Former COL CEO: The COL club will gradually shut down by the end of 2025; I will not leave the esports scene.

Former Complexity owner and CEO Jason Lake has announced that the organization has shut down after deciding to wind down operations by the end of 2025.

“We assessed the overall landscape, where the business stood, and the prospects of raising capital to repay the seller-held note, then decided that the best course of action was to wind it down in an orderly, professional manner rather than, as we sometimes see with other organizations, drive it straight into the sun and have it come crashing down,” Lake said in a video on X.

“So, for the first time in 23 years, my core team and I are no longer part of Complexity. That... feels strange to say, but that’s where we are now, and I want to make it official, bring this to a close, and put a period on it.”

Complexity is one of the most storied organizations in CS history. It first acquired a roster in 2004 and fielded a CS team in 21 of the following 22 years. Over that span, the organization won several notable trophies, including ESWC 2005, CPL Summer 2006, and ESL Challenger Jonkoping 2024, while also appearing at 10 official Majors—finishing 3rd–4th at DreamHack Winter 2013 and 5th–8th at EMS One Katowice 2014 and the FACEIT Major 2018.

In 2017, a majority stake in Complexity was sold to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and real estate investor John Goff, before the organization was acquired by GameSquare in 2021. In 2024, Lake led an investment group in reacquiring the brand, but a “challenging” esports economy the following year left the organization unable to properly support its CS team, leading it to exit the division in August 2025.

Lake thanked everyone who had been involved with the organization over the years and revealed that ownership of Complexity IP had been transferred back to GameSquare, “because when [he] bought it back, they had a seller-held note.”

Although the brand IP still exists, fans and the wider industry have generally viewed Lake as the soul of the organization, and his departure marks the end of an era.

“As for me... I haven’t retired yet,” Lake added. “This year, I took a much-needed extended break, rested, and spent a lot of time with my family. After operating under intense pressure for many years, that was something I truly needed. I’m incredibly excited to build something new, and you could say I’m looking toward the horizon to find where I can make a meaningful contribution.”

“Obviously, I hope that will be in esports. I don't know whether there will be an opportunity for me there, given the current situation, but one thing is certain: I am absolutely not retired. I love building, and I love leading.”

“I think that’s all we can say. Thank you all sincerely, and... you could say this is coL signing off from Complexity after 23 years.”