Counter-Strike 2 all-women pro league ESL Impact will be indefinitely suspended

Esports tournament organizer ESL has announced that it is suspending its women’s Counter-Strike 2 circuit, ESL Impact, at the end of the current season.

The details:

• In a statement posted to social media, ESL confirmed that Impact will come to an end following the conclusion of the Season 8 grand finals, which will take place from November 28 to 30 later this year. The organizer cited financial concerns as its reasoning to suspend the league, stating that the “current economic model is simply not sustainable” despite “significant investment.”

• Debuting in 2022, ESL Impact has paid out over $1.2 million USD in prize pools since, attracting talent from smaller teams as well as large esports orgs such as FlyQuest, FURIA, BIG, mibr, and Ninjas In Pyjamas.
• As noted by HLTV, things haven’t been smooth sailing, with ESL slowly pulling its support for the circuit over the past year, scrapping its Katowice LAN in 2024 and its Finals pathways for the Asia and Oceania regions, with several orgs pulling out of the circuit prior to the current season.
• The decision has been widely criticized, with many pointing out that Impact was crucial in the development of women's professional Counter-Strike. Some have also pointed out that ESL was acquired by Savvy Games Group, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, in 2022, which raises further questions about the company's decision to suspend the circuit.