Since the rebranding of Evil Geniuses in 2019 with new management, logo, and slogan 'live evil', the organization seems to have tainted its legacy.
In 2015, North American Dota 2 was at an all-time high. Syed “SumaiL” Hussein became the youngest pro gamer to earn a million USD as he lifted the Aegis for Evil Geniuses to become champion of The International.
Successful, polarizing, and popular esports professionals have been attached to Evil Geniuses, such as Peter "ppd" Dager and Suma1L of Dota 2, Ricki "HelloKittyRicki" Ortiz and Dominique "SonicFox" McLean from the fighting games community, or Starcraft II pro Gregory "IdrA" Fields.
The brand lent itself to winning in style and doing whatever it took to be champions. They were lively, diverse, and charismatic. Professionals under the banner became legends. Players and fans were drawn to EG for that spirit and legacy. To be a part of something special and outstanding.
Evil Geniuses
North American esports organization Evil Geniuses was founded in 1999, making it one of the oldest brands in esports.
Alex Garfield started working for Evil Geniuses back in 2004. As CEO, EG was one of the most successful esports organizations, the powerhouse of the North American esports scene. Garfield sold the company in 2014 and for a very short time after, the organization appeared to be continuing forward under the same philosophy and trajectory.
Until things started to go downhill, rosters were dropped, championship titles were elusive and throws started to become a meme (whendideglastthrow.com)
As part of the effort to revive themselves, the new management seemed to instead try to reinvent themselves. EG started to travel down a road that not many were proud of following along. And they no longer seemed committed to being a class act aimed at producing champions, but instead, one that was more invested in the brand itself.
From Evil Geniuses to Live Evil
Evil Geniuses were acquired by Chicago-based investment PEAK6 Investments in May 2019 and named Nicole LaPointe Jameson to the role of CEO. At that time, the slogan of ‘LIVE EVIL’ was adopted and the first rebrand was unveiled at year’s end.
It was then that EG took their first full hit from the community and fans and even Garfield himself.
The unveiling of the new logo created a massive outcry and visceral response.
Departure from NA Dota 2
Over the years, Evil Geniuses' became synonymous with Dota 2 in North America. The pillar of NA Dota left the region entirely after releasing their roster in November 2022.
TI11 marked the last tournament for some of the players, who over the past several years had become true ambassadors for the organization.
Artour "Arteezy" Babaev joined the NA org at the beginning of 2014. Although he left the team in 2015 when EG became TI5 champions, he returned right after TI5, but left again in 2016, for another shot with Team Secret. After his brief few months with Team Secret, he returned once again and competed for nearly 7 years under the NA organization's banner.
Sam "BuLba" Sosale joined EG for the first time in 2012 and much like Artour, he left the team a few times while he was still an active player before returning as a coach in 2017. He was with the team ever since.
While it pained the fans and community to see EG head south of the border, what was more devastating was that they dropped the roster without any fanfare or acknowledgment of the legacy and iconic moments and players associated with them. Garfield once again made a public statement about the state of EG's handling of the organization.
Today’s announcement of the release of the Dota 2 team is not just sad in and of itself, but is in fact what seems to be the final nail in the coffin for a legacy brand that seems hell-bent on forgetting its own history (...)
(...) There’s got to be a way to honor the EG brand’s legacy better than is being done now, and whether that’s through the community, former staff and players, or via new management, I hope we can find that way.
Sincerely,
Alex Garfield Former CEO, Evil Geniuses
And if this wasn't enough of a spot on their record, what followed only a few months later is.
Earlier this month, in March of 2023, two separate pieces of news regarding Evil Geniuses' treatment of players hit the community square in the face.
Kyle "Danny" Sakamaki
The first was the report by Richard Lewis for Dexerto of allegations of mistreatment of League of Legends star Kyle "Danny" Sakamaki who stepped down from their LCS team in September 2022 due to mental health issues.
In a shocking reveal, sources who worked within the Evil Geniuses organization have confirmed that the player’s mental and physical health was left unattended for so long that when he returned home, the family immediately sent the player to a doctor as he was suffering from malnutrition. They say this was allowed to happen despite multiple staff and players raising their concerns about Danny’s deteriorating mindset and health. The same sources state that the issue was deemed serious enough that the LCS Players Association was contacted about the matter.
Danny is on the autism spectrum and was 18 years old when he first signed up with the organization. Evil Geniuses was aware of his condition when he was signed, even having initially placed a support network around him.
Syed "SumaiL" Hassan
The second report came to light just under two weeks later. This time it was involving Dota 2 prodigy player Syed “SumaiL” Hussein.
He was named one of the 30 most influential teens of 2016 by Time.com. With Charisma, swagger, talent, and a long list of accolades he had it all. SumaiL was once considered Dota 2 's most eligible and desirable bachelor core players.
He joined EG in 2015 as a 15-year-old who had started to gain recognition in NEL, the North American Elite League. The addition seemed rather unconventional but would soon prove to be spectacular as the young player grew into one of the most legendary and famed core players in the world, winning TI5 at just 16 years old.
For five years he grew in more ways than one to become NA's 'King' -- rising in fame and collecting many trophies and accomplishments.
In the post-TI9 shuffle, he left EG on rocky terms and that's where his career begins to sputter and stall.
Only four years later are the details of what went on coming out in the wash.
According to another breaking report by Richard Lewis, Sumail filed suit against the new ownership of EG. According to the report, the core player has been involved in a legal battle with the organization since 2021.
After several changes in the contract, a mutual termination agreement was presented to Sumail.
...unlike the previous contractual amendment, jeopardised his ownership stake within EG. They say that it “imposed harsh, unwarranted and draconian obligations and forfeitures” that later in the suit they deem to be unconscionable. They also state that the agreement “contained numerous irregularities, discrepancies, and inconsistencies, as well as a number of ambiguous and/or unenforceable terms and conditions” and “sought to use the imbalance of bargaining power” in a bid to force Hassan to forfeit his stock.
Sources report to GosuGamers that Sumail is not the first of Evil Geniuses' players to take the organization to court in recent years. At least one other former player successfully had their non-compete clause overturned as it was unenforceable and illegal.
Sumail's case is expected to go to court in June 2023.
Since the Live Evil rebranding, it seems that Evil Geniuses cares more about their bottom line and brand name than the players that have and will make them the legendary and iconic esports organization.
Perhaps it would be best if EG focused a little more on being Geniuses and less on being Evil moving forward.
