Danteh claims former Outlaws players were making $150K from the bench

Some Overwatch League players, according to LA Gladiators DPS Dante “Danteh” Cruz, have been paid as much as $150,000 annually to support their squad by sitting on the bench.

Overwatch casual stream

Danteh made waves on February 9 in the Overwatch League community while participating in a casual stream. After claiming that some of the Houston Outlaws’ former players were making $150,000 a year to sit on the bench.

The comment left many in the Overwatch community wondering how a team could afford to pay someone that much money to sit on the bench.

Danteh names Support player Daniel “Boink” Pence, an inactive player, as the teammate earning the staggering sum. The Outlaws was the last team he played for Boink.

Furthermore, in the stream, Danteh claims that Boink had re-signed with the Outlaws for the third season of the OWL; but that he had never actually played in a game.

On the other hand, Danteh also claims that Seung-soo “Jecse” Lee, a former Outlaws support player, was only paid $60,000 despite playing every game that season. In addition, the cost of re-signing Boink again for the third season apparently prevented the Outlaws from re-signing Jecse.

Danteh comments:

“That was the hardest re-signing ever on a six-figure contract.”

Why Boink made so much money

According to Danteh, the only reason Boink was able to make so much money just sitting on the bench without playing was that Matt “flame” Rodriguez, the former general manager of the Outlaws, offered him the contract since they were friends.

Danteh comments:

“That’s just bank robbery.”

“Flame just robbed a bank. He just gave his friend a six-figure contract that nobody deserves and just dipped.”

He further claims that there was a clause in the contract that guaranteed him compensation from the team in the event Boink was released from the Outlaws.

Both Flame and Boink have left the Outlaws; Flame did so just as the third season began, and Boink did so after the third season.

Presumably, Danteh’s recent signing by the LA Gladiators for the upcoming sixth season has freed him from any obligations, which explains why he feels comfortable talking about his former team’s problems.

Overwatch League salary structure

The revelation of such high salaries for non-playing players raises questions about the Overwatch League’s salary structure. It’s no secret that the Overwatch League has some of the highest salaries in esports. But this news has called into question whether these salaries are being distributed fairly.

Regardless of the controversy, it’s clear that the Overwatch League is one of the most lucrative esports leagues in the world. With significant investments in star players, even those sitting on the bench can earn a tidy sum.

Header: The Overwatch League