Following public accusations of improper roster moves, now-former Griffin general manager Cho Kyu-Nam is facing separate troubles.
According to Inven Korea, Cho is being sued for approximately $21,000 by an unknown party. The plaintiff in the suit, who is an acquaintance of Cho’s that doesn’t usually conduct business in esports, came forward with the lawsuit after catching wind of the ongoing issues surrounding Cho and the organization.
The drama stems from their split from coach Kim “cvMax” Dae-ho and handling of Seo “Kanavi” Jin-hyeok’s transfer to JD gaming.
After suddenly splitting from the organization shortly before the 2019 League of Legends World Champsionship, cvMax discussed his breakup with the team. He discussed Cho in particular being dismissive of his role in helping Griffin reach the top but also alleged exploitative practices within the organization.
In particular, he claimed that the transfer of Kanavi to JD Gaming saw the jungler put on a low salary due to Griffin receiving over $1 million from his buyout clause. These allegations saw Riot open an investigation into Griffin.
According to Esports Talk, Korean senator Dong-sup Lee is taking things a step further and has proposed a “Korean Senate Esports Athlete Standard Contract Law” following the accusations. This would standardize the contracts of professional players and team staffers across the country to ensure fair treatment of talent.
No matter the outcome of this whole situation, Cho’s time at the top of the Korean esports scene seems to be over as he was dismissed from Griffin shortly after things started turning sour. Things are still going well for Griffin in the game, though.
The team has advanced to the quarterfinals of Worlds 2019 and will face Invictus Gaming on October 26.
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