During the recent 2020 pre-season transfer window, kkOma’s arrival at the LPL was truly a significant event for the international League of Legends community. His departure from T1 after seven years and seeking new challenges in China was a big shock for Korean fans.
Recently on Baidu, a user claiming to be a former staff member of LPL teams during 2016 revealed some noteworthy information about this coach’s staggering income at Vici Gaming:
“Fact:
1. The transfer value of SofM is comparable to Karsa, just slightly lower.
2. The highest-paid individual at Vici Gaming is not the players, but kkOma. He earns five times more than other coaches.”
This person also shared a notable piece of information that, in the LPL, domestic coaches are not highly regarded, and on the contrary, players or former Chinese League of Legends players are not very keen on this profession, as coaching positions are paid significantly lower compared to players. Some coaches earn only 20,000 Renminbi per month (about 65.8 million VND), which is quite low compared to the income levels of other positions.
However, kkOma is a special case; he even earns more than iBoy – the number one star of Vici Gaming, and five times more than other members of the coaching staff.
The individual mentioned in the article declined to provide specific figures regarding kkOma’s income, but based on community estimates, if the average salary of a coach in the LPL is around 50,000 Renminbi per month or more, then kkOma’s income could likely fall between 250,000 – 400,000 Renminbi. According to this person, kkOma has the highest salary at VG, so his income surely surpasses that of iBoy, and a figure around 400,000 Renminbi seems most reasonable (equivalent to 1.3 billion VND).
Some opinions from the Chinese gaming community suggest that kkOma’s salary is absurdly high. However, the author of the piece has explained this:
Vici Gaming truly lacks money; what they lack is an outstanding coach. kkOma has won the world championship three times, and that’s the best CV that every team dreams of. The reality has shown that VG has had an unexpectedly progressive season under kkOma’s guidance, moving from the bottom of the standings to competing for playoff spots. In the upcoming summer, VG will continue to acquire quality names to bolster their roster, and kkOma’s squad will soon become a formidable force in the LPL.
Currently, Vici Gaming does not have a true star player. Their most famous name is iBoy – a prodigy who hasn’t quite grown up yet. What kkOma has achieved with such a team proves that the money and favoritism VG has bestowed upon him is not wasted at all.