ESL quietly discontinue Impact Cash Cups
Yesterday ESL unveiled a number of sweeping changes to the ESL Impact League for 2025, with the changes primarily aiming to incentive organizations to invest in the Impact space. This newly-minted "Seasonal Club Incentive" is set to provide financial incentives for organizations to field competitive rosters and create content around their Impact teams.
While these publicly highlighted changes have been positively received, a less prominent decision to discontinue the ESL Impact Cash Cups has largely slipped under the radar, with the decision raising eyebrows and concern from many in the Impact scene.
The announcement, which was seemingly localized on the ESL Impact Discord, was first brought to wider consciousness by Shimmer duo Lucy "empathy" Verkaik and Phoebe "phoebe" Winter, with the confirmation by ECL Oceania Division Referee Dominik "ridiculouz" Wozniak stating:
Following the recent announcement about ESL Impact 2025, as you may have noticed, ESEA Cash Cups are not included and therefore will not be an integral part of ESL Impact in 2025. Unfortunately, we have to inform you that the December tournament will be the final event in this series. Starting in 2025, these tournaments will no longer be hosted.
As pointed out by phoebe in the thread, the decision will potentially negatively impact orgless teams like Shimmer as the "Seasonal Club Incentive" benefits are primarily geared towards larger organizations regularly competing at the top of the Impact space able to invest in content creation.
Additionally, these changes mean Impact teams will have less matches to play throughout the year, especially during the off season, which may affect NA team's most profoundly in terms of gaining and retaining VRS points.
It remains to be seen what affect this change will have on the macro level for the Impact scene, however it goes without saying it will have the most acute effect on Shimmer, NA's #2 team. The orgless squad have been utterly dominant in the ESL Impact Cash Cups this year, winning the last seven in a row while winning 15 out of the 23 held this year.
