More Layoffs At ESLFACEIT Group

An email obtained by this publication states that they "mark the end of this phase of change" but the company's future still remains uncertain.

Photo courtesy ESL press pack

Sources familiar with the situation have stated that another round of layoffs have taken place at ESLFACEIT Group (EFG) as part of their long term profitability goals. Between 80-90 staff are said to have departed in this latest wave with many tenured names moving on.

This publication obtained an email confirming the redundancies, which said the following:

Important Update on the Future of EFG

Hi team,

I want to give you an important update on where we stand as a business and what’s next.

Since the creation of EFG, our business has nearly tripled allowing us to create experiences that we could never have imagined. This rapid growth requires continuous investment, but also introduces complexity and inefficiency over time. To ensure we can grow sustainably and keep investing in our vision for the long term, we must consolidate our options.

Over the past year, we conducted a comprehensive review to make the business fit for purpose. This was not solely about cost cutting, but a strategic realignment to reduce complexity, streamline operations, and focus resources on areas with the biggest growth potential. These steps are necessary to help us achieve long-term sustainability.

Unfortunately, this involved incredibly tough choices, and we will be saying goodbye to some valued colleagues. Those impacted have received separate communications. Please be supportive, gracious, and understanding as these changes take effect.

Critically, this marks the end of this phase of change. With these foundations in place, we don’t anticipate any further changes of this scale. We’ve now established a truly sustainably foundation while not only preserving our core capabilities, but enabling us to better serve our partners and customers moving forward. We know you’ll have questions. I, alongside the management team, will host a Global Town Hall tomorrow, October 16th, to talk through the details. for immediate questions, please email <redacted>.

Thank you for your resilience and commitment. We have faced the hard decisions, and now, with a clear direction and efficient structure, we can shift our full energy to building the future of esports. I am very excited about the future of EFG. Let’s continue to build it together.

This publication stated that more layoffs were coming back in a July report, however the number at the time was believed to be much higher, somewhere between 200-300. This lower number could be revised in coming months but as the email shows that isn’t planned for at this time.

Exclusive: More Layoffs Incoming At ESLFACEIT Group

While the layoffs don’t seem to have been isolated to one particular part of the business, a separate source familiar with the cuts has stated that the EMEA division appears to have been largely affected. The staff there were responsible for events such as the Esports World Cup (EWC) qualifiers. This might suggest that the EWC might be doing things differently next year or that they could outsource the qualifiers.

For now the company that is financed by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) will be hoping that they can make it to 2026 without a need to make any more cuts.