After years of legal troubles, the lawsuit between Dota 2 star Sumail “SumaiL” Hassan and his former sponsor Evil Geniuses is finally going to trial.
Earlier in 2023, it was revealed that SumaiL had been embroiled in legal troubles with his former esports organization Evil Geniuses. The dispute over converted shares has now reached a fever pitch and there is allegedly a court date for the issue to go to a jury trial.
The case could set a precedent for how future legal disputes in esports are handled. It also throws even more fuel on the fire for EG’s multiple ongoing scandals.
The new information was revealed by longtime esports journalist Richard Lewis. Lewis also revealed the ongoing legal battle in March of this year. In the first article, he explained that SumaiL’s partial ownership of the company was taken away without any compensation. That resulted in a legal battle stretching all the way back to 2021.
Now, the case will finally go to court and it could set a precedent for how esports deals are handled in the future.
By going to trial, the case will now involve several members of Evil Geniuses’ staff and Dota 2 team including Peter “ppd” Dager, Saahil “Universe” Arora, and even Artour “Arteezy” Babaev.
A final meeting will be held in October to finalize the move to trial, which could coincide with the timing of The International 2022. Considering SumaiL’s current squad Team Aster failed to qualify, his schedule should be clear.
The SumaiL lawsuit could result in complications with EG’s other current controversies, including its improper treatment of other players.
In addition to the legal troubles involving its former Dota 2 star, Evil Geniuses is currently being accused of suddenly cutting its Valorant players’ salaries on short notice. That deal was also revealed by Richard Lewis, who explained that the timing of the cut also plays a role.
The transfer window before the next first-party Valorant circuit has already started, and EG could effectively prevent the players from leaving by setting high buyouts. This would trap the players on the team and force them to accept lower pay.
This all comes months after the controversy surrounding Kyle “Danny” Sakamaki’s departure from EG’s LCS roster. The player was allegedly abused by the organization with false promises of personal support. Evil Geniuses now has several controversies to tackle in the near future.
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