble and Hiprain are experienced professionals who are appreciated for their on-screen work.” The organizers went on to say that the decision to make changes had been carefully considered and aligned with their “desire to take the product in a new direction.” They added that, although these decisions were difficult, they are part of “broadcasting and tournament operations.” They also acknowledged that “the communication around these changes could have been handled better,” repeating in conclusion that they should “have done better.”

This idea of change has not gone down well with the two names mentioned in the article, particularly Trouble, who described the communication as misguided, especially as the NLC later stated it would “shift toward a more traditional broadcast approach.” This strategy from Leagues.gg had already been outlined on January 13, when the company presented plans for a studio in Copenhagen, Denmark, aiming to bring casters and broadcast staff on-site, effectively moving away from remote contributors.

Formerly a director for the NLC, Frazer also issued a statement contradicting another point in the league’s communication, particularly when it claimed: “With the support and goodwill of several larger creditors, we were ultimately able to secure the necessary funding and settle all original invoices.” Frazer added, implying they had also experienced payment delays, that they were offered a payment plan spread across the full year, but with 30 percent of what they were owed written off. More seriously, they said they were told that bankruptcy and no payment at all would be the alternative if they did not accept the proposed deal.

More discreet but just as significant, the NLC also addressed in its statement the period following Los Ratones, explaining that the league had chosen to continue “developing the league toward a more influencer- and creator-driven format.” According to the organizers, the Winter Split figures validate this decision, adding that “we believe this is the long-term direction of broadcasting.”

A club owner, interviewed by Sheep Esports, pointed out what they see as a disconnect from Leagues.gg, noting that the first competitive segment of the year is below and continues to decline compared to previous seasons, excluding 2025 and the Los Ratones phenomenon. They added: “They've lost 66 % of week one viewership in 6 game days," referring to the official NLC channels on Twitch and YouTube.

Several clubs that spoke with Sheep Esports also stated that they experienced delays in payments related to NLC Stockholm, which took place in late-August 2025, with funds reportedly arriving between mid-October and early December, more than three months after the event concluded. This is all the more critical for these organizations, given that influencers leading some of the new teams are believed to have been paid to join the league.

It is within this broader context that Marc “Caedrel” Robert Lamont reacted during a stream on Monday, February 16, when speaking about the NLC. During a short segment, the streamer behind the Los Ratones project explained that when the team revealed “around October” that they would not return to the NLC, the league “were trying to convince so many people to make a team to join their league, saying that we were staying for next year.” According to him, the organizers even suggested that “you can make content with Caedrel and Los Ratones.” In the same segment, he further stated that Leagues.gg “are just like perma-lying.”