Origen have commented on reports that a number of staff members left their employ due to issues ranging from poor management to an alleged lack of payment. According to the team, those who left were not employees but non-contractual collaborators. “Currently, not a single member of Origen’s staff has resigned, left their position or stopped working with us,” Origen said in the statement. “Origen counted on, and still counts on, the collaboration of some people that, because of their loyalty to the team, voluntarily and altruistically assist online with some tasks, mainly communication and design.” The internal disputes became public last week with a flurry of tweets from former Origen staffers announcing their break from the organization, citing stress and drama as inciting reasons. According to Dot Esports’ Josh Raven, tensions were rising within the organization for some time with volunteers allegedly not being given the gear they were offered in lieu of payment, a lack of communication from management, and delayed payment for a freelancer and Tadayoshi “Hermit” Littleton, the team’s former head coach. Origen’s statement does not address the accusations of poor workplace culture, but refutes the delayed payment accusation, saying “Origen has always paid, completely legally, any of its players, “coaches”, “analysts” and rest of employees. If someone feels that this is not the case, we invite them to make a legal claim for the debt.” Despite a focus on collaborators in Origen’s statement, the exodus included several high-ranking members of the organization, including their general manager, Marck “PapaB3ar” Hernandez, as well as their chief content editor Ioana Popa. The statement calls the reports on the situation “a clear campaign to discredit Origen” and are reviewing legal actions to take against media and individuals involved. Former Fnatic mid laner Enrique “xPeke” Cedeño Martínez founded Origen in December 2014 at the age of 22. While the team came in second at the 2015 EU LCS Spring Playoffs, they’ve suffered in the 2016 summer split with roster shakeups and are currently ninth in the league standings.