Kazakhstani esports organization AVANGAR have regrettably announced that they will be ceasing all team operations.
AVANGAR have made the decision to cease all esports team operations.(Photo courtesy HTLV)
At first, this could be seen as an April Fools’ day prank. However, the report was confirmed by a staff member to HLTV to be true. After three years of operations, AVANGAR will stop fielding professional rosters in order to focus on “building and developing esports venues in Kazakhstan.” The organization had teams in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, PlayerUnknown’s BattleGrounds, Rainbow Six Siege, and League of Legends.
AVANGAR’s biggest success story was their CS:GO team. The mostly Kazakhstani squad rose to the top of the scene and got second place as the StarLadder Berlin Major last fall. After that roster was purchased by Virtus.pro in mid-December, questions began to rise about the organization’s continued presence. In late January, AVANGAR announced a new CS:GO roster. They have since played just two events with minimal results.
The loss of their most well-known roster likely influenced AVANGAR’s decision to fold their esports operations. It is a sad day for esports in Kazakhstan. Hopefully the management and others behind the scenes will be able to use their knowledge and experience to push the scene further in the future.
