Fortnite organization TheCartel Esports closed its doors only a few weeks after signing multiple top professional players.
Esports organization TheCartel Esports (TCE) announced it would shut down after returning to the scene last year. The European brand’s recent revival coincided with signing many of Fortnite’s best North American and European players.
Despite possessing a stacked roster, TheCartel Esports released a statement that the organization would no longer operate. This incident is not the first time TCE shut its doors suddenly. Unfortunately, the decision leaves several players without an organization.
TheCartel Esports: A Rocky History
LEFT TCE
— Centric Kubx (@KubxFN) April 23, 2020
TCE does not hold the best reputation; the organization arrived on the competitive Fortnite Battle Royale scene in 2019 and signed top European players Kubx, Kami, Teeq and Rakso ahead of the FNCS Chapter 2 Season 2 Grand Finals in 2020. The organization closed down just 15 days later and released its entire roster.
The Singapore-based esports brand resurfaced in the summer of 2020 without acknowledging the sudden departure of players mere months prior. TCE’s most triumphant revival occurred in 2021 when the organization signed an overwhelming number of players, including FNCS contenders Shizogod, RedRush and Vortexia. More acquisitions were just on the horizon, and it seemed things were looking up.
Resurgence in 2022
Joined @TheCartelEsport 🥳
— TCE Whofishy (@whofishy) January 1, 2022
Once 2022 came around, TCE branched into North America and Brazil to sign several accomplished players from both regions, such as Illest, Kreo, skqttles, Whofishy and former FNCS Chapter 2 Season 3 Champion VerT. Those agreements occurred to open the year but did not last very long.
TCE Shuts Down Once Again
The end of TheCartel Esport 💔
WeAre #ONE pic.twitter.com/ySHxcKBYv2
— TheCartel Esports (@TheCartelEsport) February 8, 2022
Only one month after compiling a roster that could stand against some of the best, TCE announced it would cease all operations immediately. The statement reads as follows:
“It is with great regret that we announce today the end of THECARTEL ESPORTS. This team was driven by the ambitions of its founders and members. Without its members, TCE loses its identity. Despite the bright future it could have, without anyone to lead it, TCE can unfortunately go no further.
We didn’t even think of anything like this. Everything was going well and there was a plan for the future of TCE. But that was without counting this unforeseen event. We apologise to all our supporters as well as our staff and players who are a real family to us. But closure now is inevitable.
All salaries will of course be paid. We want to leave a positive mark on our departure and we can only recommend our players, content creators, staff, designers and editors to all organisations.”
The statement makes no mention of what caused TCE to close its doors. Some speculated that this was merely another Fortnite organization that did not have the funding to cover expenses. Other rumors indicated that TCE’s founder — Tomek — decided to cease operations for personal reasons. Unfortunately, Tomek has since deleted his Twitter account.
Thank you for your continued support Tomek. Wishing you the best ❤
— TCE Whofishy (@whofishy) February 8, 2022
Many of the organization’s players took to Twitter with their support. NA East player “Whofishy” thanked Tomek for his support and wished him the best. European player Vortexia wrote that TCE was the best organization he’s ever experienced.
We may never know the reason TCE chose to end its run. A previous member — Artor — said he never received payment from his time with TheCartel Esports back in 2020. There are levels to this story, but no members from the recent fallout have spoken on the matter.
We’ll be sure to provide more updates on this developing story should anything worthwhile come to light.
Featured Image: TheCartel Esports
