A group of former AlQadsiah Esports personnel has publicly accused the esports organisation of failing to pay more than $100,000 USD in prize money, salaries and expense reimbursements. Al Qadsiah is a Saudi esports organisation run under the Al-Qadsiah Football Club.
The claims were posted on X by Australian tournament organiser and commentator Yuven “Brownman” Vincent, who later reported that the organisation had been in contact and was working on a resolution. In a lengthy thread, Brownman said that he, TEKKEN 8 pro Benjamin “Yagami“ Torngdee and fellow TEKKEN pro Adeel “THE JON“ Sheikh are collectively owed over $100,000. He said the figure covers prize money, salaries and reimbursements going back as far as mid-2024.
Brownman added that the total does not include money owed to others in the organisation’s fighting game department and other game divisions, who he says have faced the same problems and remain unpaid. He also pointed to the organisation’s backing. AlQadsiah is owned by Saudi energy giant Aramco, and Brownman argued that the situation damages the reputation of Saudi and Middle Eastern esports organisations. “If an Aramco owned organisation can fail so completely, then what hope is there for others?” he wrote.
According to Brownman, the group tried to resolve the matter directly with the team over an extended period. He said they were met with “excuses, stalling tactics and complete disregard” before being ignored altogether. Promises were made but not kept, he claimed, and communication was “near non-existent.”
Brownman said the group kept fulfilling its contractual obligations “in good faith” while expecting the promised improvements. He also alluded to further issues he did not detail, including “threats and attempts to silence players from speaking out publicly regarding their treatment.”
Yagami also backed up the claims in a quote post. He said he was with AlQadsiah from 2024 to mid-2026 and has not received any prize money earned in that time. That includes Esports World Cup prize money from the 2024 and 2025 editions, which he said totals over $60,000 on its own, on top of other money owed for reimbursements. Yagami said he has been repeatedly told the organisation is processing the payments and will pay everything soon, but that “at this point it has been far too long.”
Roughly seven hours after the original thread, Brownman posted an update saying he had been in contact with AlQadsiah Esports. He said the organisation assured him it is working to “urgently reach a solution to settle this matter” and that he looks forward to seeing the owed funds paid in full.
The Esports Radar also reached out to AlQadsiah Esports for comment hours ahead of this publishing but has not received a response as of publication. We will update this story if we receive an official statement from the organisation.
Late or missing payments have long been a pain point in esports, and the issue is especially sensitive for fighting game players, many of whom rely on prize money and org stipends to fund international travel. The allegations land against a backdrop of heavy Saudi investment in esports, which has drawn attention to how well-funded organisations treat their rosters.
The AlQadsiah allegations are not an isolated case, as this month has already brought two other high-profile payment disputes to light. Brazilian football giant Sport Club Corinthians Paulista is facing 30 labor lawsuits putting the club on the hook for more than R$2.8 million ($520,000), though the club maintained its esports operation was run by licensee CDS E-Sports e Entretenimento Ltda under a brand-licensing deal.
Apart from this, French organisation Karmine Corp also faced salary delays affecting its Rocket League roster, prompting star players to consider a club move. Co-founder Kamel “Kameto” Kebir blamed a difficult financial year and delayed incoming payments, which led to delays in paying players. The situation allegedly has been resolved and the perspective is that the organisation will be able to reorganise its finances.
