Knights Arena has found themselves in hot water after one of their managers allegedly stole players’ registration fees for their tournaments. The issue was raised on Sept. 21 by a former participant in one of their tournaments.
After a two-week investigation, Knights Arena terminated the employee responsible from their position, the organizer announced today.
Knights Arena described the incident as “significant financial fraud” in their response, noting the damage that the manager did to their ecosystem.
It was a prudent move by Knights Arena to act swiftly and decisively. They’re more than just a tournament organizer; they are partnered with Riot Games to run VALORANT tier-two tournaments. It’s one thing for an employee to scam players while independent. It’s another thing when you’re a direct representative of Riot.
The employee, who goes by “Jasper (sFX)” and was unnamed in Knights Arena’s statement, allegedly diverted player registration fees to a third party bank account. The total amount redirected was in the thousands of dollars. Moving forward, Knights Arena clarified that all payments should be done through their official channels, accessible on their website. They’ve also noted that they’re working with the Americas VALORANT Player’s Association, AVPA, to document everyone who has been “wronged” in order to correct the transgressions of their employee. Knights Arena also says they’ve reported the situation to local authorities, and will be “utilizing the full capacity of the law to investigate and prosecute” their former employee.
Esports has had scammy tier-two events for as long as it has been a concept. Listing all of the players, coaches, organizers, and developers who have had to bang down doors to get late payments, or who have simply not been paid at all, would take a novel-length list. This situation won’t be the last time thievery happens in the space.
