ESL Impact is facing closure, despite being the most important anchor for the women’s scene in Counter-Strike 2. What happens next is uncertain.
Under the motto “All Women. All in!”, the ESL Impact homepage still promotes the women’s league. The eighth season is currently underway: until November 30, the teams will compete for a total prize pool of €250,000. After that, however, it will be over for the time being.
Declining viewership, growing doubts
“We have made the incredibly difficult decision to suspend the ESL Impact League after season 8,” begins the statement, which has caused great disappointment in the community. Since 2022, the league has provided a platform for women in the Counter-Strike 2 scene.
However, the end does not come as a complete surprise. Last year, the league had already discontinued isolated events such as ESL Impact Katowice, and at the beginning of this year, more and more organizations withdrew from the scene.
The reason for the end of the league is clearly stated: “Despite significant investment, the current economic model is simply not sustainable.” After season 4, in which up to 32,000 viewers watched the final, interest has declined. A year later, that number had fallen to just 15,500. However, the Season 7 finals once again approached the all-time high set in the first season: The ESL Impact decision took place shortly before IEM Dallas, one of the biggest CS2 events ever, and entertained more than 100,000 viewers.
Between uncertainty and a new beginning
ESL Impact is considered a cornerstone of the women’s CS2 scene. It has created structures, enabled professional careers, and even successfully opened doors: Imperial FE became the first women’s team ever to participate in the play-ins for IEM Katowice.
After the initial shock, players, organizations, and other players in the CS scene are now working together to find ways to save the structure or at least keep it alive. The first community-driven projects and tournaments have already emerged, some even in cooperation with well-known esports teams such as Team Vitality. It remains to be seen whether they can fill the gap left behind.
