Professional gaming takes a step backwards

The first organisation to contract players as professional gamers, The Championship Gaming Series, has shut down.

The Championship Gaming Series was the one bright light for competitive gaming in the world, offering many players, Australians included, the chance at a contract to play games professionally.

But all that has finished with BSkyB, STAR and DIRECTV confirming the end of the joint project.

In a statement on their website, the CGS team confirmed that “the economics just didn’t add up for us at this time”.

The full statement is reprinted below.

Today BSkyB, STAR and DIRECTV ended their Championship Gaming Series® (CGS) joint venture.

While the concept was ahead of its time and we are extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished, it became increasingly clear as this ambitious project evolved, that profitability was too far in the future for us to sustain operations in the interim.

Our goal was to be ahead of the curve in the e-sports space, and conceived of CGS as a true sports league. We invested wholeheartedly in the venture and presented viewers with a top-notch production, but the economics just didn’t add up for us at this time.

Our only regret is that we will lose a team of creative and talented individuals who invested their hearts and souls into Championship Gaming Series. We recognize their achievements and thank them for their hard work and passion.

BSkyB, STAR and DIRECTV continue to be committed to the video games sector, which is an important part of many of our customers’ lives and a great source of entertainment.

The Championship Gaming Series was the first league to draft players to franchises around the world for games such as Counter-Strike: Source, FIFA 08, Project Gotham Racing 4 and Dead or Alive 4. The CGS also offered contracts to female gamers, as well as a base salary worth around $AUD 25,000.

Ben Thomas, General Manager for Sydney Underground, the Australian CGS franchise, and members of the team were contacted but failed to respond at the time of writing.

Source: Championship Gaming Series

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