To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the organization, Evil Geniuses is permanently bringing back its “original beloved logo” ahead of a new merchandise drop.
Chris DeAppolonio, CEO of Evil Geniuses, says the return of the original logo has been long overdue and that it “should have never been changed.” DeAppolonio also addressed what has, outside of the VALORANT world championship last year, been a tumultuous couple of years for the once iconic brand.
“Like any team, we’ve had our ups and downs over the years, and while we can’t fix everything in the past, we’re committed to continuously improving as we plan for the next 25 years of EG,” DeAppolonio wrote in a press release.
When asked about what will specifically need fixing, DeAppolonio told Online Esports the current goal at EG is “to repair the trust that was broken between this organization, our fans, and the broader esports community.” DeAppolonio also confirmed the organization is currently solely focused on VALORANT when it comes to competitive esports titles.
Lifting a trophy at VALORANT Champions 2023, especially in the fashion the team did, was certainly a major milestone for the org, but the victory occurred in between a number of significant controversies. Earlier in 2023, the team was accused of not properly taking care of League of Legends player Kyle “Danny” Sakamaki during his mental health struggles.
Things did not improve for EG in the public eye after Champions. Shortly after winning the event, it was reported that EG was unable to continue paying members of its world championship VALORANT roster at the same rates in 2024, forcing the organization to move players elsewhere. In November, Online Esports published a report on working conditions and extreme crunch at the organization following a wave of layoffs.
The org has also dramatically scaled back its endeavors in esports, exiting some of its most accomplished titles like League, Dota, and Counter-Strike.
