DPlus players haven’t been paid in a month as upcoming acquisition affects finances
Korean esports organization Dplus Kia has reportedly not paid players for multiple titles it competes in for a period of at least a month as it grapples with financial issues related to an upcoming acquisition.
The news surfaced on July 16 that the organization was struggling to fulfill its commitments to pay players. Just a few hours later, DPlus released a statement admitting the issues, but insisting that players had agreed to and understood the delay.
At the time of writing, DPlus’s League of Legends team is set to compete in the EWC 2026. Could payment issues spell the end of a storied LCK team?
DPlus ducks player salaries as acquisition looms
DPlus, who have also competed under the banners DWG Kia and DAMWON Gaming, are former World Champions in League of Legends, having won Worlds in 2020. The org compete in the Korean LCK, and have a roster of top players, including Heo “ShowMaker” Su, their star player.
But as of mid July it’s emerged that the organization hadn’t paid its players in a month. Reports suggested this had affected not just their flagship League of Legends roster, but their VALORANT, PUBG, EA Sports FC, and Rainbow Six Siege teams.
DPlus lift the Worlds 2020 trophy as DAMWON Gaming. Image credit: Riot Games.
Numerous publications reported on the issues
forcing a statement from DPlus
on July 16 on their official social media. While the post was issued in Korean, initial translations via Google suggested that the organization was struggling with finances during an ongoing acquisition process. They implied that players had been informed of these issues and that the payment was only delayed for this month.
But the situation could turn ugly if either the acquisition falls through, or Riot Games steps in. Earlier this year, Riot intervened when Turkish VALORANT team ULF Esports failed to pay players,
expelling them from the VCT and sanctioning the organization. In their place, Eternal Fire were allowed to purchase the roster and continue in ULF’s place.
DPlus, who currently compete in the LCK are at the time of writing are on the verge of elimination from the Esports World Cup 2026, face a real crisis. Should Riot step in as with ULF, they could find their spot taken ahead of their seemingly crucial acquisition, perhaps sinking that deal as well.
Whatever the case DPlus are in hot water: Former World Champions reduced to delayed wages and potential removal from the LCK.
Featured Image Credit: Riot Games.
Michael Hassall
About Michael Hassall
Michael is a eight-year veteran of the games writing space, but has being playing them for as long as he can remember. With bylines across the internet, he’s used his expertise to cover esports, prediction markets, mainstream gaming, streamers, and more besides.
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