Bwipo is a true veteran in League of Legends, competing professionally since 2016. He recently revealed impressive earnings for his time with Fnatic, which fans believed were deserved.
In an interview with Mais Esports, the top laner revealed he earned 1.5 million dollars for a three-year contract with Fnatic. The details made it to Reddit, where League fans discussed how pivotal Bwipo was at that time and agreed he was justified in making so much money.
“I had a very big contract at Fnatic. It was a three-year contract for 1.5 million, which I still think is a lot,” Bwipo said. The player spent four years at the organization, but by the end of his first year (2018), his contract expired, according to Leaguepedia. Therefore, the 1.5 million dollar contract was likely offered after the team had reached the Worlds 2018 finals.
League fans agree Bwipo earned that contract thanks to his contribution to Fnatic’s successes at that time. “He was crucial in the last two titles we won and helped get us to a world final. Even after that, how many finals did we reach (and lose) and how many versions of Fnatic had Bwipo as a carry? Not to mention the role swaps. At the time, that was a fair price for what he offered,” the top comment on Reddit reads.
Bwipo and Fnatic dominated the domestic and international competition in 2018, where they claimed both European titles, reached the semifinals at the Mid-Season Invitational, and the finals at Worlds. Furthermore, they reached the next four out of five LEC Finals, each of which they lost, and competed in three consecutive World Championships, reaching playoffs in two of them.
By the end of 2021, Bwipo left Fnatic and Europe for Team Liquid. After being unsuccessful in 2022, he moved on to his current team, FlyQuest. They won the last major domestic event, the 2024 LCS Championship.
Despite all the money, the top laner said he wants the industry to be fueled by passion, not by jaw-dropping contracts. He referenced the case of TSM and SwordArt, where the player was offered six million dollars for two years. “Did you know that six million is what FlyQuest operates their whole team for right now? […] I actually think that probably two whole teams could function on [six million dollars] for a whole year. It just goes to show that whoever was in charge was just an absolute idiot.”
You can follow Bwipo and FlyQuest in action this weekend as they aim to win the LTA Split One playoffs and qualify for the first international League event of the year, First Draft 2025.
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