Esports organization Team SoloMid is undergoing another series of layoffs, according to social media posts today from two former workers. A TSM representative did not return a request for comment about the scope of the layoffs, as well as questions about which departments were affected.
TSM underwent layoffs in 2022 twice. The first instance began in July 2022, the second just months later in November 2022. The attrition was a reported “twenty-plus” laid off in one instance.
The storied organization also made global headlines in the esports industry when it announced its intentions to leave the North American League of Legends Championship Series. TSM was one of the league’s most notable members, and was a mainstay in the region for over a decade. The team’s League of Legends department was dealt several body blows at the management level in the days leading up to the departure, and League isn’t the only game the org made a hasty exit from. Just a year after winning Rainbow Six: Siege‘s world championship, the Six Invitational, the team left the space, relinquishing its spot and releasing its players.
Time will tell whether TSM returns to its former heights. Controversy after controversy has placed a sour taste in the mouth of some fans and pundits, and the team is reportedly putting some of its esports efforts on hold.
After the fallout with its naming rights sponsor, infamous cryptocurrency exchange FTX, TSM put out a statement, saying in part, “To be clear, TSM is built on a solid foundation. We are stable and profitable, and we continue to forecast profitability for this year, next year, and beyond. We look forward to a great year in 2023.”
It now appears that the “great year in 2023” doesn’t fully extend to all of its workers.
