Imagine working on something with your heart out, 12 hours a day, but getting scammed at the end. This is what is happening with Coffee, an Indian R6S athlete.
Bhavya 'Coffee' Devgan is an Indian Rainbow Six Siege athlete who is being denied his deserving share from the prize winnings of LiveToKill, a team with players from Sri-Lanka and India. The team absurdly claims that Coffee was not good enough, and 'did not live up to their expectations'.
We talked to Coffee about this, and here is all that has happened.
Coffee played for L2K till the Six Major Closed Qualifiers
It so happened that the team L2K had only 4 players, Coffee approached them and selected him as their fifth players, after a tryout. Coffee participated with L2K in the very next tournament which was South Asia Nationals 2020 Open Qualifiers and played all the matches. Team L2K was placed second and eventually advanced for the Six Major Closed Qualifiers.
Everything was smooth until here, but it was at this moment that L2K selected another player Skipper as their fifth player, and Coffee was substituted (6th player). Somewhere around this time, L2K also fired !onz, who was their coach and analyst. Due to !onz not being there, Coffee started doing his job alongside being L2K's 6th player. L2K participated in the Six Major Closed Qualifiers and was placed third.
I wanted my team to go far, playing Major was a big thing for me. I was there for them 12 hours a day, each and every day, even at night. I watched VODs, made strategies, and did everything they asked. But after the November Major was over, I started getting a vibe that I was not welcome in the team.
Bhavya 'Coffee' Devgan to Gamzo
L2K eventually qualified for Six Major and secured a 3rd-4th place in the Six Major. But after the Major, Coffee was kicked from L2K because 'he was not the best fit for what' they wanted.
You need at least a month to develop that coordination even if you play daily. I could not play with them every day as I was subbed. After all this, how can they expect me to have the same level of synergy that the main five players have?
Bhavya 'Coffee' Devgan to Gamzo
L2K denies sharing prize money with Coffee
Coffee was with the team L2K till the Six November 2020 Major, in the main roster till Open Qualifiers, and as the 6th player later on. Now, every team that plays Closed Qualifiers gets $1500. L2K had played the Closed Qualifiers because they qualified through the Open Qualifiers with Coffee.
Coffee was expecting L2K to share at least what they had earned while he was still the fifth player, although he deserves a share in everything L2K has won till November Major.
However, L2K distributed the prize winnings among themselves and Coffee did not even know. Coffee asked FaTaLz, who is the captain of the team, about his share but FaTaLz denied sharing anything straightaway. After subsequent discussions, FaTaLs even went on to say even the things like "You didn't even live up to the L2K image."
I missed some of the most important occasions of my life. For some time I had developed that bond with them, but after this happened, it has completely broken me. This was my 'pehli mehnat ki kamai'. Although my father is supportive of my career in esports, it sets a very wrong example.
We reached out to L2K about their views on this, but they did not respond.