Exclusive: More Layoffs Incoming At ESLFACEIT Group

The esports company makes another round of layoffs as it seeks a path to profitability

Photo courtesy of ESL press pack

ESLFACEIT Group (EFG) are set to publicly announce more layoffs. Sources familiar with the inner workings of EFG, speaking under condition of anonymity, have informed this publication that the layoffs have already begun across both sections of the business, the FACEIT platform and the ESL tournament operator. According to one source familiar with the scale of the layoffs the numbers are said to be approximately fifty people on the FACEIT side and likely in excess of two hundred over at ESL, although that number could be subject to revision. One source also said that “town halls,” an open meeting where executives share news across the whole company simultaneously popular in corporate America, have already taken place.

Staff were notified via a company wide email that told employees that if they were impacted by the layoffs a manager would be in contact with them. Some employees have known that they would be leaving the company for a week in some cases.

“For FACEIT it looks like it will have a significant impact” one source familiar with the layoffs said. “The growth team has been cut and it looks like the integrity team is also taking a significant hit. Marketing too.”

The integrity team is the group of employees responsible for handing measures for player behaviour and anticheat development.

ESL will also be impacted with layoffs in the region of 200-300 across multiple departments. It will be the third wave of cuts since the companies were bought and merged by the Savvy Games Group with 15% of the workforce having been laid off in February 2024. Recent changes have also seen high profile managerial figures also leave the company such as Craig Levine who has stepped down from his role as Co-CEO in May.

Craig “Torbull” Levine is now acting in an advisory role until the end of 2025

Currently EFG are preoccupied on multiple fronts with the production of the Esports World Cup Foundations (EWC) signature event in Riyadh and the Counter-Strike tournament in Cologne.

“As far as I’m aware the decision to not make a public statement now is so they don’t distract from the Esports World Cup. That has become their most important project and so it’s likely they don’t want any negative news published while it’s happening.”

Two sources we spoke to said that those affected would receive severance packages described as “generous” but also the invitation to come back and work as a contractor for the EWC event. They stated that the EWC was the event with the most budget allocated to it.

It also seems that the Savvy Games Group, possibly after having several big financial wins with other acquisitions, have become disenchanted with the reality of running an esports operation. ESL’s financial records show that they already had debts from previous operations and with a reduction of income from sponsors a path to profitability seems a long way away.

“The original plan was to turn the company round and have it be profitable in ten years” the source continued. “When they saw how much it was losing that plan turned into two years so 2026 is make or break. It’s possible if these cuts don’t work then they might consider selling parts of the business and only retaining the parts that work… Digital platforms are the most profitable.”

“Everything is about steering the company to stop losing money” another source from within the company said before adding that “time’s up.”

While the company has done a good job of preventing any leaks so far publicly, two of our sources stated there was a sense of low morale as the layoffs were happening. “More have made a point of taking the trips to the events where possible because there’s a sense this is the last dance of ESL as we know it” one of the sources said.

As this publication is currently on the ESLFACEIT blacklist we are unable to reach out for comment.

UPDATE: ESL FACEIT Group have provided the following statement:

“EFG has experienced a period of significant growth driven by multiple strategic acquisitions. Whilst this has opened up many new opportunities to grow esports globally, it has also brought with it complexity. To ensure EFG is fully focused on the most meaningful growth opportunities ahead, we have conducted a careful review of our strategic priorities. This process allows us to realign resources, ensuring we have the right teams and capabilities in place to lead, innovate, and deliver long-term success. As a result of this, some of our employees will unfortunately be impacted. We thank them for their hard work and dedication to the company, and wish them well for the future.”