Esports companies may cap player pay at Rs 2.5 lakh per month

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

esports teams including S8UL, Revenant Esports, GodLike Esports, Enigma Gaming, Global Esports etc. are deliberating to cap the salaries of players at Rs 2.5 lakh per month as player poaching is hurting the team play at tournaments.

Owners of as many as 15 esports organisations met last month to deliberate that dolling out high salary packages in a race to grab the top performing players is pushing many organisations in the red.

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“The entire poaching practice amongst us is disturbing the economics of the business,” said one organisation owner who did not wish to be quoted. “Every org spends a huge budget in running gaming bootcamps in posh locations of Mumbai, training the players, building team strategy, managing their branding, travel expenditure as well as taking care of their nutrition and mental well being.”

This spending could be anywhere between 15-20 lakh per month depending on the number of athletes on board.

However, even one player's exit not only impacts the overall business strategy but also disturbs the gameplay and morale of the team, he added.

“Imagine the mood in the locker room if Virat Kohli suddenly announced departure from the Indian cricket team just before a critical match,” another person said. “This is how our players feel when suddenly their in-game leader joins a rival team. More than the business, it's about the team spirit for esports. You are playing behind a mobile/PC screen and the only cheer in the room is from your fellow teammates. This requires