Dplus KIA players reportedly owed one month's salary amid delayed organization sale

While Dplus KIA has been competing in the League of Legends tournament at the Esports World Cup since Wednesday, July 15, South Korean journalist Yong Woo "kenzi" Kim of Daily e-Sports reported on Thursday that all players across the organization "are currently owed one month's salary."

In his article, the journalist cites "industry sources," who reportedly said that "the organization had fallen two months behind, but one month's pay was recently settled." The report also confirms from the outset that the issue affects every title in which Dplus KIA competes, including League of Legends, VALORANT, PUBG Mobile, EA Sports FC, and Rainbow Six Siege.

According to the article, the situation was confirmed by a Dplus representative. "The sale of the team has been delayed," the representative said, "which disrupted our financial plans." They also stated that the players had already been informed and that the organization is "working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible and will release an official statement soon."

Beyond the delayed salary payments, the representative's comments also appear to indicate that the organization is currently in the process of being sold, something that, as far as is known, had not previously been reported or publicly communicated.

Update after Dplus statement: “In order to ensure the continued growth of the organization and its players, as well as a sustainable future, we have made the business decision that welcoming a new owner is the best course of action. The sale process of the organization is currently underway.”

According to kenzi and the sources cited in the report, the rapid rise in LCK salaries, particularly within 's own roster, is one of the main factors that put the organization under financial pressure. The journalist writes that "the team's total payroll is still estimated to be around KRW 3 billion," or just over $2 million. The article also states that these financial difficulties have been known, or at least hinted at, for several years, and have recently been worsened by the departure of several internal staff members.

However, Dplus KIA's problems may not stop there, especially if the situation continues for much longer. The South Korean journalist points out that under the league's regulations, "coaching staff and players affiliated with a specific team can request contract termination if their wages are withheld for one month." According to an anonymous source quoted in the article, however, it remains unlikely that the players will choose that option. The source noted that "given the tight schedule of the league and the structure leading up to the LoL World Championship, it won’t be easy to simply talk about terminating a contract."

via x.com/DplusKia

“Hello, this is the Dplus KIA management office.

First and foremost, we would like to sincerely apologize to all our fans who have always cared for Dplus KIA and continued to support us, as well as to our valued partners.

As the department responsible for the organization's overall operations on the ground, we deeply recognize our responsibility regarding the recent unfortunate situation. We would like to transparently share the facts with our fans and express our sincere apologies.

Dplus KIA has always moved forward alongside our fans with a spirit of challenge, despite facing various limitations, while holding bold and ambitious dreams. The moments we shared with our fans, celebrating and overcoming challenges together while competing on the global stage, remain among the proudest and most valuable memories for all members of our organization.

However, the organization has reached a point where greater resources and support are required to take the next step in its growth, while also facing changes in its management environment.

Therefore, in order to ensure the continued growth of the organization and its players, as well as a sustainable future, we have made the business decision that welcoming a new owner is the best course of action. The sale process of the organization is currently underway.

Dplus KIA is proceeding with the sale process to establish a more stable and long-term foundation for growth, while strengthening the global competitiveness of our teams.

Alongside continuing detailed discussions with a potential buyer with whom negotiations had already been ongoing, we have also signed an official agreement with a professional M&A advisory firm to systematically manage the process and quickly proceed with discussions with capable candidates who can actively realize the organization's value and vision.

However, as this is a critical agreement that will determine the future of the organization, the final coordination process and sale advisory procedures have taken longer than initially expected.

During this process, temporary disruptions occurred in our financial planning, which ultimately led to the unfortunate situation where player salaries were delayed by one month.

Before this situation occurred, our management office communicated with the players and coaching staff regarding the current financial situation and the progress of the sale process, while respectfully asking for their understanding and patience.

Despite the organization's current transitional difficulties, we would like to express both our apologies and our deepest gratitude to our players, who have continued to trust the organization, support one another, and remain fully committed to training and their schedules without being shaken.

All members of the Dplus KIA management office take this matter extremely seriously and feel a profound sense of responsibility.

We are making every effort to complete the delayed salary payments as soon as possible and restore normal operations across the organization.

We also promise to conclude the ongoing sale process in the near future and quickly rebuild a stable foundation that will allow the organization to operate successfully.

The most important value of our organization, one that we will never compromise on, is the stability of our players' careers.

We will use every available resource to prioritize psychological support and welfare measures so that our players can focus solely on competing, without experiencing any uncertainty both inside and outside the competition environment.

Once again, we sincerely apologize to all our fans and partners for the deep disappointment and concern we have caused.

We will do everything possible to resolve this situation as quickly as possible, rebuild Dplus KIA into a stronger and more structured organization, and repay the love and support our fans have shown us.

Thank you.”