Hangzhou Spark Sues Krystal For $2 Million After Controversy
Hangzhou Spark parent company Bilibi Esports is suing former player Cai “Krystal” Shilong following multiple public controversies.
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Bilibi Esports, the parent company of Overwatch League team Hangzhou Spark, announced yesterday that they are taking legal action against former Spark player Cai “Krystal” Shilong. The team is seeking damages that amount for 15 million RMB, or 2.13 million dollars.
Last year, the Hangzhou Spark released a post on Weibo detailing the problems they had with Krystal. During his time with the Spark, Krystal requested a separate living arrangement from the team, which they honored, but told Krystal that the unusual arrangement should not hinder his practice.
Regardless, Krystal showed up late on several occasions or took special leave. When the team traveled to the United States for season 2 of the Overwatch League, Krystal got the wrong visa and had to return to China. While in China, he delayed his visa process several times. Krystal said he was sick, but seemingly continued to delay through February of 2019.
Krystal arrived in the US on February 21st, after missing the preseason and the start of Stage 1. According to the Hangzhou Spark. Krystal later requested to swap roles five days before the start of Stage 3. Krystal was removed from the starting roster, which caused more problems between himself and the team. He began to miss practices entirely, or complain that he wasn’t receiving fair treatment.
Krystal eventually requested a transfer to another team, and later went back to China to be with his family in June. The team questions if his family was the reason he went back to China, considering he bought a plane ticket to Shanghai, where his family lives, instead of Beijing.
There are several text exchanges between management and Krystal, showing that Krystal had failed to show up, or got sick and couldn’t practice with the team. The team suspended him indefinitely on August 2nd. The team released him last month, and it was announced earlier this week that the Guangzhou Charge would sign Krystal to a two-way player deal. The deal was announced while the Spark was pursuing legal action against Krystal.
$2.13 million is a lot of money. Overwatch League contracts likely don’t pay nearly that much, so if the Spark end up winning the lawsuit, who knows how Krystal will find a way to pay the money. Krystal is a very talented player, but his side of the story has not been told. It will be interesting to see whether the lawsuit will continue or be dropped.
The Spark and the Charge will return to Overwatch League play this weekend with Countdown Cup seeding games. The Charge is the APAC defending champions, while the Spark was knocked out early in the tournament. Fans can watch them play on the Overwatch League’s YouTube channel.
Source: Bilibi Esports
Link Source : https://www.thegamer.com/hangzhou-spark-sues-krystal-2-million-controversy/