RhawketS

he/him 26 @rhawketsirl 🇺🇸 Esports Enthusiast🏆RLCS 2023 MENA Statistician🌍RLStats Guy📈DSA🌹Seattle Sports💙Everrett Silvertips💚McLaren F1🧡

[RhawketS @rhawkets]

LETS FUCKING GOOOOOO

[Everett Silvertips @WHLsilvertips]

OFFICIALLY YOUR WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE CHAMPIONS 😤🏆
#WantTheFight | #WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingTheFuture

[RhawketS @rhawkets]

@officialzoeboyd LMFAO

[RhawketS @rhawkets]

.@RLEsportsReddit pls add the EG logo as a flair 🤓

[RhawketS @rhawkets]

@mtxtun @NRGgg @bikeage @will1us I need Ethan to feed me

[RhawketS @rhawkets]

@Envy @RelogMedia @Makazin_ @LuckyCSGO_ @misutaaaCSGO @graviti_cs @Kursycs2 Was a good effort 💔

[RhawketS @rhawkets]

@WHLsilvertips Lets close this game out 🙏

[RhawketS @rhawkets]

@WHLsilvertips Let's Go MEIER 🐻

[RhawketS @rhawkets]

@ItsSlumpii Yeah endpoint still exists. But not as a fan tbh, because you got no teams to root for, they just do other stuff in the Esports industry. Just like you wouldn't be a fan of a Tournament Organizer, or Bootcamp practice room provider.

[RhawketS @rhawkets]

Rogue and complexity and the very short time chaos existed ❤️ also miss endpoint and resolve in EU.

[Brian @BrianCS_]

Welcome to the graveyard of North American esports, Evil Geniuses.

We have been waiting for you

[RhawketS @rhawkets]

@mfmereu @M80gg really hyped for RL and CS2. will tune in for the r6 major

[RhawketS @rhawkets]

@alleniverxyn Actually embarrassing 🫩 FAAAAAAWK

[RhawketS @rhawkets]

@SenateGOP Private healthcare already does this. Also where is your "concept" of a plan for healthcare, when are you going to do something.

[RhawketS @rhawkets]

@DylanSLiu when will Esports winter end 🫩

[Jacob Toft-Andersen @TheMaelk]

This saddens me immensely.

It was, however, inevitable. Despite best efforts and intentions of this last edition of EG leadership, I’m afraid nothing could have salvaged the damage caused before them.

Founder-led organizations face this problem time and time again, and it’s all but obvious that there’s no playbook in esports that have found a solution to maintain brand identity, vision and growth, once the original creators leave.

Evil Geniuses was a brand that I had the pleasure of both playing and working for at the height of their success (2011-2013). I took immense pride in bleeding blue both in- and out of game, and I was surrounded by people who felt as passionate as I did. That’s rare.

When Alex, Colin and the rest of the company had to move on, it was already the beginning of the end. Phil lead a shadow of its former self as best he could with little resources at his disposal, and when Peak6 came in and threw their financial weight around, so too did a level of arrogance I’ve never witnessed before or since (which is ironic, as both the original EG and 100 Thieves to some extent was in part built on what I like to think of as “positive arrogance”).

Handing over the reins from Phil to Nicole was the ultimate death warrant. Sure, she was smart and certainly tried to lean into various ways of reestablishing former prominence, but the house of cards would eventually crumble and come down on her, her team of coconspirators, and sadly, everyone around them who just happened to play, work or support the organization.

I’m fortunate to know Chris, and some of his people, who’s tried their very best to rectify and restore credibility, but esports fandom is fickle and there is little you can do when your holding company is and was the reason it all went awry to begin with. It saddens me that his team and he could be blamed for this outcome, as I firmly believe they are well-intended people who was dealt an impossible hand.

I’ve seen esports organizations come and go, I have played my part in several of them, and I know how difficult it is to turn a ship around once it’s headed for the abyss. EG, the brand and legacy founded by Alex Garfield, deserved better. North American esports deserves to have the original Evil Geniuses at the forefront of competition.

[RhawketS @rhawkets]

But at least I can be happy that Chris DeAppolonio decided to do all he could do to keep the sinking ship alive for a couple more years and do the fans a favor and returning to the EG logo. 💙

[RhawketS @rhawkets]

As giant @EvilGeniuses fan. The first EG team I watched was their R6 team, playing at the Six Invitational in 2018 against PENTA, another big memory was their run in the Season 9 Final against Empire. they lost both💔 I watched their R6 team till they exited in 2020.

[RhawketS @rhawkets]

. And in reality the downfall begun in 2019 when Peak6 acquired EG and installed a CEO, Management and a new rebrand. LaPointe Jameson dug the grave and at the end said "nothing has been done perfectly, but I’m proud of where we’ve come, versus where we were" a slap to the face.