The South Korean esports organization Dplus KIA has officially confirmed a full-month delay in salary payments to its teams. The situation is directly tied to the prolonged process of ownership transition and the sale of the company. The club's management released a formal statement on social media platform X, apologizing to fans and commercial partners.
The primary cause of the financial difficulties was a cash flow crunch caused by complex administrative and legal procedures involved in transitioning to a new majority owner. Currently, Dplus KIA is continuing negotiations with the primary prospective buyer, but has simultaneously opened a dialogue with other qualified candidates, which may indicate that the initial deal process is stalling.
Despite this, the organization urges fans not to panic, noting that the sale is a normal process and represents the only viable path toward long-term stability for the club on the global stage. The players and coaching staff have been fully briefed on the situation and are continuing their training without interruption, maintaining a high level of trust within the team.
According to LCK league regulations set by Riot Games, esports players have the right to request immediate contract termination if their salary payments are delayed by a full month. Since this critical threshold has already been reached, the players' contracts are now under threat.
Currently, none of the roster members have exercised this option. However, the very presence of such a rule forces management to act more swiftly, as roster instability in the middle of an active competitive season could significantly worsen the organization's position.
Despite these internal issues, Dplus KIA maintains a stable sponsorship portfolio heading into 2026. Earlier this year, the club brought in a new nutrition partner, Nutri D-DAY, alongside ergonomic equipment manufacturer AndaSeat. Furthermore, the Logitech G brand renewed its partnership with the organization for an eighth consecutive season, making it one of the longest-running commercial collaborations in the LCK ecosystem. External partners are not withdrawing their support from the club at this time.
The financial uncertainty has coincided with the team's struggles on the server. Following Dplus KIA's performance in Group A at the Esports World Cup 2026 against Anyone's Legend, Reddit users actively criticized the roster's preparation. One popular comment, which garnered over 290 upvotes, highlighted the unsatisfactory performance of esports player Siwoo, adding that after a month of preparation, the team "somehow managed to play even worse." Management now has to navigate this crisis under severe pressure from the fanbase.
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