Bymas and Monte Clash Over Alleged Unpaid Earnings and Contract Breaches

Bymas and Monte are fighting over alleged unpaid earnings and whether three players hid agreements with Luminosity during renewal talks. Read on for the claims, responses, and missing evidence.

Monte’s Public Criticism of the Players’ Departure

The conflict escalated on August 26, 2026, when Monte released a video featuring CEO Dmytro Vovk. He accused Bymas, Aurélien "afro" Drapier, Oscar "AZUWU" Bell, and their agents of misleading the organization before the IEM Cologne Major. Monte alleged the trio had already committed to Luminosity while extension talks remained active, then denied having signed elsewhere when asked.

Monte also said teammate Jack "Gizmy" von Spreckelsen was kept uninformed. The dispute had already turned personal when Monte replied "Shit happens" with laughing emojis beneath Bymas’s Luminosity benching announcement.

Bymas’s Allegations Over Salary, Prize Money, Bonuses, and Sticker Revenue

Minutes after Monte’s video appeared, Bymas published his own account. The 23-year-old Lithuanian said Monte owed him “tens of thousands of dollars” across several categories:

• missed salary payments;
• tournament prize money;
• performance bonuses;
• his share of team sticker revenue from the Major sale.

Bymas said he had received no tournament prize payments since 2025 and still had multiple monthly payments and bonuses outstanding.

However, he provided no exact total, payment schedule, contract clause, or category-by-category breakdown, meaning the claimed balance cannot be independently verified from the information made public.

Claims of Outstanding Payments to Other Former Team Members

Bymas said multiple former players and the coach were also owed substantial sums, but named nobody and gave no balances. He also claimed Monte collected a "very substantial" amount from post-Major buyouts while former players and staff waited for payment. No public accounting accompanied the claim.

Repeated Payment Delays Erode Trust Before the Luminosity Move

Bymas called late payments "a recurring issue" throughout his year with Monte. He said the players repeatedly asked why delays continued, received promises of a fix, and saw no lasting improvement.

He initially stayed quiet out of respect and hoped for a private settlement. When his contract expired, he said trust had collapsed. Bymas argued that refusing to re-sign was not betrayal when the roster’s future looked uncertain and timely payment no longer felt dependable. For a professional paid through salary, prize shares, and bonuses, repeated delays can become a career decision rather than a small accounting problem.

Monte Accuses the Departing Players of Contract and Communication Failures

Monte offered another timeline. It said extension talks began with afro in March, Bymas in April, and AZUWU in early May, yet all three had allegedly committed to Luminosity before the Major ended. Vovk said management spent almost two weeks with them at the event, discussing future plans without learning the move was effectively arranged.

Monte claimed Gizmy had rejected outside approaches, including one from 100 Thieves, because he intended to stay. The organization said he learned of the split through TeamSpeak after seeking clarity. It also accused KnacksPro, ULTI Agency, and JAM Management of coordinating the exits, but showed no dated contracts, messages, or agent records. Vovk admitted Monte erred by allowing players to attend the Major with renewals unfinished.

Monte Rejects the Debt Claim and Cites Fines, External Delays, and Disputed Sticker Rights

Monte called the alleged five-figure debt a "complete lie" and said contract violators were fined. It did not identify the players, breached clauses, fine amounts, or affected payment categories.

The club disputed Bymas’s sticker interpretation, saying the new system remained debatable and asking "who actually owes whom." Monte admitted payment delays, but blamed late transfer and sponsorship income, said everyone was informed, and maintained that no player complained personally to Vovk. That conflicts with Bymas’s account. Monte did not separately resolve the prize-money and bonus claims, while neither side has published contracts, bank records, fine notices, or dated communications supporting a final verdict.

What Remains Unverified

Despite the public accusations from both sides, several key pieces of evidence have not been released:

• contracts establishing the relevant payment and renewal terms;
• bank records or other proof showing what was or was not paid;
• formal fine notices detailing alleged contract violations;
• dated messages or communications establishing when agreements with Luminosity were reached.