Overwatch League player Xerneas is claiming that his team, Guangzhou Charge, is eyeing the reported $6 million payout as the 2023 season comes to a close.
On July 19, Activision Blizzard’s second-quarter financial report revealed that their esports leagues were taking a downturn, with a number of staff laid off in the days following. Overwatch, in particular, is now in the process of making collaborative changes for the future OWL, with teams seemingly being allowed to opt in or not.
If a franchise decides against continuing under the new terms, they will reportedly be entitled to a termination fee of $6 million, which was how much teams reportedly still owed Blizzard in franchising fees before they were waived.
However, while the current season is still ongoing and brands involved have largely remained silent, Guangzhou Charge may be the first OWL team we know to be seeking the termination fee after a player claimed that the org will be dissolving at the end of the year.
Xerneas: At any rate, the current team situation is that we only have five players plus our manager. Once we finish this season, we’ll disband and collect the 6 mil. The team isn’t demanding great success, but the five of us still want to win. I can only say we’ll do our best. pic.twitter.com/Zu6JjZKSR7
— Chengdu Hunters Facts (@CDHuntersFacts) July 26, 2023
Guangzhou Charge player Li “Xerneas” Xianyao explained as much on the team’s situation in a social media post translated by a Chengdu Hunters fan account.
“At any rate, the current team situation is that we only have five players plus our manager. Once we finish this season, we’ll disband and collect the $6 million. The team isn’t demanding great success, but the five of us still want to win. I can only say we’ll do our best.”
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Guangzhou Charge player claims franchise is taking $6 million payout amid roster shuffle
This post comes after a sea of changes to the coaching staff and active roster which were suddenly announced over the past few days. The Charge first revealed that long-time star DPS player, Choi “ChoiSehwan” Se-hwan was leaving the team, being replaced by Yi “JinMu” Hu.
Included in the releases were head coach Hong “Sungwoo” Sung-woo and assistant coach Jung “Tydolla” Seung-Min, both of whom have had a long tenure in the League.
It's been a long journey, but not once did this phenomenal talent stop striving towards greatness.There will never be enough time to say how much we appreciate and treasure everything you've given us over the years and the experiences we shared. Thank you, ChoiSehwan.#020UP pic.twitter.com/1pyGKkK072
— Guangzhou Charge (@GZCharge) July 26, 2023
These releases follow a recent change in the roster during the mid-season break, where they saw their tank player Shin “PIGGY” Min-Jun be dropped for the ex-Chengdu Hunters tank player Qiu “GA9A” Jiaxin.
The changes would mean this is the first time Guangzhou Charge has fielded a full Chinese team since their entry into the league, with all the players being Chengdu alumni, though with no coaches to help guide them.
We cannot verify Xerneas’ claims of Guangzhou’s future departure, but if the translated statement holds true, they would be the second Chinese franchise team to leave the league after Hunters’ departure.