GameSquare Regains Complexity IP as Esports Brand Winds Down

Rafał Kończyk

Published: Sep 24, 2026

Complexity has ceased operations after 23 years, with founder Jason Lake confirming that he and his core team are no longer part of the organization following a decision to wind the business down. Ownership of the Complexity intellectual property has reverted to GameSquare, closing out one of Counter-Strike’s longest-running brands under its founder’s leadership.

Lake announced the shutdown in a video posted to X on September 23, explaining that the decision to wind down was made at the end of 2025 after weighing the state of the business and the prospects of raising capital to pay off a seller-held note. Complexity had already exited Counter-Strike in August 2025 once a difficult esports economy left the organization unable to properly support a team. Ownership had changed hands multiple times over the years – a majority stake sold to Jerry Jones and John Goff in 2017, an acquisition by GameSquare in 2021, and a 2024 buyback led by Lake’s own investor group.

A 22-Year Run in Counter-Strike

Complexity first fielded a Counter-Strike roster in 2004 and maintained a team for all but one year of the following two decades, a rare run of continuity in a region that has churned through organizations. The brand’s trophy case includes wins at ESWC 2005, CPL Summer 2006, and ESL Challenger Jonkoping 2024, alongside ten Major appearances. Its best Major results came at DreamHack Winter 2013 (3rd-4th) and matching 5th-8th finishes at EMS One Katowice 2014 and the FACEIT Major 2018.

What’s Next

GameSquare now holds the Complexity IP as a result of the seller-held note tied to Lake’s 2024 buyback, though no plans for the brand’s future have been confirmed. Lake said he is not retiring and is looking for a meaningful opportunity, ideally within esports, after taking a sabbatical this year. His departure follows a pattern seen elsewhere in the scene this year, including Gentle Mates’ exit from Counter-Strike and Steve Maida’s reclamation of Luminosity Gaming, though neither situation mirrors Complexity’s outcome directly.

Source: HLTV

Rafał Kończyk

Since: June 3, 2026

Rafał Kończyk has been following competitive gaming since the early days of StarCraft II and League of Legends, back when esports betting was barely a footnote in the broader gambling conversation. Growing up in Wrocław, Poland, he developed a sharp eye for team dynamics and meta shifts that most casual fans overlook, and that analytical instinct eventually pulled him toward the betting side of the scene. He approaches every matchup the way a statistician would, but writes about it the way a fan would, which tends to resonate with readers who are tired of surface-level picks and gut-feel predictions.

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