A conflict around the CS2 organization koNO has gone public after players Thomas “Birdfromsky” Due-Frederiksen and Johannes “b0RUP” Borup claimed they had not received salaries for several months. Both players shared detailed statements on social media and confirmed they no longer represent the organization. According to them, the dispute involves unpaid salaries, contract obligations, and months of negotiations that failed to produce a solution.
Players claim four months without salary
The situation first became public through a short post from b0RUP on X.
Birdfromsky and I have not been paid by koNO for the past four months.
Soon after, Birdfromsky confirmed the situation and said communication with the organization had stopped.
As of today, b0rup and I have not received any payment, and communication from the organization has stopped. Because of this, we decided to share our account of the situation publicly. We will no longer represent koNO.
The posts quickly spread across the Counter-Strike community. Fans and analysts began discussing the situation and asking what had happened behind the scenes.
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Building a VRS core before joining koNO
In a longer thread, b0RUP explained how the roster formed before signing with the organization. He said that Birdfromsky, keoz, and himself signed with koNO in August 2025. Before that, they had already created a competitive core with vegi and BODenmaster.
The players say they spent their own money to attend international LAN events. Their goal was to improve their Valve Regional Standings (VRS) ranking and qualify for tournaments such as CCT and NODWIN. They hoped stronger results would attract an organization willing to support the team financially. Eventually, koNO approached the roster and offered to acquire the core. However, the players say they had concerns about the stability of the project from the beginning.
Contract terms and salary guarantees
To reduce risk, the roster negotiated strong contract protections. According to b0RUP, the agreement included several key points:
- the organization could not terminate the contract during the first six months
- termination later required two additional months of salary
- the contract did not allow salary reductions if players were benched
Because of this structure, the players believed the contract guaranteed at least eight months of full salary. This protection mattered because the roster had already invested their own money into the team before signing.
Problems begin in December
The first serious issues appeared in early December, when the organization called a meeting with the players. During that meeting, the team learned that cptkurtka would trial for another organization. While waiting for the result, the roster offered to continue playing tournaments. They also agreed to search for a replacement if necessary. At that moment, two scenarios existed:
- If cptkurtka transferred, the team would sign a new fifth player.
- If he returned, the organization planned to bench Birdfromsky and b0RUP to create a fully Ukrainian roster.
After Christmas, the situation changed again. According to b0RUP, cptkurtka transferred, but the organization chose a different path. Instead of replacing one player, koNO placed the remaining roster on transfer and benched them.
Contract dispute begins
After this decision, b0RUP started direct talks with the team owner Oleg about contract termination and salary payments. The contract allowed termination only after the first six months. It also required payment for the termination month plus one additional month. Because the contract started August 4, b0RUP argued that termination before February 4 would violate the agreement.
Even after that date, the organization would still need to pay salaries covering March and April. However, a new disagreement soon appeared. According to b0RUP, the owner believed benched players should receive half salary. The contract, however, did not contain such a clause.
Months of negotiations without agreement
Negotiations continued for several months and often slowed down due to delayed responses. During this period, the players say they heard suggestions that the organization might declare bankruptcy. That possibility raised fears that the salaries might never be paid. At one point, Birdfromsky and b0RUP offered a compromise. They agreed to accept 50% of the owed amount to resolve the conflict quickly.
The organization rejected the proposal. Later, the players say koNO offered 60% of the owed salary, but under one condition. They would have to publicly state that an agreement had been reached and that keoz’s earlier statements about the situation were incorrect. The players refused the offer.
Community reaction
The story quickly spread across the Counter-Strike community. Many fans expressed sympathy for the players and frustration about another unpaid salary dispute in the tier-2 scene. Some reactions included:
- “Smh… I’m sorry you guys are having to deal with this.”
- “Will you guys keep playing together?”
Other users reacted more bluntly and simply called the situation “poor management.”
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Another reminder of tier-2 instability
The koNO situation once again highlights a recurring issue in tier-2 Counter-Strike: financial instability and unclear relationships between organizations and players. The top tier of the scene continues to grow with strong sponsors and stable teams. However, smaller organizations often struggle to maintain consistent funding. For players building their careers through the VRS system and smaller international events, conflicts like this can become a serious obstacle. For now, Birdfromsky and b0RUP confirmed they no longer represent koNO, while the organization has not yet responded publicly to the accusations.
