TNC HEAD COACH and former MPL shoutcaster, Caisam "Wolf" Nopueto took to Twitter and revealed that he has yet to receive payment from some of the biggest MLBB tournaments, specifically Games for the Future and MSC 2024.
He said: "As of now, I have not been paid [for] Games of the Future (Feb. 2024) and MSC (July 2024) talent fees. To be honest, late payment is not new to me and is part of the reason why I decided to pause from shoutcasting. Hope this makes a difference at least in the MLBB world :("
It may seem like Wolf is taking hints that MOONTON or the game itself hasn't paid him but he clarified that he wasn't referring to the developers.
In a comment, from a public group, Wolf said: "Hindi naman directly MOONTON yung dapat magbabayad samin. Mga tournament organizers yan. 'Di ako magpapaka-ekperto sa kung saan ba budget galing (sa MOONTON ba, sa MPL ba, sa GOF ba, sa ESL ba, sa EWC, hindi ko alam honestly) yung pambayad sakin/samin."
He further clarified saying: "Hindi ko/namin alam kung kaninong pera ba talaga nanggagaling yung dapat pambayad samin. Let's say, MOONTON ang nagpa-tournament ng MSC. Hindi 'ko alam if yung ESL ba na tournament organizer ang magbabayad sa caster, kung MSC ba, kung EWC ba, or kung MOONTON mismo."
Bakit umalis si Wolf sa casting?
As he went on with his response, it was also revealed as to why he decided to take a leave in casting.
"Also, itong late payments, tale as old as time na 'to. Kaya ako umalis ng casting, isa sa mga reason kasi ang hirap kaya maghabol. Wala din akong oras/energy/money to file a case against big companies. So as casters, nganga na lang talaga at ang paborito naming linya, "God will provide."
Other MLBB talents have also voiced out their concerns about delayed payments. English talent, JC "Naisou" Rezabek, have also clarified things on his Twitter account.
"Wolf and I both worked for the Games of the Future event for MLBB in Feb and never got world about payments. It was not MOONTON's obligation to pay us for this. It was handled by a different company," he said.
And he likewise expressed the realities of becoming an esports talent.
"A reality in esports is delayed payments. We work hard, but sometimes the money doesn't come on time, even with a contract. It's not always MOONTON's fault; other orgs handle payments. I'm still waiting on payment from a Feb. event. This is why casters often juggle multiple gigs."
But he wasn't the only one who highlighted the struggles of becoming an esports talent, as Chantelle Hernandez has also narrated her experience on her social media page.
"One of the main reasons why I always prefer to commute when going to events and why I still secure a day job aside from being a talent. Kasi hindi mo alam kung kailan ka babayaran, or mababayaran ka ba on time, worse, kung babayaran ka ba talaga," she reflected.
"Imagine commuting 3-4 hours, add up the hours dedicated for the actual event only to end up not getting paid."
This is a developing story. SPIN.ph has contacted numerous sources for an update.
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