Esports organization North closes, most players’ fates unknown

The joint project of Parken Sport & Entertainment and Nordisk Film North has officially ended. The unexpected announcement will see most of its rosters liquidated. 

North is the latest esports organization with a focus on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive to undergo serious changes over the last year. The press releases cited financial hurdles as the chief cause behind the exit. 

Today is a sad day. North Esports is no more.

Ty for all ❤

</North>https://t.co/KNeSvhvO0p

— North (@TheNorthIsHere) February 5, 2021

“We are obviously sad that the Danish-based esports company, North, which has had a great impact on international esports, will have to close…We have attempted to search the market to get one or more co-investors on board, but sadly haven’t found the right match,” Lars Bo Jeppesen, chairman of North and director of Parken Sport & Entertainment, said in a statement.

North is mostly remembered for its CSGO roster that made headlines and made solid placements in a number of top tournaments. The Danish team was home to a slew of top players over the years, most notably three-time major winner Emil “Magisk” Reif. North first entered CSGO with the surprising signing of the former roster of Team Dignitas, one of the highest-ranked teams at the time. However, it was their overhauled 2018 lineup featuring Markus “⁠Kjaerbye⁠“ Kjærbye that had the greatest success of all, most notably winning DreamHack Masters Stockholm 2018.

The closure of North’s CSGO team dumps a number of players into an already crowded free agent pool, including top veterans René “cajunb” Borg and Jonas “Lekr0” Olofsson.  The organization has not competed in a tournament since DreamHack Masters Winter 2020, where it posted a disappointing ninth-place finish.

North shuts down CSGO and Apex Legends division

The news comes as a surprise for the fans as the organization had recently signed a new player to CSGO roster. The Danish team brought in Denis “⁠grux⁠“ Gutaj from SMASH to complete its lineup for European Development Championship 2 just two weeks ago. The team also added Mikkel “LordHjoth” Bach to its FIFA division at the end of 2020. This makes North’s sudden closure even more surprising. 

Fortunately, not all divisions will be dissolved. The exit only applies to shooter games, as the statement confirms that FC Copenhagen will retain North’s FIFA division in order to continue being part of the eSuperliga.