After three years of operations and a meteoric rise in the Benelux region, Luxembourg’s largest esports team is now closing its doors, as uncertainty looms over the region’s future. Initially joining the Luxembourg Tour in 2022—the Benelux’s third tier of competition at the time—SNOOZE Esports, formerly known as Rift Sloths, climbed the ranks year after year. Throughout its years of operation, the organization was one of the few to achieve consistent growth, securing high placements first in Division 2 and eventually in Division 1, before being crowned champions of the final tournament the Elite Series will hold under its current management.

The Cost of Success

As is the reality for many organizations competing in less prominent regional leagues, maintaining sustainable operations and securing funding is a formidable challenge. SNOOZE Esports, managed entirely by a dedicated team of volunteers, have managed to stay afloat for the past three years, surpassing its initial ambitions and achieving its greatest accomplishment just days ago. However, as the organization explained, while funds were not the primary issue, the increasing scale of the project and its growing demands, coupled with limited resources, made it unsustainable. With a high workload and minimal recognition or returns on investment, the decision has been made to close the project.

These days, stories like that of SNOOZE Esports are regrettably all too common, as the EMEA’s Tier 2 ecosystem continues to struggle. Now, they will become yet another organization to be sunsetted, joining an overcrowded graveyard of once-ambitious teams. Still, unlike most organizations in the scene, SNOOZE Esports will be able to conclude its journey on a high note as the final champions of Unlocked's Elite Series, having achieved one of the greatest feats in Luxembourgish esports history, hopefully paving the way for new organizations to carry on its legacy. The team's parent company, RIFT Entertainment, will continue its work in the esports sphere, focusing on the ongoing POP Esports Masters, one of Luxembourg's largest semi-professional esports competitions.