In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Evil Geniuses (EG) has announced the permanent return of its original logo on last 20th June, alongside a new merchandise release. CEO Chris DeAppolonio acknowledged the long-overdue return, stating that the logo "should have never been changed," as part of a broader effort to address recent challenges and restore trust with the community.
"This logo means so much to our fans and this community, and we couldn’t think of a better time to bring it back than now,” DeAppolonio says in a press release. “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.”
The past few years have been tumultuous for EG, marked by both significant achievements and controversies. Despite lifting the trophy at the VALORANT Champions 2023, the organization faced scrutiny earlier in the year over allegations of mishandling the mental health struggles of an autistic League of Legends player Kyle “Danny” Sakamaki, diagnosed to be malnourished in the midst of their season.
Post-Champions, EG was criticized for financial instability, reportedly being unable to sustain player salaries at 2023 levels. Additionally, a report by Richard Lewis in November highlighted severe working conditions and crunch following widespread layoffs within the organization.
Evil Geniuses have been stepping back from other major titles like League of Legends, Dota 2, and Counter-Strike due the combination of economic downturn and executive incompetence from the management in the last few years leading to massive layoffs. Among them was notably the former CEO Nicole Lapointe Jameson, Vice President of Operations & Studio John Jung, and Senior Director of Gaming & Performance Lindsey Migliore since November 2023.
Tthe parent company selling off their assets to interested buyers was also a core reason. Moreover, the massive incompetence in player handling and financial regulation resulted in massive backlashes from the community and sponsors opting out of involvement with the organization.
DeAppolonio emphasized that the current priority is “to repair the trust that was broken between this organization, our fans, and the broader esports community.” As part of its strategic focus, EG is now concentrating solely on VALORANT in competitive esports, already garnering a massive win over the matchup favorite LOUD. The players are showing promising performance with Jawgemo at the helm with a 1.22 VLR rating and an insane 21:3 first kill to death ratio.
The return of the classic logo symbolizes a fresh start for Evil Geniuses, as the organization looks to reconnect with its roots and rebuild its reputation in the esports community from its ashes.The initiative from officials at Evil Geniuses and CEO DeAppolonio is certainly a good step towards redemption and working towards player and fan satisfaction will surely bear fruits in the future.
