After Anthony ‘Scantzor’ Hodgson’s damning revelations about his time working in esports, and particular Dota2 were released last month, SEA-region giants Mineski have released a response to the section related to their organisation. While it was no doubt aimed at defusing what looked like a fairly ugly and unprofessional scene all around, the statement ended up confirming, or certainly failing to refute a number of the accusations, painting a picture of a Dota scene that still has much growth ahead of it.
Of the claims made, the statement basically admits that the organisation did attempt to control who their employees could interact with, well beyond the basic facts of a normal job. Non-disclosure agreements are sadly all too common in esports, but asking employees to not speak with any members of rival companies, even on their own time, is egregious.
The company also is also accused of underpaying players and offering poor accommodation to their staff, neither of which accusation they fully refute. Their response to the line in Scantzor’s post where he alleges players were being paid $150 per month is very interesting, and only really claims they are paying a wage that is fair for the region, when the company operates on a more international level in terms of incoming income.
“We have updated our player salaries to be more than the minimum wage as defined by Philippine law” – which equates to roughly $9 a day. While there is an argument to be made about relative living costs in different parts of the world, Mineski have some big title sponsors on their banner, meaning there is a chance they could afford to go beyond the level of recompense it was alleged they offer, but decided not to. This remains speculation without knowing the firm's financial situation, of course.
The response does not completely damn Mineski, and in some parts it is clear they are trying to work in the right manner, but there is no doubt questions remain after the initial post went viral. Given there are more companies accused in there than just the SEA org, it is unfortunate for them they are the most famous and active of the named and shamed, but that fame should also allow them to survive and improve if that is their honest intention.
Image: Mineski
