CSPPA looking to enter into partnership with Flashpoint League
Flashpoint / CSPPA[jwplayer 3EyfiByz]Documents leaked to Dexerto show that the Counter-Strike Professional Player’s Association (CSPPA) are in talks with the newly formed Flashpoint League, ran by the company B-Site, to form a three year partnership.
The agreement would see a number of protective measures implemented to ensure improved working conditions for players from partner teams.
It also contains details of a “separate commercial agreement” between both parties that would see Flashpoint providing an undisclosed amount of funding towards the CSPPA.
The agreement details the minimum amount of money guaranteed to each participating team as well as Flashpoint’s commitment to a prize pool of $2,000,000 for the next three years.
It also includes a clause that will see Flashpoint annually donate $1,000 per player to an insurance provider so that if a player needs to retire due to injury or health reasons, they will receive a payout at that time.
This is also reflected in other details of the agreement, including a concession that the CSPPA has input in when the Flashpoint events take place and how breaks are structured in order to ensure a reasonable work/life balance for players. This includes provisions to ensure events and commitments aren’t scheduled too close to other events on the calendar to ensure teams have ample rest between competitions.
CSPPAAlso included is an ”Event Minimum Standards” sheet that goes into great detail about what needs to be provided for players. This ranges from soundproof training rooms at the designated facility, food provisions for player lounges, minimum specifications for personal computer and desk set-ups, and guaranteed access to a physiotherapist if needed.
While this deal might look relatively benign it does raise certain questions around conflict of interest concerns. The CSPPA have entered into a similar deal with the MTG owned leagues ESL and DreamHack, although none of the specific details are publicly available. It isn’t clear if these deals are the same or if some leagues pay more than others.
A truncated version of the deal confirming this is available on the CSPPA website.
Additionally, we reached out to multiple CSPPA members and all stated that they had not been asked to vote on this agreement or consulted on it prior to the contracts being sent out.
We have reached out to the CSPPA to clarify these details, and will update the story accordingly when they respond.
An earlier version of this reported that details of agreements with other leagues were not publicly available. This has now been corrected.