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Evil Geniuses to Shut Down Esports Operations
Evil Geniuses (EG) has announced that it will cease competitive and day-to-day operations on November 2, 2026. The North American organization, which won the VALORANT world championship in 2023, confirmed the decision on Tuesday (October 20), after more than 25 years in esports.
In a statement signed by CEO Chris DeAppolonio, EG cited limited sponsorship opportunities and the rising cost of competing at the highest level. According to DeAppolonio, the organization had restructured its operations in recent years but ultimately concluded that it could no longer run the business responsibly in the current environment.
What Happens to Evil Geniuses' Players and Staff?
Players across all EG rosters are free to speak with other organizations following the announcement. VALORANT players and coaches will be allowed to sign with new teams on November 2, the date EG identified as the end of the 2026 season.
DeAppolonio said EG would wind down operations in an orderly manner and work closely with affected players, coaches, and staff. The CEO also offered to personally recommend people from the organization and help them find new job opportunities.
The announcement comes as VALORANT's competitive circuit undergoes major changes. Starting in 2027, Riot Games is reducing the number of partnered organizations in each international league from ten to eight.
EG is not among the organizations listed in Strafe's VCT 2027 partner team roundup, which includes both official confirmations and media reports. However, EG's statement does not directly link its decision to shut down with the selection process for the next partnership cycle.
Evil Geniuses' Biggest Titles in Esports
Founded in 1999, Evil Geniuses built a presence across games including VALORANT, League of Legends, Counter-Strike, and Dota 2. Throughout its history, the organization won world championships, regional league titles, and major international tournaments.
VALORANT Champions 2023 World Title
One of the organization's biggest achievements in recent years came at VALORANT Champions 2023 in Los Angeles. EG defeated Paper Rex 3-1 in the grand final to claim its first world championship in Riot Games' tactical shooter.
The championship roster featured Max "Demon1" Mazanov, Ethan "Ethan" Arnold, Kelden "Boostio" Pupello, Corbin "C0M" Lee, and Alexander "jawgemo" Mor, coached by Christine "potter" Chi.
Earlier that year, EG also reached the Masters Tokyo final, finishing as runner-up after losing to Fnatic. The organization made several roster changes following its world championship victory and continued competing in VCT Americas through 2026.
2022 LCS Spring Championship in League of Legends
In League of Legends, EG won the 2022 LCS Spring title with a 3-0 sweep of 100 Thieves in the grand final.
The championship lineup included Jeong "Impact" Eon-young, Kacper "Inspired" Słoma, Joseph Joon "jojopyun" Pyun, Kyle "Danny" Sakamaki, and Philippe "Vulcan" Laflamme. Brazilian coach Gabriel "Turtle" Peixoto served as head coach.
The title secured EG a place at MSI 2022. In November 2023, Riot Games announced that Evil Geniuses and Golden Guardians would leave the LCS, reducing the league to eight teams for 2024.
ESL One New York 2019 Victory in CS:GO
Evil Geniuses also had a significant history in Counter-Strike. After acquiring NRG's roster in September 2019, the organization won ESL One New York 2019 and went on to reach the top of HLTV's world rankings.
In the years that followed, EG made numerous roster changes and struggled to replicate those results. The organization officially exited Counter-Strike in January 2024, nearly three years before announcing its broader shutdown.
The International 2015 Championship in Dota 2
Another major achievement came at The International 2015, Dota 2's premier world championship. EG defeated CDEC Gaming 3-1 in the final to win the Valve-organized event.
The winning roster featured Clinton "Fear" Loomis, Syed Sumail "SumaiL" Hassan, Saahil "UNiVeRsE" Arora, Kurtis "Aui_2000" Ling, and Peter "ppd" Dager.
EG remained involved in Dota 2 in subsequent years and fielded a South American roster during the 2023 season. That division was also disbanded later that year.
Read Evil Geniuses' Full Statement
The announcement was published in English on Evil Geniuses' official X account. Below is the complete statement signed by Chris DeAppolonio:
Evil Geniuses will cease competitive and day-to-day operations effective November 2, 2026.
Over the last few years, we rebuilt how this organization operates and worked hard to bring it back. We stabilized operations, restored public sentiment, and grew our engagement and output, all while expanding into new titles and building out our creator roster. Unfortunately, esports continues to face significant headwinds, including limited sponsorship and the rising cost of competing at the top level. Despite sustained investment and the dedication of the EG team, it’s been concluded that the business cannot be operated responsibly in the current environment.
EG will wind down operations in an orderly way and work closely with every affected player, coach, and staff member.
On the competitive side, every player on every roster is free to speak with other organizations starting today. All of our VALORANT players and coaches will be free to sign with new teams when the 2026 season ends on November 2.
One big request to anyone still reading: if you’re hiring, please talk to our people. I will personally vouch for every player, creator, and staff member who worked here. Reach out to me directly, [email protected], if you have an opening or need a recommendation. My goal is to help as many of our people find a new role over the next few months.
To the players, the staff, and everyone who put their heart and soul into EG over the last few years: you were all amazing. We gave this organization everything we had. I could not have asked for a better team.
To everyone who has ever worn the EG logo, to the fans who kept showing up, and to the partners who supported this org over the last 25+ years: thank you for everything.
~ Chris DeAppolonio - CEO
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Featured image credit: Evil Geniuses
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