Evil Geniuses Exits from The Counter-Strike Esports Scene

Evil Geniuses’ exit from the Counter-Strike esports scene has shocked the gaming community. They had been the top dogs in their niche but now had to bid farewell to their legacy. This heart-wrenching news was announced on Evil Geniuses’ official X account for Counter-Strike. However, there’s more to EG’s downfall than what meets the eye.

In 2024, Evil Geniuses will exit the Counter-Strike scene.

From multiple trophy lifts to incredible players championing our name, we are extremely grateful for the legacy we built in Counter-Strike over the last two decades.

This past year, we had an amazing group of players,…

— Evil Geniuses CS (@EGCSGO) January 12, 2024

Beneath the surface, their journey has been laden with many highs and lows. From their brief but glorious period of topping world charts in 2020 to facing both internal and external setbacks, Evil Geniuses’ story in the competitive world of Counter-Strike is both illustrious and tumultuous.

As such, in this article, we unravel the tangles behind such a turn of events. After all, as one of the biggest names in esports, their departure only 3 years after entering the CS world begs the question: what exactly transpired behind the scenes?

A Bit of Background

Counter-Strike 2, an FPS game often referred to as a titanic giant in the realm of eSports games, has seen many eminent teams rise and fall. Developed by Valve, this iconic first-person shooter witnesses a daily player count of above 700K players on average. The classic franchise has been in existence since 2000 and, in case you have not played it yet, get a CS2 account from Eldorado and jump into the FPS craze.

With that said, Evil Geniuses initially ventured into the Counter-Strike scene in the early 2000s but stepped back in 2012. This withdrawal, however, was not the end of their journey. Reigniting their passion for the game, Evil Geniuses re-entered the Counter-Strike battleground in 2019 by acquiring the NRG Esports roster. Admirably, this move, being strategic in nature, quickly catapulted them to the forefront of the competitive scene. As such, their comeback was nothing short of spectacular.

In 2019, Evil Geniuses claimed the coveted ESL One New York title, showcasing their formidable prowess. The team continued its dominance into 2020, securing victories at the BLAST Premier Spring 2020 American Finals and ESL One Cologne 2020 NA, where they triumphantly bested Team Liquid.

Unfortunately, this golden era was short-lived as soon began the emergence of challenges that would test the resilience of this esteemed team.

The Beginning of An End

The years 2022 and 2023 marked a significant downturn for Evil Geniuses. Even after the addition of seasoned players like autimatic, RUSH, and Stewie2K in early 2022, the team struggled to find its footing.



While this period saw the formation of two academy rosters: Evil Geniuses White and Evil Geniuses Black, it also led to confusion as well as a lack of cohesion within the organization. Players frequently shuffled between teams and this prevented a properly stable unit from forming.

As such, for the majority of 2022, Evil Geniuses consistently underperformed at the international level matches. Their last significant victory was at the online ESL One Cologne - North America event in August 2022. Consequently, many key players, like CeRq, began quitting Evil Geniuses and it further destabilized the team's dynamics.

As the months progressed, especially the last few, the situation worsened. The gaming community began to express its dissatisfaction and, on top of that, reports of mismanagement and unsatisfactory working conditions began surfacing.

These internal issues, coupled with external pressures and financial instabilities, compounded the team's struggles. As a final nail in the coffin, all it took was an X post from Evil Geniuses which ended it all, announcing their official departure from the Counter-Strike esports scene.