As Evil Geniuses step by step exits the aggressive Counter-Strike scene, they’ve dissolved the EG Gold roster; their feminine CS2 crew
Credit score: Thunderpick
In a yr marked by a surge in viewership for feminine Esports groups, Evil Geniuses has made the choice to half methods with their all-women’s CS2 squad. Juliana “Juli” Tosic, who was a part of the crew till December 25, revealed to Dust2.us that her and her teammates’ contracts had expired on Christmas Day.
EG Gold Ends Their Temporary CS2 Voyage
Evil Geniuses ventured into the womens’ Counter-Strike area with EG Gold in August 2022. Their journey, nevertheless, was confined to a single offline showcase on the ESL Influence Season 2 Finals.
With EG pulling out, FlyQuest RED stands as the one professionally-backed ladies’s crew in North America. This transformation comes after ESL opted to lower the area’s assured spots at offline Influence finals to 3 yearly (two at Season 5 finals and one at Season 6).
Evil Geniuses Making ready to Depart the Esports Scene Altogether?
The discharge of the lineup reveals that Evil Geniuses is slowly decreasing their esports actions. This matches earlier stories by Richard Lewis in November about their plan to depart Counter-Strike. It is a clear signal that they are altering their give attention to esports.
The newest improvement comes after Evil Geniuses relinquished their BLAST Premier slot, which Cloud9 later claimed. The group has additionally terminated its partnership with ESL and dropped out of the Copenhagen Main RMR’s NA closed qualifiers.
Efficient 1 January 2024, Evil Geniuses and ESL have mutually agreed to finish the crew’s participation within the Louvre Settlement.
The #ESLProLeague Member slot beforehand held by EG will now be added to the pool accessible primarily based on the ESL World Rating, beginning with Season 19.
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) December 22, 2023
Counter-Strike isn’t the one self-discipline Evil Geniuses is contemplating closing store on. They’ve restricted their actions throughout all titles apart from Valorant.
This sight is disheartening for Esports lovers, contemplating that Evil Geniuses was one of many pioneering entities within the Esports panorama. Since its launch in 1999, the North American outfit has been a part of many immortal Esports moments.
One ex-employee acknowledged that the group has been working with minimal workers for many of 2023, creating a tricky office for its workers. One other supply characterised the office as a “snack jail,” the place overworked workers struggled to satisfy promised aims.
Evil Geniuses confirmed the dissolution of their Dota 2 roster on November 1, 2023. Quickly afterward, well-known Esports reporter Richard Lewis reported that EG is considering an analogous transfer for his or her Counter-Strike division. At the beginning of this yr, Evil Geniuses had 4 Counter-Strike groups. Following the latest disbandment of EG Gold, nevertheless, solely their core roster stays.
![Evil Geniuses Continue CS2 Exodus by Disbanding EG Gold Roster](https://estnn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/EG-402x450.png)
Again in June 2023, the crew underwent a big overhaul of their roster, signing 4 new gamers: Colby “Walco” Walsh, Jeorge “Jeorge” Endicott, Jadan “HexT” Postma, and Payton “junior” Johnson. Regardless of the modifications, the roster did not ship the anticipated outcomes.
Evil Geniuses’ Counter-Strike endeavors started as early as 2001. Meaning the reported dissolution of their CS2 division will conclude a exceptional journey that spanned 20 years.
![Evil Geniuses Continue CS2 Exodus by Disbanding EG Gold Roster](https://estnn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/esl-one-new-york-eg-2019-1024x577-1-800x450.jpg)
Evil Geniuses was probably the most profitable groups originally of the aggressive Counter-Strike period, however it didn’t considerably enhance the group’s monetary standing. Again then, groups competed for mere 1000’s, a far cry from at present’s million-dollar prize swimming pools which have turn into the usual.
Whereas EG made a noticeable mark in Counter-Strike’s early phases, the North American group persistently lagged behind Europe’s powerhouse groups. Following a string of common performances at dwelling, EG opted to withdraw from ESL proper after parting methods with BLAST, hinting at their possible departure from Counter-Strike fully.
The query of whether or not Evil Geniuses can stage a comeback within the esports arenas they’ve departed from in latest months stays unanswered. There’s uncertainty about whether or not they’re strategizing to re-enter the scene or in the event that they’re gearing up for an official departure within the coming days or even weeks. As of now, the way forward for the organizations hangs within the steadiness.