At ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), we are constantly looking ahead at how we can best serve our local and global communities worldwide and meet our long-term goals as esports continues to grow at an unprecedented pace. Due to this approach, and because we believe that the decisions we make today shape the esports of tomorrow and beyond, our organizational strategy and product portfolio are ever-evolving.

The ESL National Championships (ESL NCs) were founded over 20 years ago, and since then, we have seen esports develop and flourish in ways we had never imagined. Over these years, we have created multiple new products and opportunities for teams and players to progress within a scene that has no borders.

As part of the readjustments to our product portfolio, we are going to be closing the ESL NCs as they no longer fit our current strategy:

• Effective immediately, ESL NCs will no longer be taking place in the Benelux, France, Spain, and Turkey.
• ESL NCs in Australia & New Zealand, Brazil, Germany, Poland, and the United Kingdom & Ireland will continue for the remainder of 2023 but will not take place from 2024 onwards.

With that said, we look forward to continuing our collaborations with local partners and supporting them in establishing or resuming local products. Furthermore, we encourage any teams from the affected countries to resume their path to pro via third-party leagues and on our FACEIT platform by signing up for and competing in ESEA league seasons, regional qualifiers for diverse ESL Pro Tour competitions, and more. We will follow up with additional communication in each individual market to guide teams toward their additional or replacement opportunities within the ESL Pro Tour and via affiliated competitions.