Monte has responded publicly after former Counter-Strike 2 players raised concerns about salary payments. The organization’s position is that former staff members and players do not hold unresolved financial claims against the club.
The dispute followed statements made on August 26 by Alex “Rainwaker” Petrov, Oscar “AZUWU” Bell and Aurimas “Bymas” Pipiras. The former Monte players said they had encountered salary-related problems during their time with the organization.
Monte said some of its earlier remarks had been written emotionally and did not reflect the situation accurately. It apologized for those comments, said measures had been taken regarding certain employees, and emphasized its stated support for prompt salary payments and fulfillment of contracts.
Rather than presenting a shared settlement with the former lineup, Monte described its own response to the accusations. The club said it had met its financial duties to players, although it accepted that payments had on occasion arrived later than expected.
According to Monte, any salary delays lasted no longer than two or three weeks. It said players were informed about such delays and that every outstanding amount was eventually paid in full. Monte also stated that salaries had been issued regularly each month before the Major in Cologne.
The organization connected its circumstances to the pressures affecting tier 2 and tier 3 Counter-Strike teams. Monte said that it operated without stable funding, went through a crisis, and reduced its workforce to keep the team alive. In its view, running a CS2 organization is motivated by commitment to the game rather than by business considerations.
Monte said its objective had been to recover the level the team achieved in 2023. It described the following two years as an attempt to rebuild that standing despite financial limitations. These statements represent Monte’s public account of its situation and the disagreement.
Monte’s explanation of salary, prize and sticker obligations
Monte stated that salaries owed to its players had been paid and maintained that it had complied with the relevant contractual terms. It said tournament winnings were distributed under those agreements after event organizers sent the money to the company account.
The club also referred to a later calculation with the players. Monte said it learned that the players had signed for another organization while still playing under Monte contracts, reviewed the circumstances, and completed the settlement according to the contractual conditions.
Regarding stickers, Monte said neither the players nor their representatives had contacted the organization with questions about those payments. The club said player agreements provided 100% of revenue from a player’s own stickers, together with a portion of income from team stickers.
Monte further said Valve’s newer arrangement splits the pool 50 and 50 between organizations and players. It maintained that salary debts and sticker-related payments had all been settled, repeating that no former Monte employee or player retained a financial demand against the organization.
- Monte said all due salary, prize-money and sticker-related payments were completed.
- It acknowledged that salary transfers could be delayed, but said the delay did not exceed two or three weeks.
- Monte said prize distributions followed the arrival of funds from tournament organizers.
- The organization said contracts gave players 100% from personal stickers and a share of team-sticker revenue.
The financial dispute was accompanied by Monte’s version of the roster’s departure. The organization said it had intended to continue working with the lineup over the long term, but claimed those plans could not proceed because of the players’ actions.
Monte said the players entered agreements with another organization without informing the club while they remained Monte players. It said they subsequently joined Luminosity Gaming, and that the organization, captain and coach had not been told before those contracts were signed.
In Monte’s account, the roster situation interrupted work undertaken across years and forced the club to begin again. The organization also said it deserved criticism for its own failings, while arguing that its explanation showed the difficulties facing teams below the highest level.
Sequence and positions recorded in the public dispute
The reported sequence begins with the public comments from Rainwaker, AZUWU and Bymas on August 26. They said they had experienced salary problems at Monte. According to the report, the organization initially made ironic remarks about Bymas in response.
Monte’s CEO later said that the former members of the lineup moved to Luminosity Gaming without notifying the club. In its more detailed statement, Monte said all financial duties had been completed and denied that former players or employees were still owed money.
The organization also described the strain of trying to build a team without reliable funding. Its statement referred to LAN travel, salaries and other operating costs as part of the burden on lower-tier organizations, but it gave no specific budget or payment timetable.
The record therefore includes both admission and disagreement. Monte admitted that delayed salary payments had happened at times, but denied unpaid balances and unresolved contract obligations. The salary concerns are attributed to the former players, while the payment and contract explanations are Monte’s stated position.
| Recorded topic | Position or reported detail |
|---|---|
| Former Monte players | Rainwaker, AZUWU and Bymas said on August 26 that they had salary problems with the organization. |
| Financial claims | Monte said no former employee or player has an outstanding financial claim against it. |
| Payment delays | Monte said delays occurred at times, lasted no more than two or three weeks, and were later paid. |
| Sticker arrangements | Monte said players were entitled to 100% from personal stickers plus a portion of team-sticker payments. |
| Lineup move | Monte said the players signed elsewhere while under Monte contracts and later joined Luminosity Gaming. |
Monte rejected the accusation that it left former players with unpaid obligations, while recognizing that salaries were sometimes delayed. Its position is that each delayed payment was completed and that no former player has a remaining financial claim.
The documented exchange contains differing public accounts. Former Monte players reported salary problems, whereas Monte said contractual payments for salaries, tournament prizes and stickers were fulfilled. The organization also linked the conflict to the roster’s eventual move to Luminosity Gaming and to its stated struggle to return to its 2023 level.
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