Several current and former 3DMAX members took to X to release a statement on the organization’s unpaid salaries, confirming the issue and admitting it has been a long-standing problem that took a toll on the team’s performances.
The statements follow Sebastien “KRL” Perez’s reporting that the French organization owes its players, staff, and other parties more than €1,500,000.
The French insider also revealed that YouTuber CYRILmp4 had been in talks to acquire 3DMAX and signed a preliminary agreement, but eventually pulled out of the team while the players declined other offers amid the negotiation process.
“Pressure has always been a privilege in competition, but this was a different type of pressure that not many can handle and battle through on a daily basis with the very hard scheduling that has CS2 lately. But we somehow kept fighting and performing,” Bryan “Maka” Canda wrote on X.
“Everyone was 100% committed but months after months since last summer it felt like everyone was consumed and too much in deep water (which is logical) even with the deepest passion and love for the game itself.”
While Maka didn’t comment on his salary situation, the team’s last two coaches, Pierre “YouKnow” Marco and Damien “wasiNk” Dufour, both revealed issues in receiving their salary shortly after news about Passion UA and Monte also not paying their staff and players.
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As Passion UA crumbles, players and staff are owed significant sums
“Yes, I received money during that period,” YouKnow said in his statement. “Except that every payment was just to catch up on a month that was already overdue, never the current month. So the delay never got cleared up; it simply shifted. In the end, it’s as if those eight months as head coach, I did them without being paid.”
wasiNk, the team’s current coach, admitted that the situation cost the team in high-pressure moments. “In the end, one reality was in everyone’s head. If you don’t perform, you’re not getting paid, and you won’t be able to pay off your debts. Inevitably, that explains a lot of the breakdowns in certain matches – the players had too much pressure tied to the results,” he wrote on X.
All this leaves the team members with an uncertain future, prompting the team’s longest-standing member Maka to release a plea to the community to help them attend their upcoming tournaments and fight for Major qualification.
“If you are interested or believe in this project feel free to reach out [to me]. We need your support to compete in the upcoming LAN events.”
