In an article published on the Inven website, clarifications were made regarding the non-renewal of Choi "Zeus" Woo-je's contract with T1 after his World Championship victory and his surprise signing with Summer Split champions, Hanwha Life Esports. Zeus was one of the cornerstones of T1's back-to-back World Championship, so it was only natural that the organization sought to extend his contract, with teams from around the world setting their sights on the toplaner.

The negotiations

First and foremost, official documentation has confirmed that Zeus’s agent received no commission on the transfer to HLE. This puts to rest accusations made by Joe Marsh, CEO of T1, who claimed that the agent prioritized financial gain over Zeus’s well-being. This directly challenges Marsh’s previous remarks on the integrity of Zeus’s agent, suggesting that the agent’s decisions were motivated by personal gain.
Furthermore, T1 did make a formal transfer offer to Zeus before the deadline of November 19th, 3 PM. Screenshots of messages exchanged between T1’s negotiator and the agency show that an offer was made at 01:32 PM. The negotiator expressed exhaustion and indicated that it would likely be T1's last offer. He also asked for a direct call with Zeus, who told T1 that if there isn't a huge difference in salary with other teams, he will sign for T1.

Hope and Final decision

Zeus’s side, however, was not fully satisfied with the offer. The agency had requested HLE to extend their contract deadline by 30 minutes, as Zeus had shown a clear preference to remain with T1 under the right conditions. However, the two parties could not reach an agreement on the salary and contract terms, T1 made a final offer at 03:10 PM, and the agency made a counter offer but T1 refused and asked for different conditions that did not meet Zeus's expectations. At 03:30 PM, Zeus decided to sign with HLE.

The timeline of events leading up to Zeus’s signing with HLE has been laid out in detail, and it becomes apparent that the negotiations were fraught with tension. From November 7th, when T1 first discussed re-signing Zeus, to November 19th when Zeus officially signed with HLE, the discussions involved multiple offers, slight salary increases, and disagreements on contract terms. The involvement of The Play Agency has also come under scrutiny, with some accusing the agency of prioritizing marketing opportunities over securing a better deal for Zeus and satisfying his wish to stay at T1. However, The Play Agency has clarified that they received 0% commission on the deal with HLE.

Despite the ongoing controversy, the agency issued a statement expressing regret for the way the situation unfolded but made it clear that they did not feel they were at fault. They also noted that they had attempted to get the Korean Esports Fair Committee to address false information circulating about the transfer but had not received any responses. The situation remains tense, with T1 yet to officially respond to the evidence presented by the agency, leaving many to wonder whether the true nature of the transfer will ever be fully clarified.

As the dust settles on this high-profile transfer, the Zeus saga highlights the complexities of professional esports negotiations and the challenges of maintaining transparency in a highly competitive and financially charged industry.