Finnish esports organization ENCE is filing for bankruptcy. On October 26, 2026, the board of directors of ENCE eSports Oy confirmed the decision on X, ending a 13-year run that included a Counter-Strike Major final at IEM Katowice 2019 and an IEM Dallas title in 2023. The CS2 roster, ranked 103rd on Valve’s regional standings, is left without an organization.
What ENCE Announced
ENCE posted a farewell message titled “The End of an Era” on its official X account on October 26, 2026. The statement said the board had “made the difficult decision to file for bankruptcy” after 13 years.
The post thanked players, staff, partners and fans. It did not give financial figures, name a single cause, or explain what happens to player contracts or the ENCE brand.
Head coach Aleksi “allu” Jalli, who first played for ENCE in 2013, reacted with one word: “Heartbroken.” He said he would share more about himself and the team once things settle.
Why Did ENCE Go Bankrupt?
ENCE has not given an official reason. The public record from 2026 shows an organization that was already shrinking and changing course before the filing.
- March 2026: ENCE benched its entire international CS2 roster and coaching staff, saying it had become too hard for a club its size to compete at the top of international Counter-Strike. The plan was to rebuild around Finnish players.
- April 2026: The ENCE Academy roster was promoted to serve as the interim main team, and the academy program was put on hiatus.
- June 2026: allu returned to the organization as head coach.
- Mid 2026: Long-time CEO Mika Kuusisto stepped down after more than seven years in charge. Reports at the time linked his exit to a financial restructuring.
- September 2026: ENCE reportedly moved its CS2 players onto long-term contracts after an evaluation period.
- October 26, 2026: The board announced the bankruptcy filing.
The results never gave the rebuild breathing room. ENCE has not played an HLTV top-tier (MVP-awarding) event since September 2024, which made it far harder to attract sponsors and invites.
ENCE’s 2026 Collapse at a Glance
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| March 2026 | International CS2 roster and coach benched, Finnish rebuild announced |
| April 2026 | Academy roster promoted to main team |
| June 2026 | allu joins as head coach |
| Mid 2026 | CEO Mika Kuusisto steps down (reported restructuring) |
| September 2026 | CS2 roster reportedly locked on long-term deals |
| October 26, 2026 | Board files for bankruptcy |
What Happens to the ENCE CS2 Roster?
ENCE has not said what will happen to its players. In a Finnish bankruptcy, a court-appointed administrator usually takes over the company’s assets and contracts, so the players are likely to look for new teams in the coming weeks. Treat any move as unconfirmed until the players or a new organization announce it.
ENCE’s final CS2 lineup:
| Player | Name | Country |
|---|---|---|
| teme | Teemu Korva | Finland |
| millert | Aleksi Lehtopuu | Finland |
| Schwarz | Giorgi Gakhokidze | Georgia |
| joeski | Joe Holmes | Finland |
| HENU | Henri Ylilehto | Finland |
| allu (coach) | Aleksi Jalli | Finland |
Four of the five players are teenagers, which makes this a young core that other Finnish teams may try to keep together. TalkEsport covered the start of this project when ENCE turned its academy into an interim main roster.
ENCE’s Legacy in Counter-Strike
ENCE was founded in 2013 and grew from a local Finnish team into one of the most recognizable names in Counter-Strike.
The peak came at the IEM Katowice Major 2019. An all-Finnish lineup led by Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen came through the European Minor, beat Team Liquid and Natus Vincere in the playoffs, and reached the grand final before losing 2-0 to Astralis. The run made “EZ4ENCE” a fan chant, and the song was later added to the game as a music kit.
ENCE won BLAST Pro Series Madrid 2019 with that roster. It returned to the top in 2023 with an international lineup led by Marco “Snappi” Pfeiffer, winning IEM Dallas 2023 over MOUZ and reaching the finals of IEM Cologne and Gamers8 that summer. HLTV counts three MVP-awarding event wins for ENCE in total.
That roster’s core was sold to Team Falcons in December 2023. ENCE never got back into the top tier after the sale, and TalkEsport tracked the slide through the arrival of coach enkay J and several rebuilds after that.
Outside Counter-Strike, ENCE’s best-known name was Joona “Serral” Sotala, who became the first non-Korean StarCraft II world champion in 2018 while playing for the club. Serral later left ENCE after seven years with the club.
A Bad Autumn for Legacy Esports Organizations
ENCE is the third long-running esports organization to close in about five weeks.
| Organization | Founded | Closure announced | Years active |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complexity Gaming | 2003 | September 23, 2026 | 23 |
| Evil Geniuses | 1999 | October 20, 2026 | 27 |
| ENCE | 2013 | October 26, 2026 | 13 |
Evil Geniuses, which shuts down on November 2, blamed tight sponsorship budgets and the rising cost of competing at the top level. Complexity’s founder said raising new money had become too difficult. ENCE gave no reason, but the pattern is hard to miss. Clubs without a tier-one team or a wealthy owner are running out of options.
