Clutchain's esports venture collapses after five months amid player payment disputes

Clutchain's entry into competitive esports promised ambition and legitimacy. On April 2, the gaming rewards company announced the signing of Pigeons, a women's Counter-Strike team featuring the core of the former Imperial Valkyries squad. Six days later, Clutchain unveiled a francophone men's roster headlined by two-time HLTV Top 20 player Adil "ScreaM" Benrlitom, alongside former Vitality players Nabil "Nivera" Benrlitom and Jayson "Kyojin" Nguyen Van.

The women's announcement was met with positivity, but the men's roster reveal drew immediate backlash. Social media users branded Clutchain a "scam" project and criticized the players' involvement. The skepticism stemmed largely from a March 21 YouTube video by French content creator Nyouz, titled "Beware of this new CS project (very suspicious)." Nyouz flagged several red flags: loose Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements, a premium subscription offering, a €96 founders' pack for a planned "Clutchain Resort," and vague descriptions that left the company without clear liability commitments.

Clutchain operates a mobile app tracking Counter-Strike performance via FACEIT account integration. Players earn "Greens" currency through kills, quests, and mini-games, redeemable for ecological projects like tree planting. A separate "Clutch" reward currency provides entries into bi-monthly lotteries offering 60 prizes, including a €2,500 gaming PC. The core business model extends beyond the app to "luxury gaming capsules" for two or five players, manufactured in China by E-Blue Corporation and bookable through the app. The company planned to expand via a franchise model, with landowners hosting capsules in exchange for revenue sharing. Promotional materials promised a target annual return of up to 10 percent through a "digital block system."

Negotiations with the men's team began approximately six months before their April announcement. Head coach Amir, who had met founder David Sacha on FACEIT years earlier, introduced the six players to Sacha. Sacha flew the team to PGL Masters Bucharest for in-person discussions. Several details troubled the players from the start: Sacha's business partner Chakib Bouda showed no public association with Clutchain on LinkedIn; plans for bootcamp capsules shifted drastically; and Sacha requested players not film him during video recording.

Despite reservations and lacking other offers, the players agreed to join. Clutchain committed to a €30,000 monthly budget split between salaries for six team members and LAN event and bootcamp expenses. Contracts took effect January 15. Because Clutchain's app remained under development, the team's official announcement was delayed until mid-March, when players began posting cryptic social media announcements.

Players from Pigeons also joined as ambassadors after Sacha contacted them on February 11. Sacha encouraged ScreaM and Nivera to list themselves as "co-founder of Clutchain" on their X bios, reportedly promising post-retirement support and proceeds from a planned Belgium bootcamp capsule. The ambassador designation suggested deep organizational ties, though all players signed standard contracts.

Nyouz's video devastated the arrangement. ScreaM and Nivera, positioned as public faces of the project, became primary targets for criticism. Players from both teams demanded Sacha address public concerns about the project's legitimacy and their roles, but he refused. He instead asked ScreaM to stream clarifications himself. ScreaM declined. Players refused to promote Clutchain until demands were met, and ScreaM and Nivera removed "co-founder" from their bios, reverting to contracted player status.

On April 9, Clutchain posted basic information about the app, capsules, and teams. Four days later, Sacha made his first public appearance, though many concerns raised by Nyouz remained unaddressed. Relations continued deteriorating. Within five months of launch, players were chasing unpaid salaries, marking a dramatic collapse of the esports venture.