The main esports portal in Germany has closed

The country's main eSports portal dedicated to the Counter-Strike game, 99Damage,has ceased operations in Germany . This resource was not only a news site, but also actively organised broadcasts of leading tournaments in German. In addition, it organised numerous tournaments and leagues for the local esports community.

99Damage was founded in 2012, and over the 12 years of its existence, the portal has become an important part of German esports. However, after analysing the current state of the market and consulting with partners and sponsors, the owners decided to close the company.

Reasons for the closure

In their farewell message, the 99Damage team noted that they may return in the future if the situation in esports changes. At the moment, the audience's interest in German-language broadcasts has significantly decreased. Also, sponsors are less willing to fund activities related to the support of the portal.

Achievements of 99Damage

Despite its closure, 99Damage's achievements during its existence are impressive:

• Website views: 245 million
• News articles published: 19 500
• Forum topics: 77 500
• Events covered: 2 300
• Video views on Twitch: 112 million
• Minutes of viewing: 1.67 billion
• Peak audience: 38,547 (during ESL One Cologne 2018)
• Unique participating players: 21 000
• Matches within the 99Liga: 112 000

Conclusion.

The closure of 99Damage was a big blow to the German esports scene. However, it also demonstrates how important the support of the audience and sponsors is for the survival of such projects. The portal's team expressed hope that, under favourable circumstances, they will be able to return and become a key player in the market again.