Former carry of Thunder Awaken's Dota 2 roster, Alexey 'Smiling Knight' Sviridov, has revealed significant debts owed to him by the club, along with other challenges he faced during his time with the organisation. He shared his story in an open letter for Polina 'mash1na' Mashina's channel.
Smiling Knight disclosed that upon signing his contract, he agreed to a salary of $3,000, excluding bonuses. However, the club failed to pay him a monthly salary, initially citing issues with transfers between banks in different countries. Unable to find alternative means of receiving payment, he eventually compelled the CEO of Thunder Awaken to provide a written guarantee that the debt, including penalties, would be settled even after their collaboration ended.
Over the entire period, the player received only four payments totalling approximately $17,000 from the delayed funds. The CEO repeatedly postponed payments for various reasons, leading Sviridov to threaten legal action. According to Smiling Knight, as of the publication date, Thunder Awaken still owes him $52,000.
"After ten months since the guarantee was issued, I have received around $17,000 of the total debt. I left Thunder Awaken in November 2023, and as of now, the club still owes me approximately $52,000, including penalties for all the delays. As far as I know, Thunder Awaken owes money not only to me, but also to several players from previous rosters. Recently, Panda mentioned on Facebook that Thunder Awaken owed him money, but then deleted the post after the CEO repaid him for a tournament from two years ago. When I asked my teammates, they replied that their salaries were delayed by 1-2 months. Perhaps the CEO thought I would leave Peru and could do nothing about it, so he could withhold payments from me while trying to pay the local players."
In addition to financial difficulties, Smiling Knight faced several other issues. The club's management failed to organise the visa application process for The International 2023, forcing him to handle the paperwork and cover related expenses, including flights and accommodation in various countries.
Moreover, Sviridov reported a theft during a boot camp, with around $1,200 going missing from his funds. Other team members also had money stolen, but the culprit was never identified, even with surveillance cameras in place. The organisation allegedly misled a potential new owner by failing to disclose the club's debts to players.
"Honestly, I am exhausted from begging for my own money. I would like to initiate legal proceedings to address the situation with CEO Eduardo Cu Bustios and Thunder Awaken. Eduardo claims to be bankrupt, but as I understand, the organisation belongs to his wealthy business parents (he became the club's CEO at 17 and is now 24). I am looking for a lawyer who can take on this case and hold the management of Thunder Awaken accountable for fraud, deception, and tax evasion."
Smiling Knight represented Thunder Awaken for a year, starting in November 2022. During his tenure, the team won several local online tournaments and participated in The International 2023, finishing in 17th-20th place.