After launching the product in 2022, ESL have introduced that their ladies’s Counter-Strike 2 league ESL Impression will likely be suspended after the fruits of its eighth season.
On-line play for the season is ready to return to an finish later this month, with the potential remaining, Finals to be performed on the finish of November throughout DreamHack Stockholm.
Impression to Come to an Finish After Season 8
Of their announcement publish relating to the closure of the league, ESL stated that the “present financial mannequin is solely not sustainable.” Though that is “regardless of important funding.”
The way forward for ESL Impression: pic.twitter.com/nul6ReGGo0
— ESL Impression (@ESLImpact) October 3, 2025
They added that they are going to “proceed to help the group,” though they haven’t but stated something on what that help could also be.
A match circuit that was introduced below the tagline “GG for all,” many tier one CS organizations had been initially concerned with the challenge. Nevertheless, over time, large names equivalent to NAVI, VP, and G2 all pulled out.
ESL did attempt to fight this by including membership incentives surrounding content material made by the organizations. Nevertheless, this wasn’t sufficient to entice the organizations again to the circuit, nor was it sufficient to spice up its viewership.
Vilga, probably the most profitable ESL Impression gamers with 4 season victories, put out an announcement on behalf of NIP Impression, saying that “This departure leaves a spot that can not be overstated,” and calling on others “to step ahead and make investments on this group.”
Vilga was probably the most profitable gamers in ESL Impression, successful 4 seasons of the occasion. Picture Credit score: ESL
The closure of the circuit has precipitated some controversy, one thing that the circuit isn’t unfamiliar with. Though prize swimming pools have steadily elevated — Season 5 had a $123,000 prizepool in comparison with $223,000 for Season 8 — the circuit has shrunk in measurement, with the South American and North American areas being merged, while APAC was eliminated altogether.
Gamers and expertise have already begun to share their instant reactions to the information. Many of those figures are shocked or saddened, however in the end understanding of ESL’s place as a enterprise that they will’t help the circuit endlessly if it doesn’t give them any return on funding. They’ve additionally burdened that it’ll not be the tip for the scene and that ESL Impression has been a spot for the gamers to develop by way of talent.
