Media: EG set to drop Counter-Strike division

After a long stretch of disappointing performance, Evil Geniuses are reportedly on the verge of departing the Counter-Strike scene.

Evil Geniuses are set to drop their CS2 team and exit the Counter-Strike scene, according to a report by Richard Lewis. The report comes not long after Evil Geniuses dropped their DOTA 2 lineup.

Richard Lewis went on to state that, due to a combination of an economic downturn and Evil Geniuses' own struggles behind the scenes, the organization may go on to fold entirely.

Evil Geniuses entered the CS:GO scene back in 2019 through the acquisition of the former NRG lineup, one that featured the likes of Tarik "⁠tarik⁠" Celik and Vincent "⁠Brehze⁠" Cayonte, having fielded teams in Counter-Strike 1.6.

The roster Evil Geniuses brought onboard was one of the top teams in the world at the time and would go on to win a handful of Big Event trophies, including ESL One New York 2019, and hit the top spot in the world rankings during the online era.

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Results soured when LAN play returned, however, and the organization has not been able to achieve any notable success in Counter-Strike since. A roster featuring Jake "⁠Stewie2K⁠" Yip imploded due to internal issues, the infamous 'Blueprint' project never really got off the ground, and their attempts to put together a European roster in the most recent off-season failed.

Throughout all of that time there were claims of mismanagement and poor working conditions behind the scenes, and even prospective signings have been critical of Evil Geniuses in the past.

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Lewis' report suggested that we may be witnessing "the beginning of the end" for the organization, citing a combination of the aforementioned issues, an economic downturn, and rocky relationships with key sponsors.

It was stated that Evil Geniuses had recently retained the services of a financial advisory company that specializes in working with "companies in need of operational improvements," and are also looking to sell their LCS slot, lending credence to the idea that the organization is in trouble.