Bymas vs Monte: allegations of unpaid salaries and a response that pulls no punches

The scene has a new open conflict, and an ugly one. Aurimas "Bymas" Pipiras has publicly accused his former organization, Monte, of failing to meet its payment obligations and of a history of delays. The Ukrainian organization has responded by calling his claims a lie. Here's what each side says.

What Bymas alleges

The Lithuanian, who left Monte in early July after a year at the club to join Luminosity, claims he is owed "tens of thousands of dollars" across unpaid salary, prize money, and bonuses.

To that he adds a particularly sensitive item: his share of the Cologne Major stickers, whose sale is still ongoing until September 29. And he adds an allegation that widens the case's scope: according to him, several former players and the coach are also still owed substantial amounts.

On why he left, Bymas explains that payment delays were a recurring issue that was never corrected, and that this ultimately broke trust. Re-signing, he says, would have meant committing to an organization they no longer trusted to consistently meet its financial obligations, with no guarantee the roster would even stay together long term.

What Monte says back

The organization hasn't stayed quiet. Asked by HLTV, Monte was blunt: those who violated the terms of their contracts were fined, and the claims about "tens of thousands of dollars" are, in their words, a complete lie.

On social media, the response was sharper still. Monte replied directly to Bymas' post with a message dripping with sarcasm, suggesting the text had been approved by his agent and dismissing the matter with a comment about how "critical and painful" a two-week delay in salary payments must be.

In other words: the organization isn't denying there were delays, but disputing their magnitude and the amount claimed.

The trigger: a CEO video

None of this came out of nowhere. Bymas' post landed barely minutes after Monte released a YouTube video in which its CEO, Dmytro Vovk, publicly called out Bymas, Aurélien "afro" Drapier, and Oscar "AZUWU" Bell, along with their agents, over the manner in which the trio left the organization for Luminosity.

In that video, Vovk implied the players kept the organization — and their own teammate Jack "Gizmy" von Spreckelsen — in the dark about having already signed with Luminosity prior to the Cologne Major, while negotiations were still ongoing.

The detail worth underlining: the video made no mention whatsoever of outstanding payments or unfulfilled obligations to the players. It was Bymas' response that opened that front.

A case that isn't isolated

The episode joins an uncomfortable list the scene has been accumulating. In February, coach Kassad reported delays of up to four months at Bleed Esports, affecting its Dota 2, VALORANT, and Rainbow Six divisions too. In March, two players accused organization koNO of four months without pay. And this summer, Passion UA has been reported to owe significant sums to former players.

The underlying pattern is the one described in HLTV's report on the collapse of sticker revenue: an ecosystem where many tier 2 organizations operate on razor-thin margins, and where the income that sustained payrolls has shrunk drastically.

What remains unknown

Let's be clear about what we know and don't. This is a conflict between opposing accounts, with no public documentation supporting either side. Bymas claims he's owed tens of thousands of dollars; Monte denies it and cites contractual fines. There is, for now, no known formal proceeding or third-party ruling.

What does stand is the acknowledgment that delays occurred — both sides accept that, while disagreeing on severity — and a dispute that has spilled into public in the worst possible way for everyone involved.

For Bymas, the timing doesn't help either: Luminosity have just benched him following the Esports World Cup, so he faces this public battle without a starting spot.

Source: HLTV, Bymas (@bymas) and Monte on X.