ENCE bankruptcy: Finnish CS org closes after 13 years
ENCE bankruptcy confirmed: the Finnish esports org has filed after 13 years. Here are the losses behind it, its Katowice 2019 legacy and its last CS2 roster.
5 min read
In brief
AI summaryENCE eSports Oy filed for bankruptcy on October 26, 2026, ending its 13-year run.
The organisation reported €1.32 million in 2025 revenue and a €940,000 loss after weak results and the end of ESL’s partner programme.
ENCE is best remembered for its all-Finnish lineup reaching the IEM Katowice 2019 Major final and winning BLAST Pro Series Madrid.
Contents11 sections
ENCE bankruptcy is now official. The board of the Finnish esports organisation decided on October 26 to file, ending a 13-year run best remembered for the all-Finnish lineup that reached the Katowice 2019 Major final.
Key facts
- Organisation: ENCE eSports Oy (Finland)
- Decision: October 26, 2026, by the board
- Years active: 13
- 2025 revenue: €1.32 million
- 2025 loss: €940,000
- Best CS result: IEM Katowice 2019 Major final
What led to the ENCE bankruptcy?
ENCE broke the news on social media under the heading "The End of an Era". The post said the board had made the difficult decision to file for bankruptcy after 13 years, thanked players, staff and partners, and signed off to fans with a simple "GG", Finnish broadcaster Yle reported.
The numbers explain a lot. According to Finnish daily Ilta-Sanomat, 2022 and 2023 were the club's peak years. By 2025, revenue had collapsed and losses had grown.
ENCE's finances at a glance
| Year | Revenue | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | €4,071,000 | Combined profit over 2022-23: €1.2 million |
| 2023 | €6,314,000 | Highest revenue in club history |
| 2025 | €1,320,000 | €940,000 loss, revenue down 59.8% |
Ilta-Sanomat says the 2025 result was €260,000 worse than the year before, the balance sheet halved and headcount fell by five. The paper links the revenue drop to two things: weak results from the international Counter-Strike roster and the end of ESL's partner programme.
Yle adds that ENCE dropped its international CS team earlier this year. CEO Mika Kuusisto said at the time he was hopeful about a new domestic project, and the club went back to an all-Finnish roster in the spring.
ENCE's biggest Counter-Strike moments
For most fans, ENCE means 2019. The all-Finnish side led by Aleksi "Aleksib" Virolainen reached the IEM Katowice 2019 Major final, then won BLAST Pro Series Madrid shortly after. Insider Gaming notes that the Madrid final was a 2-0 win over Astralis, the team that had beaten them in Katowice.
That famous roster was:
- Aleksi "Aleksib" Virolainen
- Aleksi "allu" Jalli
- Jere "sergej" Salo
- Sami "xseveN" Laasanen
- Jani "Aerial" Jussila
HLTV counts three top-tier titles across ENCE's history: two with the Finnish lineup in 2019 and one in 2023 with an international roster led by Marco "Snappi" Pfeiffer. Insider Gaming identifies that 2023 trophy as IEM Dallas. The core of that team was sold to Team Falcons in December 2023.
There is also the song. Yle points out that The Verkkars' fan anthem EZ4ENCE has passed 20 million views on YouTube.
What else did ENCE compete in?
Ilta-Sanomat says ENCE also had success in Rainbow Six Siege, Overwatch and StarCraft. Joona "Serral" Sotala won the 2018 StarCraft II world title in ENCE colours. Insider Gaming adds that he was the first non-Korean to win the WCS Global Finals and also won IEM Katowice 2022.
The last CS2 roster and what happens now
At the time of the filing, ENCE had two Counter-Strike teams and two content creators, according to Ilta-Sanomat. The main CS2 lineup was Joe "joeski" Holmes, Teemu "teme" Korva, Aleksi "millert" Lehtopuu, Henri "HENU" Ylilehto and Giorgi "Schwarz" Gakhokidze, coached by allu.
HLTV says ENCE promoted its Finnish academy in April 2026, with allu joining as head coach in June. The team sat 103rd in the global VRS when the news broke and the organisation had not played a top-tier event since September 2024.
allu kept it short on X: "Heartbroken." He added that he would share more about himself and the team once the dust settles. There is no official word yet on where the players will go.
For more Counter-Strike coverage, read our PGL Masters Bucharest 2026 results report and our CS2 launch options guide.
FAQ
Why did ENCE go bankrupt?
Ilta-Sanomat reports a €940,000 loss on €1.32 million revenue in 2025, with revenue down 59.8%. It points to weak international CS results and the end of ESL's partner programme.
What was ENCE's biggest achievement?
The all-Finnish lineup reached the IEM Katowice 2019 Major final and then won BLAST Pro Series Madrid.
Who was on ENCE's final CS2 roster?
joeski, teme, millert, HENU and Schwarz, with allu as coach, according to Ilta-Sanomat.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Questions answered in this article
Sources
External links cited in this article
- 01Steam / Valvestore.steampowered.com (opens in a new tab)
- 02Yle - Ence on hakeutunut konkurssiinyle.fi (opens in a new tab)
- 03Ilta-Sanomat - ENCE hakee konkurssiinis.fi (opens in a new tab)
- 04HLTV - ENCE file for bankruptcyhltv.org (opens in a new tab)
- 05Insider Gaming - ENCE Files For Bankruptcyinsider-gaming.com (opens in a new tab)
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