Evil Geniuses is Shutting Down All Teams, Ending its Esports Run

Evil Geniuses has operated in the esports world for almost three decades. After fielding rosters in Call of Duty, Counter-Strike, Halo, League of Legends, and other titles, plus collecting a VALORANT Champions trophy, the org is now permanently shutting down.

This marks a significant moment for North American esports, as the region loses one of its longest-standing teams. Why is EG shutting down, and what does this mean for the industry? Let’s explore.

Why is Evil Geniuses Shutting Down?

On October 20, 2026, Evil Geniuses issued an official statement on its social media. The text, written by CEO Chris DeAppolonio, confirms that EG is shutting down all of its teams.

The org’s website has also ceased all activity, displaying the statement instead. It reads:

“Evil Geniuses will cease competitive and day-to-day operations effective November 2, 2026.“

It explains that rising costs are the main reason for the org’s decision. Alongside this factor, there are less available sponsorships and the industry is overall in a tougher spot.

“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.“

Evil Geniuses Announces it is Shutting Down: “Will Cease Operations”

DeAppolonio confirmed that things are coming to a close immediately. “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. […] My goal is to help as many of our people find a new role over the next few months.”

pic.twitter.com/cInzqC4zvx

— Evil Geniuses (@EvilGeniuses) October 20, 2026

He closed the statement by thanking EG fans and staff for their support: “To the players, the staff, and everyone who put their heart and soul into EG over the last 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.”

Evil Geniuses’ Esports History

The EG timeline begins way back when: it was founded in 1999, making it 27 years old. For most of that time, it has operated from Seattle, Washington and represented North America as a region.

Evil Geniuses started out as a clan for Quake. It later shifted its focus to StarCraft II, DOTA, and World of Warcraft, operating Arena teams. Since then, it expanded to host rosters in dozens of competitive titles. Players and esports fans might recognize EG from the FGC, hero shooters, MOBAs, and more FPS games. Call of Duty, Counter-Strike, Halo, League of Legends, Rainbow Six Siege, Rocket League, and VALORANT have all made appearances.

EG rose to international repute in 2015, when its DOTA 2 roster won The International. This was the start of the org’s prime. In 2018, they secured the Call of Duty Championship (Crimsix was a household name briefly on the EG CoD roster).

2023 was another major year, as Evil Geniuses won VALORANT Champions, the game’s largest tournament. It did so on an underdog run, starting five little-known players with coach Christine ‘Potter’ Chi. The team was on a tear, and big names from this year’s lineup (jawgemo, Ethan, Demon1, C0M, Boostio) went on to kick-start major solo careers.

The org struggled to keep this momentum, though, and could not continue its strong performance in subsequent VALORANT seasons. Throughout 2024-2026, the org shuttered multiple teams and declined in influence. Now, three years after winning an international championship, they are closing down for good.

Community Reactions to Evil Geniuses Shutting Down

Many industry figures showed up in Evil Geniuses’ replies, offering thoughts about the situation. Potter, who lead EG to their 2023 win, wrote: “EG changed my life and so many others. We’re gonna miss you.”

❤️

— G2 JAWGEMO (@jawgemo) October 20, 2026

Meanwhile, C0M said the org will “always be apart of history.” ScrewFace, jawgemo, Shanks, dgzin, and other pros also stopped by to offer support. The official Rainbow Six Siege esports account thanked EG for their influence on the scene.

A key theme in commenters’ responses was recognizing the team’s impact on North American esports. The region has traditionally been one of the weakest in FPS titles and MOBAs; EG had defied expectations during its lifespan. Evil Geniuses shutting down will hit particularly hard for these NA fans.

Stay tuned for more esports news.