ESL España ceases operations

After setting an excellent precedent and, above all, the foundations to form a great national competitive scene in Spain, ESL Masters Spain says goodbye with the end of the CS:GO era.

While it is true that the arrival of CS2 is great news for many, as it is the birth of a new era that, there is no doubt, we hope will be phenomenal. However, ESL Spain does not think that way, as last Friday, they announced the cessation of operations of the Spanish Counter-Strike league.

There is no doubt that ESL Masters Spain is bidding farewell, leaving fond memories in the Iberian scene and the CS:GO scene worldwide. In different locations throughout the history of CS:GO, we enjoyed intense battles on Spanish soil. Furthermore, this also means that, after 7 years, the Iberian CS:GO league closes its doors.

ESL Spain says goodbye after the end of CS:GO era

With the imminent arrival of CS2, ESL Spain announced the cessation of its operations, so the national Counter-Strike league in Spain has closed its cycle after 7 years.

No es una época de cambios sino un cambio de época. Este fin de ciclo, nos hace estar muy orgullosos de lo conseguido con #ESLMasters a lo largo de estos años💥 pic.twitter.com/FYZh5KhJFF

— ESL España (@ESLspain) September 15, 2023

In ESL Spain’s official Tweet, translated from Spanish, they mention that “It is not a time of change but a change of era,” and there is no doubt that they are right. As we mentioned, the Iberian CS:GO scene, through ESL Spain, started in 2017, and they were in charge of organizing 13 seasons in the national competition. However, in 2019, they expanded their horizons by including Portuguese teams, so, from that moment, they became an Iberian league.

No doubt talking about CS:GO in Spain is to talk about Movistar Riders, as it is the most popular team and, above all, the most awarded this Iberian country. The Riders have won 5 championship titles, winning 4 in a row to close this cycle as the most important team in the region. In addition, this national league was just an appetizer for Movistar Riders, as they became the first Spanish organization to qualify for a CS:GO Major.

Other relevant teams and players

While it is true that Movistar Riders is the pinnacle in the region, we cannot leave aside teams like SAW and For The Win Esports, which have also given a lot to talk about in top-level CS:GO tournaments.

In addition, we must not forget that ENCE’s superstar, Álvaro “SunPayus” García, comes from playing with Movistar Riders in ESL Spain. On the other hand, like this, many more stories do nothing but further boost the birth of new ones with the arrival of CS2.

As a result, this is not a definitive goodbye to ESL Masters Spain, as according to the announcement, they will return at some point after CS2 is officially announced. Likewise, we cannot take this as an imminent closure but rather a pause or a turning of pages concerning the CS:GO competitive scene.

Header: ESL