YNk shares frustration over Major snub, says it's not a budget issue
After the news that Janko "YNk" Paunović had not been invited to another Counter-Strike Major, his podcast Talking Counter discussed the situation, sharing that despite YNk’s proactivity in reaching out to the organiser, he had not been given feedback on why he wasn’t invited to the PGL Copenhagen Major.
Together with co-hosts Jason "moses" O'Toole and Chad "SPUNJ" Burchill the team also defended PGL from accusations of cheapening out on talent cost, sharing that according to their estimation, the cost of the RMR and Major talent line-up was likely to exceed $1 million.
YNk at a loss
Following the news that YNk would be missing another major, the analyst voiced his feelings on the matter, stating that "it’s disappointing and puzzling but life goes on." According to Serbian broadcast talent, he had reached out to PGL proactively prior to the event, both asking to be on and also requesting feedback on what to improve his chances to be invited to be cast. He shared that he had not received any answers from PGL regarding the situation, leaving him wondering why he had been one of the analysts left out despite his recent body of work that had largely been well-received by the CS community.
The topic sparked a conversation among the hosts about the appropriateness of leveraging public support to influence such decisions and turning to the community already before the talent announcement to garner public support. YNk, along with fellow hosts, strongly opposed the idea of weaponizing the community against the organizers, seeking a more professional and direct line of communication.
Spunj, contributing to the discussion, pointed out the inherent politics within the selection process. "There’s obviously politics that are in play. It’s not always going to be a merit-based thing," he remarked, highlighting the subjective nature of choosing on-air talent, where different professionals bring diverse strengths to the table.
The Intricacies of Talent Selection
Diving deeper into the selection process revealed a tangled web of logistical and financial considerations. One point of contention was the feasibility of expanding the analyst roster for the tournament, a point that is often raised by fans of the esport. The three shared their thoughts on the matter, concluding that having two analyst desks would be excessive and not suitable for the event's format, pointing out the differences to other events such as Intel Extreme Masters events that had opted for these large talent lineups in the past.
Moses shed light on the financial aspect of organizing such events, revealing that talent fees for the RMR and the Major alone amount to around $850,000. He also noted that Valve's contributions are specifically earmarked for prize pools, player flights, and accommodations, leaving the organizers to shoulder the substantial costs of talent, including their travel and housing. YNk and Moses estimated the total expenses to range from $1.1 to $1.5 million USD with all expenses such as housing and travel for talent included.
The selection choices of talent for PGL could once again become relevant for YNk in the near future with the just-announced partnership between PGL and Chinese organiser Perfect World, the host of the next Counter-Strike Major in Shanghai, disclosing that the Romanian organiser would be fielding the English broadcast side for Perfect World’s events going forward.
