- Following eight years of competitive League of Legends, Gambit Esports is withdrawing from the game
- The decision was announced on Twitter by CEO Konstantin Pikiner
- No exact reasons behind the decision was provided and Gambit is the second team after Griffin to shut down its League of Legends division this year
Esports pioneer Gambit has shut down its League of Legends division and disbanded the team after eight years of active competition.
Gambit Esports Bows out of Competitive League of Legends
Another one bites the dust would be too flippant a remark to describe Gambit Esports' withdrawal from the competitive League of Legends scene.
The team announced the shut-down of its LoL division on Thursday following years of dominating the European scene and serving as an example of a pioneer in the competitive gaming space.
Gambit Esports was created with the help of Moscow Five's original roster who joined the team and first competed as Gambit Gaming, and even made the World Championship. In 2016, Gambit sold its EU LCS slot to Team Vitality and shifted to the League of Legends Continental League.
They have been mostly successful winning three titles and appearing in the World Championship twice, as well as securing a spot in the Mid-Seasonal Invitational.
In a Twitter statement, Gambit Esports CEO Konstantin Pikiner addressed fans, partners and players, informing them that the organization was making the call with a heavy heart.
Gambit has effectively been a part of the League of Legends competitive community for eight years and has helped shape the esports scene for the game. There were no exact reasons as to why Gambit is disbanding the division.
Earlier this year, Griffin, another high-profile team, announced that it's disbanding. Even though these moves coincide with the pandemic and suspension of live events for a nearly a year, no team has motivated their decision with COVID-19.
If anything, Gambit remain committed to developing competitive gaming and currently run teams in Fortnite, Apex Legends, VALORANT and Dota 2.