The Mongolian Esports Association (MESA) is facing heavy criticism after multiple teams and broadcast talent came forward claiming the tournament organiser owes more than $200,000 USD in unpaid prize money and salaries.
The allegations were first reported by Pley.gg, who confirmed with sources including Australian caster Jordan “Elfishguy” Mays, as well as organisations HEROIC, BIG, and Chinggis Warriors. According to their reports, MESA’s financial troubles span several events, including the flagship MESA Nomadic Masters Spring 2025 and the Asian Masters qualifier for PGL Bucharest.
Broadcasters left waiting months
Several casters and commentators say they are still waiting on thousands of dollars for work completed months ago. One anonymous talent told Pley.gg they are owed several thousand dollars from the Nomadic Masters Spring 2025, while Mays revealed he is still waiting on payment from the Asian Masters qualifier held in March.
Mays also noted that this isn’t the first time payments have been late. He claims he previously waited more than six months for compensation after working the Nomadic Masters Spring 2024.
Unreal behaviour from a TO that is ghosting their unpaid talent 🙂 https://t.co/Our6QRLij2
— Jordan Mays (@Elfishguy) August 14, 2025
Teams unpaid despite looming deadline
It isn’t just talent raising concerns. Teams including HEROIC, BIG, and Chinggis Warriors have yet to see their share of the $250,000 USD prize pool from Nomadic Masters Spring 2025.
MESA’s own rulebook says teams “should ideally” be paid 90 days after an event, with a maximum of 180 days allowed. For this event, that deadline is October 31st, meaning MESA is still technically within its own timeframe. Even so, teams are questioning why the prize pool wasn’t secured before the tournament began.
The situation adds to an already rocky track record for MESA. In August, Valve stripped Nomadic Masters Fall 2025 of its Valve Regional Standings points after MESA attempted to charge registration fees, breaching official tournament operation requirements. Read our full report on MESA Nomadic Masters losing Valve ranking here.
MESA blames betting ban for financial disruption
Responding to Pley.gg, MESA Managing Director Ganbaatar Erdene defended the delays, claiming the organisation’s 90–180 day payout structure is in line with other tournament organisers such as ESL.
Erdene also pointed to the Mongolian government’s ban on betting websites, enacted in July and extended in August, as a reason behind disrupted sponsorships and slowed payments.
He further stated that all Nomadic Masters Spring 2025 talent had been paid and that all other events had been settled. However, this directly contradicts the claims from Mays, who says he is still waiting for payment from multiple tournaments.
A pattern of issues in esports TOs
The situation with MESA comes only weeks after the collapse of Dubai-based YaLLa Esports, which shut down leaving behind over $1 million in unpaid invoices and salaries. You can read more about YaLLa’s shutdown and impact on CS2 esports here.
With Mongolian CS2 in the global spotlight thanks to The MongolZ winning the Esports World Cup earlier this year, MESA’s struggles could not come at a worse time. The organiser is also set to host ZOWIE eXTREMESLAND 2025 in Ulaanbaatar from 23 September, putting further pressure on them to resolve their financial obligations.
As teams and talent wait for answers, the credibility of Mongolian esports on the international stage hangs in the balance.