Esports Engine laid off 65 employees amid the Esports Winter

The popular esports production company Esports Engine has let go of 65 staff members just a few weeks after ESL purchased its parent company. 

Esports Engine has laid off 65 employees, including production staff, designers, and senior company members, as a result of the financial difficulties that have impacted the esports industry as a whole. Esports Engine, which offers white-label event production services, has produced several significant esports competitions and leagues, including the Call of Duty League, Overwatch League, Apex Legends Global Series, Halo Championship Series, Fortnite World Cup, and Twitch Rivals.

According to sources, the majority of the 65 employees who were let go worked in California or Ohio, while those let go from the London office were not directly involved in the esports production. The former Esports Engine employees discussed their abrupt termination from the company on social media, many of whom claimed they were given no advance notice. 

I was one of the 65 laid off by Esports Engine today. I’m devastated, and blindsided by the lack of warning. To everyone I worked with, you all are so, so amazing.

Looking for opportunities in client & project management, broadcast production, and event management.

— Ivy O’Shaughnessy – Solo PFer @ FANFEST (@Velocifloof) July 25, 2023

 

Ivy O-Shaughnessy, a former program operator at Esports Engine, posted one of the first tweets, expressing shock and sadness over being fired without warning. Many other former workers tweeted in response to Ivy’s post to confirm that they were among the terminated. One of the initial staff members at Esports Engine, Tori Lynch, is also on the list.

Esports Engine is scheduled to organize the upcoming World of Warzone LAN at the Copperbox and the ALGS Championship in Birmingham, both of which will take place in September. Moreover, reports claim that neither event will be impacted by these layoffs, therefore both events are proceeding as scheduled.

The esports industry is currently going through what insiders are calling the “esports winter.” The impact of the “esports winter” has been felt over the past few months, with many companies either contracting or ceasing operations entirely. This is because income streams are still mainly dependent on marketing budgets, which usually dry up during periods of market crisis.

According to recent reports, Minnesota ROKKR, a Call of Duty League franchise, and its parent firm Version1 laid off six staff. The company reportedly informed employees of potential layoffs in April of this year, giving a heads-up that they would happen in late June or early July. The report further states that the company offered a two-week severance package as well as additional money to employees who had worked for the company for a longer period and had moved to Minnesota during the previous year.

Header: Esports Engine