Houston Outlaws officially closes down

Outlaws Entertainment, the parent company of esports brands Houston Outlaws and Team AXLE, officially closed its doors late last month. 

Outlaws released a statement on July 26th thanking fans for their support whilst also noting that the closure is due to being unable to ‘deliver a sustainable business model.’ 

Founded in 2017, Houston Outlaws was one of the inaugural franchises in the Overwatch League. Following the league’s demise, Houston Outlaws pivoted to content creation under the Outlaws Entertainment moniker. The team’s biggest achievement occurred during the final Overwatch League season, claiming second in the Overwatch League 2023 Playoffs.

Whilst being in the franchise league since its inception, Houston Outlaws has undergone three different ownership stints during its lifespan. Firstly, the franchise was owned by Infinite Esports & Entertainment (OpTic Gaming’s parent company at the time). Ownership then changed hands to Immortals Gaming Club in 2019 after acquiring Infinite Esports.

Due to the fact Immortals Gaming Group was already the owner of another OWL franchise, the company sold Houston Outlaws to Beasley Media Group in November 2019. Beasley is primarily known as an American radio broadcasting company which owns 59 stations.

The news of the company’s closure may come as somewhat of a surprise given that Outlaws was recently announced as a participant in ‘e2Real’ racing series Prodigy Racing League.

North American esports brand Team AXLE competed in Rocket League from 2021 until 2023. During that time the team competed in the North American RLCS scene, however, it never qualified for a major.

Following Outlaw Entertainment’s closure, Houston Outlaws’ X (Twitter) account has since been deactivated.

An excerpt of the statement reads: “We wish to convey our sincere appreciation to all the players, coaches, sponsors and fans for being a part of this extraordinary experience. From all of the matches in the early days at Blizzard Arena, to our one-and-only Homestand in Houston.”