In a monumental claim that surfaced recently, it was suggested – by ‘industry insiders’ – that Evil Geniuses could be preparing to leave the esports industry behind. This claim was written up in Sports Business Journal, and it came following the news that Evil Geniuses opted to pull out of the LCS. It was said that EG has been ‘desperately trying to sell off’ the esports arm of its business, but so far, those efforts have been in vain – nobody wants to buy it up.

It’s worth stressing that these claims are uncorroborated at present, but if true, it could be a hugely impactful turning point for the industry. For many, EG is an esports staple, having been around since the turn of the millennium and dabbled in almost every esports niche.

Potentially Devastating

Image Credit: Evil Geniuses

It was just months ago that Evil Geniuses claimed the number one spot at VALORANT Champs, lifting the trophy and winning the $1 million grand prize. It’s still fielding teams in Counter-Strike 2 and VALORANT, but are things about to take a turn for the worst? Recently, Evil Geniuses also dissolved its Dota 2 roster, which was playing out of South America.

In the article published in SBJ, no specifics were shared, with the core of the claim revolving around EG’s apparent desire to sell its esports branch ‘either in whole or in parts’.

This year has been a substantially successful one for Evil Geniuses in many ways. Right now, fans are voting for Esports Team of the Year at The Game Awards 2023, and Evil Geniuses has pride of place on the nominations. Demon1, the player who turned things around for the squad during VALORANT Champs, has also been nominated for Esports Player of the Year.

There could be a broad restructuring on the horizon. It’s no big secret that the esports economy isn’t a comfortable thing to contend with at present, and Evil Geniuses isn’t immune to those struggles. This year, reports surfaced suggesting that EG has been operating with a skeleton crew as a result of ongoing financial issues.

For a year already punctuated in so many places by layoffs, organisations shutting down, and partnerships failing, it will be a huge blow to wrap it up with Evil Geniuses pulling out of esports.

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