Germany-based esports and gaming company Freaks 4U Gaming has instituted a new round of layoffs, as it scales back some of its operations in esports due to financial challenges. In a LinkedIn post on Nov. 22, the company revealed that it was making cuts to staff:
“Being one of the largest companies operating in gaming and esports globally, we face similar business challenges in the current market environment as many of our partners and competitors. While these circumstances sadly require us to make the difficult yet necessary decision to reduce some of our workforce, we would love to introduce some of our favorite colleagues to interested companies looking for great talents. “
The post went on to urge other companies to get in touch if they have an open position to fill including audio engineer, designer, editor, motion designer, production manager, social media & community manager, software engineer, tournament manager, UI designer, videographer, video editor / cutter, and video producer).
A spokesperson for the company told The Esports Advocate in an emailed response earlier this week that the company “currently employs 215 people here in Germany, and by the end of the year, the number will be reduced to 185.”
On a related note, both Riot Games and Freaks 4U announced separately that the company would no longer be operating Summoner’s Rift:
“With a heavy heart, we are announcing the sunset of Summoner’s Inn, after 10 glorious years of supporting the growth and development of League of Legends and its community in the DACH region,“ Freaks 4U wrote in a LinkedIn post Wednesday.
Riot made the following announcement via Twitter/X on Wednesday:
Update regarding the German #LEC broadcast ahead of the 2024 Season pic.twitter.com/lzqlhHDhhg
— LEC (@LEC) November 29, 2023
This news follows Freaks 4U announcing last week that it would turn over full control of the license to the Northern League of Legends Championship (NLC) to Denmark-based esports platform and organizer Leagues.gg at the beginning of 2024.
Sources told The Esports Advocate last week that Freaks 4U was having some financial challenges and would end some of its esports activities as a result. Sources said the company would exit everything but the Prime League, the League of Legends esports ERL (European Regional League) for the DACH region founded in 2020 as the successor of the Premier Tour.