There's trouble brewing in the Filipino competitive Valorant scene, as one shoutcaster may have outed that folks like him are allegedly being paid far less than what they believe they deserve.
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These allegations came from Twitter user Franco "Pissed Illustrado" Bernardino, who went on the platform to say that he was paid 50% less than his usual day rate shoutcasting for the Valorant Champions Tour Stage 1. As reported by Dexerto, the caster also reported that his employer, Mineski, even "consistently" paid him past his contracted pay date. As for how much, Illustrado said he was paid less than $100 a day.
Here is his Twitter thread, where his frustration was pretty apparent:
For the unaware, Mineski is an ESports organization with a very prominent presence in the Philippines. According to Bernardino, there was even a time when he quite his casting job after he god "fed up" with how the Philippine Pro Gaming League (PPGL), which is owned by Mineski, allegedly mishandled its talents - Valorant casters, in this case.
In response to Bernardino's allegations, Mineski said that they've always paid their casters in accordance to their local market rates, as well as their operating budget which differs from project to project. The organization also said that their minimum guarantee is equal to the current market standard.
Despite this comment from Mineski, however, the disgruntled Valorant caster's allegations might still be rooted in reality. A source also reported to Dexerto that the organizer for the Valorant Champions Tour Stage 1 paid freelance talent even lower rates - less than $20 a day, on average.
Bernardino said that the low pay put him and a lot of his fellow casters "on edge," as their compensation seemed barely enough to cover bills, rent, and every other living expense. Some sources did claim that things have gotten a bit better at Mineski, though the casters they've employed in minor regions such as Asia were still purportedly getting paid less than their major region counterparts.
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How Much Should ESports Casters Make, Really?
As cliche as it may sound, the real answer is "it depends." Every ESports organization decides how they pay their employees in a different way than others.
Bernardino's allegations are quite serious, but perhaps this is still pretty much affected by the market/region he's working in because every country has a different standard of living. Furthermore, shoutcaster pay comes in different tiers based on the caster's experience and skill.
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Here's how much an ESports caster in the west can make by comparison. According to ESportsLane, the lowest rate a beginner caster can earn from the bottom rung (i.e. contractual work) can be as low as $4 an hour. But any caster with enough experience can earn as much $70,000 a year, with experienced freelancers earning as much as $600 a day if circumstances prove good.
Bernardino's claim of being paid less than $100 a day is low. This is assuming that he only got paid on a per-project basis, and not as a regular salaried employee - which we don't know for sure. But if he was earning that much and he's getting paid in regular intervals, then it could be just enough to cope up with living standards in an Asian country like the Philippines.
But then again, there are so many other things that play into this situation, so there could never be a definitive answer without poking into the very private personal financial situation of someone else.
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This article is posted on GameNGuide
Written by RJ Pierce
