To kick off 2024, former League of Legends pro top laner Dyrus posted an AMA on Jan. 4 to his X profile. In one of the answers, he claimed he never received a paycheck from TSM during his time in the organization, and all his salary came from streaming.
When asked what his peak salary at TSM was, Dyrus responded: “I didn’t take a paycheck, all of it was from streaming.” Many fans in the thread were left stunned, which is far from surprising, since the top laner was a renowned player at the time, and is considered an icon for his times in TSM.
Dyrus was one of the first popular League pros back in the days, making a name for himself in 2010 and 2011 under Epik Gamer’s banner. Then, in March 2012, he joined TSM, with whom he played professionally until the end of the 2015 season when he retired from pro play. The 31-year-old spent the following two years as a content creator for the organization before parting ways in June 2017.
During his tenure at TSM and in the LCS, Dyrus quickly became one of the most beloved figures in the League community. TSM also grew to be immensely popular, though, it wasn’t free of controversy. The fact that the organization didn’t pay Dyrus a paycheck, and he had to earn money through streaming, according to the top laner itself, just adds to the storm.
TSM is still active in a few esports titles, though not in the League itself. The organization sold its spot in 2023 to Shopify Rebellion, which will be competing in the North American competition from this year onward. TSM itself most recently rejoined the Counter-Strike 2 scene after a seven-year hiatus.
