After withdrawing from multiple leagues last year, Team SoloMid (TSM) has laid off multiple employees, who claim that only eight employees remain in the organization.
Many esports fans and even players were astounded when TSM sold their LCS slot last year after 12 years of spectacular performance in the League of Legends competitive scene.
However, the cutbacks did not stop in League of Legends and LCS alone for TSM. It was reported late last year that the organization pulled out from the North American Dota 2 tournament, with their former roster competing in ESL Kuala Lumpur, donning their previous name, Team Undying.
With massive layoffs and withdrawal from multiple esports titles, most fans were left wondering about the organization’s future.
Former TSM Social Media Manager Duncan Cox announced his unanticipated separation from the organization after five years. Widely known as “Dunc” in the esports scene, he shared on social media that he was informed he was “no longer employed” and received no severance pay or parting compensation.
Furthermore, Dunc details that after the early TSM layoffs last year, he received more workload and “inherited more responsibilities” as the organization downsized its company.
While Dunc explains that he worked as a contractor for TSM because he was based in another country, the organization “treated him as an employee” for five years.
Esports pro players and content creators quickly reacted to the news, expressing disbelief over Dunc’s split with TSM.
Meanwhile, TSM pro players lauded Dunc’s history with the organization and expressed their sadness over the sudden news. TSM Pro Apex player Reps even remarked on the “crazy” situation his organization is currently experiencing, stating, “So sad to see this. One of the nicest guys I’ve met and always going above and beyond what was required.”
Esports fans react to TSM’s “shock” layoffs
The League of Legends community took to Reddit to react to TSM’s further layoffs. A post with 2.6k upvotes questioned if the organization was “basically done for good” due to its massive layoffs.
Other Redditors commented that they knew “TSM was over” when they sold their much-coveted LCS spot last 2023, as it was highly unlikely for TSM to leave their first tournament and abandon their formerly dominant League of Legends roster.
TSM initially announced that they sold their LCS slot to compete in another region. However, neither the LCK (Korean Tournament), LEC (European Tournament), nor the LPL (China Tournament) suggested nor confirmed the organization’s slot in their respective regions.
Many fans expressed their disappointment with TSM’s “fall from grace,” as Forbes once named it the “highest-valued esports organization” with a valuation of $540 million.
It is important to note that TSM’s downsizing is part of a wider trend of cutbacks in esports. Since 2023, leading names in the esports scene, such as FaZe Clan, Valorant Championship Tournament’s The Guard, and esports production company Esports Engine, all announced multiple layoffs due to financial losses.