Tournament organizer FISSURE in crisis as 80% of staff reportedly laid off

FISSURE, tournament operator behind events such as FISSURE PLAYGROUND, BetBoom Dacha, and many more, is facing a crisis as the company has reportedly faced layoffs of around 80% of its staff.

The company reportedly shut down its studio in Belgrade, Serbia following the conclusion of Dota 2 event FISSURE PLAYGROUND 2, and murmurs of layoffs and financial issues quickly spread.

FISSURE in crisis as 80% of staff laid off and move to Russia confirmed

News of FISSURE’s issues started emerging late on Sunday, Nov. 2 as reports surfaced that the studio in Belgrade had closed following the conclusion of the FISSURE PLAYGROUND 2 Dota 2 event (Not to be confused with the CS2 event of the same name). Rumors and comments across regional esports Discord servers seemed to hint that the organization was done, with some hinting at layoffs, but unable to say more. The numbers floated at the time were about 30 employees affected, but confirmation wasn’t forthcoming.

On Nov. 3, journalist Richard Lewis put out a call for sources as the story developed, highlighting a rumored move to Moscow. Then, today (Nov. 4), Taverna.gg published a comprehensive breakdown of the issues up to this point. According to reporter Roman Galeev, the company has laid off up to 80% of its staff as it faces financial issues.

FISSURE had worked closely with BetBoom until recently. Image Credit: FISSURE

Amidst these issues, the company is seemingly dramatically downsizing its existing and upcoming products, including a planned event in Asia, and an allegedly failed bid to run BLAST’s upcoming Dota 2 events.

One of the most striking points in the Taverna.gg report was an all-hands meeting which staff were allegedly strictly forbidden from disclosing. In this meeting staff were given a choice: Move along with the remaining operation to Moscow, Russia, or remain in Belgrade with a letter of recommendation. It’s understood the majority of staff would not be willing or able to make the move to Moscow.

BetBoom pulls out of FISSURE Sponsorship

One of the most significant impetus for the upheaval and financial issues has been the deterioration of FISSURE’s relationship with BetBoom. The company had previously hosted 12 BetBoom-titled tournaments, and had sponsorship for many of its other events.

Earlier this year, a new series of bookmaking taxes were introduced in Russia, where BetBoom is based. Details of the bookmaker taxes are lengthy, but effectively they could increase costs for Russian bookmakers by the equivalent of millions of extra dollars (multi-millions of rubles) a year.

FISSURE was courting other companies in the gambling space. Image Credit: FISSURE

To make things worse, BetBoom and FISSURE had not yet come to an agreement for their upcoming sponsorship deal for this year and the next. Then, with the news of the upcoming tax burden, BetBoom was even more reluctant. Taverna reported that the requested sponsorship was in the region of $25 million, but that number fell dramatically before the breakdown in negotiation.

FISSURE also appeared to try and court new sponsors in the wake of the negotiation breakdown, with ODDIN.GG sponsoring FISSURE Universe Episode 7 in October this year, as well as previous editions throughout 2025.

All this means that FISSURE, regardless of its future, will likely be without BetBoom as a sponsor going forward.

A culture of harassment and machismo

To further exacerbate the issues, reports have emerged of a toxic culture within FISSURE, with particular focus on the alleged behavior of past employees of FISSURE. Taverna.gg reported individuals had engaged in harassment and intimidation during their tenure. This included inappropriate remarks made to female employees and contractors, and using internal sway to get staff they didn’t like removed from the organization.

Other reports suggest that other staff operated as “information terrorists,” filtering information that was handed to higher ups and creating informants within the organization. The elements described in the report made the company seem more like a high school social group than a professional organization.

Overall, a picture is painted of an organization in dire straits, mismanaged to its core. What remains of upcoming FISSURE events, such as the 13 tournaments announced for 2025 and 2026, and the seven announced for 2027, seems unclear.

Featured Image Credit: FISSURE.