Media: Multiple teams, talent claim MESA owe $200,000 in outstanding payments

Update: An earlier version of this story stated that Erdenechuluun Ganbaatar, MESA' former president, responded to Pley.gg's request for comment. However, Pley.gg have since clarified that it was Ganbaatar Erdene, managing director at MESA, who provided the comment.

According to a report by Mads Wildenhoff of Pley.gg, Mongolian tournament organizer Mongolian Esports Association (MESA) allegedly owes teams and talent upwards of $200,000 in outstanding payments across multiple tournaments.

Pley.gg reached out to talent including Jordan “Elfishguy” Mays and teams like HEROIC, BIG, and Chinggis Warriors to confirm that the TO has numerous outstanding debts related to recent events including the $250,000 MESA Nomadic Masters Spring 2025. The event was MESA's largest event to date as the tournament organizer aims to bring international competitions to Ulaanbaatar.

The alleged significant delays in payouts to talent and teams come as MESA's rulebook that teams "should ideally be paid out ninety (90) days" after an event with a maximum of 180 days for the funds to be delivered. While MESA are still within this deadline at the time of publication, Pley.gg notes that the delayed timeline raises questions about why prize funds and broadcast salaries were not secured before the tournament took place.

Ganbaatar Erdene, managing director at MESA, responded to Pley.gg's reporting stating a 90-180 timeline is in line with other tournament organizers including ESL and that the TO's finances have been disrupted by the Mongolian government banning betting websites on July 1st.

In closing Erdene claims that the TO is working as fast as it can to pay out for the MESA Nomadic Masters Spring 2025 and that all other events have been settled. However, this claim contracts Mays, who told Pley.gg that he is still waiting for money from MESA's other events.

MESA's alleged financial issues follow the high-profile collapse of YaLLa Esports last month, which saw the Dubai-based tournament organizer fall into insolvency while leaving behind in $1M in unpaid invoices, salaries, and contracts.