Global Esports shuts down competitive esports operations, launches GE Studios

MANILA — India-based esports organization Global Esports will officially exit the competitive esports scene following a historic 2026 VALORANT season, according to an announcement by CEO Dr. Rushindra Sinha on Monday.

Global Esports will instead shift its focus to GE Studios, an AI-powered venture. 

Sinha reflected on GE’s decade-long journey, revealing that the organization’s departure from esports had been anticipated as early as November, when Riot Games approached it regarding its future amid changes to the partnership structure.

“We told them that 2026 was more than likely going to be our last year in esports,” he said in his Instagram post.

Despite the possibility of an earlier exit, GE went on to enjoy its most successful season yet, competing at Masters London, the Esports World Cup in Paris, and VALORANT Champions before capturing its first VCT Pacific championship.

Sinha described the season as a major milestone for the organization he spent the past decade building.

However, despite the success, GE decided against maintaining its operations solely to preserve its five-player roster. Sinha explained that changing rules and the possibility of losing even one player would have made such an arrangement unsustainable.

The decision leaves all five players as free agents, including Filipino imports Xavier “xavi8k” Juan and Patrick “PatMen” Mendoza, as well as Filipino assistant coach Darren “Aimix Strange” dela Cruz.

“I want nothing more than these five players to have the best life ever,” Sinha said.

The announcement marks the end of GE’s team operations, but not the organization itself.

Its new chapter will focus on integrating AI into gaming, storytelling, and community building, building on the experience GE accumulated throughout its decade in esports.

Sinha, who has expressed a growing interest in AI, said the technology is already transforming how games are developed and how stories and communities are created.

“Our job and our goal now is to make the next 10 years way more exciting than our last 10,” he said.

The organization has competed across numerous esports titles, including Overwatch, Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Battlegrounds Mobile India, and Fortnite.