Dplus Kia is Selling the Team: Salary Delays Explained

One of the LCK’s most well-known teams is reportedly looking for new ownership while players are experiencing salary delays. Let’s explore what’s happening with Dplus Kia, and what it means for esports.

Dplus Kia Has Reportedly Delayed Player Salaries by Over One Month

On July 16, 2026, sources from the publication @daily_e_sports revealed that South Korean esports org Dplus Kia has reportedly delayed its players’ and employees’ salaries by over a month. The source wrote in a Naver article:

“The Dplus Kia players are currently one month behind on pay. At one point, they were behind by two months, but they recently received one month’s pay, and now they’re once again one month overdue. It’s said that all players in every sport run by Dplus Kia are experiencing delayed payments.”

Dplus Kia is most well-known for its League of Legends team, which won Worlds 2020 under the ‘DAMWON Gaming’ name. More recently, this roster won the LCK 2024 Regional Finals and placed second in the 2025 Asia Invitational. The League lineup currently includes SiWoo, Lucid, ShowMaker, Smash, and Career.

Dplus also fields rosters in VALORANT, PUBG Mobile, EA Sports FC, and Rainbow Six Seige. The team has a sponsorship agreement with automobile producer Kia Motors, hence its 2020 name change.

Dplus Kia Issues a Statement

Shortly after the revelations went viral, Dplus issued an official statement about player salary delays on its X.com account. The post read (abridged and translated from the original Korean):

“Hello, this is the Dplus Kia front office.

First, we bow our heads in deep apology to the fans who have always cherished Dplus KIA and given us unwavering support, as well as to our trusted partner companies.

As the front office responsible for all of the club’s operations on the ground, we feel a heavy sense of responsibility for the recent unfortunate situation, and we want to transparently disclose the facts to our fans and convey our sincerity. […]

The time came when the club needed even greater capability and support on a larger scale in order to grow to the next level, and this coincided with changes in the business environment. To ensure continuous growth and a sustainable future for the club and its roster, we made the management decision that welcoming new ownership was the best choice, and the sale process is currently underway.”

Why Dplus Kia is Pursuing the Sale

The club is pursuing this sale process for the sake of Dplus KIA’s more stable, long-term development and to strengthen the roster’s global competitiveness. While closely continuing detailed negotiations with an existing prospective buyer, we have also signed a formal contract with a professional sale advisory firm to systematically carry out the process of quickly advancing the sale with capable prospective buyers who can actively realize the club’s value and vision.

However, as this is a critical contract on which the club’s future depends, the administrative process took somewhat longer than expected during final negotiations and the advisory process. This caused a temporary disruption to the club’s funding plans, ultimately resulting in the unfortunate situation of player salaries being delayed by one month.

Before this issue arose, our front office went through a process of explaining the current cash flow situation and the progress of the sale to the players and coaching staff, respectfully asking for their understanding. We extend our apology, along with immeasurable gratitude, to the players who have remained steadfast in trusting the club through this transitional turmoil, encouraging one another and staying dedicated to training and their schedules.

The Team Apologizes

All of us on the front office staff feel a deep sense of responsibility for this situation and are taking it very seriously. We are making every effort to complete salary payments promptly and to normalize the club’s overall operations. We also promise to bring the ongoing sale process to a close as soon as possible, and to firmly rebuild a stable operational foundation without delay.

The most important and absolutely non-negotiable value for our club is “the stable activity of our players.” So that our players can focus solely on their performance without feeling any anxiety, on or off the field, we will mobilize every resource to prioritize their psychological stability and welfare support.

We sincerely apologize once again to the fans and partner companies who have walked this journey with Dplus KIA for the deep hurt and disappointment we have caused. We will do everything we can to resolve this entire situation swiftly and become a stronger, more systematic club so that we can repay the love of our fans.”

Why is this Happening?

According to @daily_e_sports, Dplus Kia’s League of Legends team salaries have risen, meaning “the teams just can’t keep up financially.” The source also claims that the team’s “salaries are reportedly around 3 billion won [over 2 million USD].”

The writer alleged that these issues have been ongoing for several years, and claimed a prominent staff member recently left the organization, sparking discussion.

The LCK notably allows for contract termination, which would give these players and staff members a gateway to depart the organization with severance. However, @daily_e_sports claims the Dplus Kia wages still appear as ‘pending,’ giving players “no choice but to leave the team.”

An LCK official reportedly stated, “In the LCK, if wages are unpaid for a month, you can request contract termination.” However, this individual noted that “it’s not easy to just talk about terminating a contract” since it’s difficult for players to find a new team and the time frame to swap rosters between competitions is tight.

Dplus Kia is Selling the Team

A Dplus Kia staff member reportedly commented to Daily Esports, “It’s true. The delay in selling the gaming team caused a funding problem. We asked the players for understanding in advance, and we’re currently trying to resolve this quickly. We will release an official statement soon.”

Indeed, several additional sources have corroborated that Dplus Kia is currently seeking new ownership. The organization is “currently holding discussions with potential buyers.” The team’s current owner is Lee Yu-young, and its current COO is Lee Jun-young. Aside from its managerial staff and players, Dplus Kia also employs several streamers and content creators.

What Does This Mean for Esports?

This would not be the first time a major esports organization has swapped its higher-ups. There have been some pretty wild ownership shakeups over the years, for example, OpTic Gaming’s history. The team was sold several times and underwent many rebrands (including a merger with ENVY at one point), eventually settling into its current form.

Team mergers and buyouts happen more often than fans might realize. These transfers usually come down to business realities like funding struggles or new investors seeing potential in up-and-coming rosters. Whatever the reason, they still often spark strong reactions from fans who feel a real connection to these teams and want to see them land in good hands.