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"STOP LYING": Kassad and Players Call Out BLEED's Response
Following public accusations by Aleksandar “Kassad” Trifunović and the Counter-Strike team, BLEED Esports finally issued a statement addressing the controversy. The organization claimed that they had paid the team’s salaries up until August 2024, and that the September payments were still in process.
However, Kassad wasted no time in responding, calling BLEED’s statement false. He shared a detailed breakdown of unpaid dues, stating that the organization owes more than $300,000 to multiple parties, including himself, G2 Esports, Apeks, as well as several players. In a direct message to BLEED on social media, he added, "STOP LYING YOU CLOWNS," indicating his frustration with the organization's continued dishonesty.
Kassad further disclosed an email that he had sent on behalf of the entire CS2 division to BLEED management on September 6, 2024, formally addressing the organization's breach of contract.
The email listed numerous violations, such as unpaid salaries, unprocessed prize money, and unfulfilled buyout agreements. Despite multiple attempts to handle the matter privately, Kassad and his team felt compelled to escalate the issue publicly after receiving no response from the organization. They warned BLEED that failure to resolve these matters would lead to legal action, a threat now echoed by other divisions of the esports organization.
Rainbow Six Siege Roster Speaks Out
Adding to the woes, Taylor "Terdsta" Ching, a player from BLEED’s Rainbow Six Siege roster, also came forward with a statement, sharing his experience of financial struggle and mistreatment.
According to Terdsta, BLEED owes him over $35,000 in unpaid dues. Living abroad with a meager salary of less than $700 USD per month, he detailed how the team had to rely on prize money simply to survive. Terdsta also revealed that despite becoming BLEED’s most successful roster, competing in multiple international events, they were consistently met with false promises and non-payment from BLEED's upper management.
Since the VALORANT controversy, BLEED's CEO, Mervyn Goh, has been unreachable, leaving players in a precarious situation where they may miss out on upcoming events due to a lack of organizational support.
Terdsta’s testimony mirrored the growing concerns across BLEED's divisions, particularly as records from Singapore’s Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) revealed that BLEED had been deregistered as a legal entity in September 2023. This revelation raises further questions about the organization’s compliance with legal and financial obligations.
Meanwhile, CEO Mervyn Goh has been summoned for a private court hearing on October 21, which could bring more legal challenges to the surface.
BLEED’s Future: Uncertain and Unraveling
As the esports community watches BLEED Esports’ unraveling, it becomes increasingly clear that the organization’s financial and legal troubles are far-reaching. Despite initial attempts to downplay the allegations, the outcry from multiple divisions paints a grim picture. With significant debts to players, organizations, and stakeholders, the future of BLEED Esports hangs in the balance.
The upcoming court hearing for CEO Mervyn Goh may provide more insight into the organization’s standing, but the silence from BLEED's upper management suggests that a resolution may not be forthcoming. In the meantime, the players continue to compete under the name "UNPAID," a telling sign of the team's frustrations with BLEED's failure to meet their basic contractual obligations.
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Featured Image Source: BLEED Esports/Edited by Strafe
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