Clutchain esports investment collapses as teams face unpaid salaries

Five months after officially announcing their rosters, the organization's stability was exposed by a report from HLTV's Luís "MIRAA" Mira. The situation mirrors a familiar pattern in the industry: a gambling-linked entity enters CS2 to drive traffic to its platform but quickly pulls the plug after initial failures.

The investment included two distinct squads: Pigeons, the most successful women's team of the post-COVID era, and a francophone roster featuring legends Adil "ScreaM" Benrlitom and Nabil "Nivera" Benrlitom. This latter group was intended to mark ScreaM's return to competitive Counter-Strike following his career in VALORANT.

Clutchain, a mobile rewards app funded by FACEIT play, planned to launch large global "gaming capsules." However, French YouTuber "Nyouz" had previously warned of loose Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements and unclear promises. When players like the Benrlitom brothers urged founder David Sacha to address these concerns publicly, he refused.

The relationship deteriorated due to missed payments. A source on the men's team revealed they are currently owed approximately €40,000, while the women's team reported being owed around €28,000. Clutchain cancelled promotion plans and bootcamps on a whim, yet still demanded players attend events despite non-payment.

Sacha claimed funding dried up quickly, citing high salaries and investors' reluctance to fund capsules as reasons for the collapse. He also admitted the teams failed to drive traffic to the app, which was their primary purpose. Consequently, players like Nivera have begun disconnecting from the project, and it remains unclear if either roster will continue.