In the biggest Counter-Strike LAN events, the crowd will cheer “EZ4ENCE!” But ENCE is more than a Counter-Strike team. It is a pioneer in Finland’s esports scene and by far the most successful Finnish esports organization ever.
Chant “EZ4ENCE!” three times and join us as we discuss the organization’s greatest achievements, a brief history, and esports teams.
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ENCE’s History & Origin
ENCE’s motto, “Create for the community. Created by the community,” shines through in its history. The organization was created in 2013 to professionalize the Finnish esports scene, and its name is inspired by Enceladus, one of the Giants in Greek mythology.
While the organization’s first Counter-Strike team struggled, ENCE bounced back and branched out into different esports divisions, such as Hearthstone, Rainbow Six Siege, PUBG, and League of Legends. Throughout the years, ENCE was also the home of legendary StarCraft II esports stars, including Samuli “elfi” Sihvonen and Joona “Serral” Sotala.
ENCE continues to build its vocal fanbase with a Content Creator program. In 2023, Counter-Strike is the primary focus, and they have actually parted ways with several teams and players. The results of this laser focus are clear, because ENCE is considered one of the world’s best Counter-Strike teams.
ENCE’s Greatest Accomplishments
Arguably, the most impressive ENCE accomplishments belong to Joona “Serral” Sotala, a Finnish StarCraft II Zerg player. Serral is the only player to win all WCS Circuit Tournaments in a year (2018) and the only non-Korean player to win a WCS Global Finals. As a result, Serral earned nicknames like “The Finnisher” and “Finnish Phenom.” Serral currently competes for BASILISK.
Then we have Erik “EKI” Tammenpää, a legend in hockey esports and the 2018 NHL GWC world champion. In 2023, EKI placed second in the NHL 23 World Championship.
Greatest Counter-Strike Accomplishments
- StarSeries (StarLadder) i-League Season 6: First place, narrowly defeating Vega Squadron 3-2 in the final.
- DreamHack Open Winter 2018: First place, beating Bravado Gaming 2-0 in the final.
- Intel Extreme Masters XIII Katowice 2019 Major: Second place, losing 2-0 to Astralis in the final.
- BLAST Pro Series Madrid 2019: First place, beating Astralis 2-0 in the final.
- DreamHack Masters Dallas 2019: Second place, losing 2-1 to Team Liquid in the final.
- Asia Championships 2019: Second place, losing 2-0 to MOUZ in the final.
- ESL Pro League Season 15: Second place, losing 3-1 to FaZe Clan in the final.
- IEM Dallas 2023: First place, sweeping MOUZ 2-0 in the final.
- IEM Cologne 2023: Second place, losing 3-1 to G2 Esports in the final.
- Gamers8 2023: Second place, suffering a reverse sweep 2-1 loss against Team Vitality in the final.
The ENCE Counter-Strike division’s first-ever recorded tournament win was a LAN event called ESPC Counter-Strike #3 in Helsinki on Sept. 28, 2013.
ENCE’s Counter-Strike Teams
ENCE’s Counter-Strike division is its oldest and most successful crew, with multiple trophies filling its cabinets. ENCE was ranked second in the world for two weeks in June 2022, and in September 2023, their primary Counter-Strike team ranks fourth globally, according to HLTV rankings.
The closest ENCE’s Counter-Strike team has come to winning a Major was at PGL Major Antwerp 2022, where they got knocked out in the semifinals of the playoffs by an on-form Natus Vincere (Na’Vi). Below are the lineups for the main ENCE Counter-Strike team and the Academy squad.
ENCE’s Main Counter-Strike Lineup:
- Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander
- Krzysztof “Goofy” Górski
- Paweł “dycha” Dycha
- Olek “hades” Miskiewicz
- Kacper “Kylar” Walukiewicz
- Jakub “kuben” Gurczynski as coach
ENCE Academy Counter-Strike Lineup:
- Veeti “S1rva ” Sirva (IGL)
- Paavo “podi” Heiskanen
- Ville “myltsi” Vilkman
- Henri “HENU” Ylilehto
- Youssef “juissi” Adam
ENCE’s main Counter-Strike lineup features top-tier gamers from various countries in Europe. The Academy roster consists of young Finnish players and British coach George White, who supports the potential future superstars.
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ENCE Athena Female Team
ENCE introduced the world to their female Counter-Strike roster on Sept. 7, 2023. The squad’s first test is the ESL Impact League Season 4 European Division, where they will compete from Sept. 13 to Oct. 29 for a spot in the finals.
- Lea “xia” Vagová
- Milona “miLo” Tiainen
- Tude “oxycet” Gürsoy
- Oleksandra “manka” Kruspe
- Lotta “Waldee” Liesmala
- Sebestyén ‘sebi’ András (Coach)
With these five players, ENCE completes its presence in the Counter-Strike scene!
NHL 2023 Esports Star EKI
Erik “EKI” Tammenpää was the NHL GWC 2018 world champion. The Finnish player is one of the best in the world at hockey esports and earned a second-place finish at the NHL 23 World Championship, losing to Joseph “Jos x 10” Olmstead in the grand final.
In 2021, the Finnish Association of Sports Journalists chose EKI as the Finnish esports athlete of the year. In the offseason, EKI creates content for ENCE across various video and social media platforms.
ENCE Content Creators
The organization currently features three dedicated content creators who widen the team’s repertoire and showcase their passion for gaming and esports.
- Erik “EKI” Tammenpää: Twitter (X)
- Teemu “Spammed” Rissanen: Twitter (X)
- Rasmus “Rapsu” Virtanen: Twitter (X)
You’ll find fantastic content from these creators, so we recommend following them immediately!
ENCE’s Socials and Website
We’ve got you covered if you want to know exactly when and where you can virtually shout “EZ4ENCE” and support its players. You’ll find ENCE’s website and social media and video platform accounts below.
If you want to support the organization or love its colors and logo, you can check out the ENCE Shop.
How to Bet on ENCE
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FAQs About ENCE
Can’t get enough of ENCE and want to learn even more? Then enjoy some FAQs below as we share more interesting ENCE details.
Who Manages ENCE?
Niklas “Willkey” Ojalainen is the general manager of ENCE.
When was ENCE Created?
ENCE was created in April 2013.
Who are the Original ENCE Founders?
The founders of ENCE are Petri “Procyon” Hämälä, Teemu “wabbit” Hiilinen, and Toni “Chibulis” Jarkima.
Where is ENCE Based?
ENCE is based in Helsinki, the capital city of Finland.
Does ENCE Have a League of Legends Team?
Not currently. However, the organization did compete in LoL before withdrawing from the Northern League of Legends Championship (NCL) on Dec. 16, 2020.
Can I join ENCE?
As the premier esports organization in Finland, ENCE has a rigorous process for taking on new players. Instead, you’ll have to be one of the best players in your chosen esports field and wait for the organization to reach out to you!