FACEIT
{{Short description|Esports platform}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Infobox company
| name = FACEIT
| logo = FACEITLogo.png
| logo_size = 220px
| founded = {{Start date and age|2012|06}}
| founders = {{Unbulleted list|Niccolo Maisto
| Michele Attisani
| Alessandro Avallone}}
| type = Subsidiary
| industry = Esports
| website = {{url|http://faceit.com}}
| owner =
| parent = ESL FACEIT Group
}}
FACEIT is an esports platform founded in London in 2012.{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2016/digital/games/faceit-raises-15-million-esports-1201688857/|title=ESports Startup FACEIT Raises $14 Million, Opens L.A. Office|last=Spangler|first=Todd|date=26 January 2016|work=Variety|access-date=11 April 2017|language=en-US}} The company has administered leagues for games such as Counter-Strike 2, League of Legends, Rocket League, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, Dota 2 and Team Fortress 2.
In 2022, it was announced that FACEIT and esports company ESL were being acquired by Savvy Games Group (SGG), a holding company owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, for a combined $1.5bn. As part of the acquisition, the two companies are set to merge and form the ESL FACEIT Group.{{Cite news|last=Wilde|first=Tyler|date=2022-01-25|title=Major esports host ESL Gaming is now owned by Saudi Arabia|language=en|work=PC Gamer|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/esl-and-dreamhack-are-now-owned-by-saudi-arabia/|access-date=2022-01-25}}{{Cite web|last=Jeffrey|first=Rousseau|date=24 January 2022|title=Savvy Gaming Group purchases ESL Gaming and FaceIt|url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2022-01-24-savvy-gaming-group-purchases-esl-gaming-and-faceit|access-date=2022-01-25|website=GamesIndustry.biz|language=en}}{{cite web |title=ESL and FACEIT merge to create the world's leading competitive gaming platform |url=https://eslfaceitgroup.com/blog/2022/01/esl-and-faceit-merge-to-create-the-worlds-leading-competitive-gaming-platform/ |website=ESL FACEIT Group |access-date=2 March 2023}}
Esports Championship Series
In April 2016, FACEIT announced the launch of their Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament, known as the Esports Championship Series (ECS).{{Cite web|url=http://www.ssearena.co.uk/events/detail/esport-championship-series|title=Esports Championship Series {{!}} The SSE Arena, Wembley|last=Wembley|first=The SSE Arena|website=www.ssearena.co.uk|language=en|access-date=11 April 2017|archive-date=12 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170412061423/http://www.ssearena.co.uk/events/detail/esport-championship-series|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.hltv.org/news/17491-faceit-announces-35million-league|title=FACEIT announces $3.5million league|work=HLTV.org|access-date=10 April 2017}} In April 2017, the company partnered with the video sharing platform YouTube for the series.{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/youtube-has-made-its-biggest-esports-investment-yet-2017-3?IR=T|title=YouTube has made its biggest eSports investment yet|website=Business Insider|access-date=11 April 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/technology/esports/youtube-makes-its-biggest-esports-bet-with-faceit-streaming-deal-20170316-gv0355.html|title=YouTube makes its biggest esports bet with FACEIT streaming deal|first=Anya George|last=Tharakan|date=17 March 2017|via=The Sydney Morning Herald}}{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/04/csgo-gambling-ecs-faceit-genius-sports/|title=How do you deal with CS:GO gambling? Legitimize it|year=2017}} ECS was one of the two premier Counter-Strike leagues, along with ESL Pro League.{{Cn|date=February 2021}}
The series was discontinued in 2020, replaced by a franchise-based league called Flashpoint.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/5/21123971/flashpoint-counter-strike-csgo-esports-league-cloud9-gen-g|title=CS:GO's new team-owned league points to a different future for esports|last=Webster|first=Andrew|date=2020-02-05|website=The Verge|language=en|access-date=2020-02-05}} It features 12 teams and a US$2,100,000 buy in spot, and offers co-ownership and revenue sharing to competing teams.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hltv.org/news/28860/faceit-to-shut-down-ecs-and-focus-on-b-site-league-report|title=FACEIT to shut down ECS and focus on B Site league - Report|website=HLTV.org|language=en|access-date=2020-02-02}}
In May 2022, FACEIT announced a multi-million dollar partnership agreement with the cryptocurrency fintech platform Cake DeFi. The agreement sees players participating in FACEIT matchups and tournaments to receive cryptocurrency rewards, with plans to pay more than half a million dollars to FACEIT users.{{cite journal|date=6 May 2022|url=https://esportsinsider.com/2022/05/faceit-cake-defi/|title=FACEIT secures 'multi-million dollar' partnership with Cake DeFi|journal=Esports Insider|access-date=9 May 2022}}
=Results=
FACEIT Major
{{main|FACEIT Major: London 2018}}
On 22 February 2018 Valve, the developers and owners of the Counter-Strike series, announced that FACEIT would host the thirteenth Global Offensive major, the FACEIT Major: London 2018. The event began in mid-September and concluded on 23 September 2018. It was the first Major hosted by FACEIT and the first Major hosted in the United Kingdom.{{cite web|url=https://www.hltv.org/news/22868/faceit-to-host-next-major-in-london|title=FACEIT to host next Major in London|first=Luis|last=Mira|website=HLTV.org|date=February 22, 2018|access-date=April 27, 2018}} It had a {{usd}}1,000,000 prize pool and the playoff stage was held in Wembley Arena.{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikestubbs/2018/02/22/faceit-brings-1-million-csgo-major-to-wembley-in-london/#1358d6634e7d|title=FACEIT Brings $1 Million 'CS:GO' Major To Wembley In London|first=Mike|last=Stubbs|website=Forbes|date=February 22, 2018|access-date=April 27, 2018}} In the finals, Astralis defeated Natus Vincere to win its second Major title.