Sources: FunPlus Phoenix’s ANGE1 faces potential salary freeze amid Ukraine invasion

Chinese-based esports organization FunPlus Phoenix has said that VALORANT player Kyrylo “ANGE1” Karasov will be paid his salary until March 15 despite his recent inability to compete due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, multiple sources told Dot Esports. This is contrary to an earlier report that originally said he has not been paid by the organization. If he can’t play for the team after that date, FPX will stop paying ANGE1, according to sources.

The report by journalist Bo Hoogland has since been corrected to say that FPX will refuse to pay the player if he does not compete for the team from “mid-March” onward. Contrary to the report, ANGE1 will likely be able to play for FPX in the upcoming VALORANT Champions Tour EMEA, multiple sources told Dot Esports. 

ANGE1, originally based in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, has had to escape the city and seek refuge due to the ongoing military barrage and encircling of the city by Russian forces. At time of writing, Russian tanks are a few miles away from entering the city, according to a report by The Mail Online. 

Kamil “BaddyG” Graniczka has been brought in as an emergency substitute, however, FPX head coach Erik “d00mbr0s” Sandgren said on Twitter today. 

Ukrainian player ANGE1 has been unable to play for FPX’s VALORANT team for the past few weeks following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24. 

FPX is owned by FunPlus, a video game development company founded in Beijing, China. While many Western governments have condemned the attacks on Ukraine, China’s assistant foreign minister Hua Chunying refused to label the advancements as an “invasion” during a press conference on Feb. 24. When questioned by Bloomberg regarding China’s avoidance to label the attack as an invasion, Chunying said “the current situation is the result of the interplay of various factors.” 

But Chunying said that “all sides” should “exercise restraint” to “prevent the situation from getting out of control,” according to a transcript of the interview provided by the Ministry of Foreign Public Affairs of the People’s Republic of China. 

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