Embattled North American organization Evil Geniuses is finally all but out of esports following its withdrawal from ESL’s Counter-Strike Louvre Agreement today, which itself follows the sale of its BLAST slot and the departure of two players last week. As a result, just the org’s VALORANT roster remains with EG—but surely not for much longer.
Organizer ESL confirmed EG’s removal from the Louvre Agreement on Dec. 22, stating the pair had decided to mutually end the team’s participation and membership in the CS2 league system. From Jan. 1 EG’s spot will be up for grabs for another squad to take, which includes a direct invitation to ESL Pro League and other ESL-sanctioned events as well as a share in revenue streams.
It remains unclear whether another squad will acquire the spot in time given that partnered leagues such as ESL Pro League will cease before 2025’s competitive season begins as Valve retools the competitive CS2 landscape.
Per the ESL rulebook, the organization’s position in ESL’s partner system was up for review after multiple last-place finishes at sponsored events, specifically at ESL Pro League. After a third-place finish in 2020’s COVID-affected Season 12, the squad was bundled out in five subsequent versions of the league with very few maps wins to their name.
The ESL exit comes after the reported sale of a similar slot with BLAST and the departure of the bulk of the org’s main CS2 roster. Vincent “Brehze” Cayonte and Jadan “HexT” Postma linked up with NRG Esports in its return to Counter-Strike while Jeorge Endicott and Paytyn “Junior” Johnson joined Nouns Esports on Dec. 19. Down to three players, including veteran Timothy “autimatic” Ta, it’s safe to say EG’s storied Counter-Strike tenure is at its end.
This leaves just itsVALORANT team flying the flag for EG, but it’s unlikely you’ll be seeing the squad singing the praises of the failing organization. Its players remain in “contract prison” after EG opted not to re-sign the squad and instead told them to seek alternate opportunities or face a paycut—just weeks after their astounding victory at VALORANT Champions 2023.
It’s highly unlikely the VALORANT squad will re-sign with EG, meaning the organization’s 24-year run across multiple esports titles is set to end in 2024—not with a bang, but with a whimper.
