The CGS aimed to bring a traditional sports league format to competitive gaming, with teams, franchises, and a regular season leading to playoffs and a championship.

Games played in the CGS included titles such as Counter-Strike: Source, FIFA, Dead or Alive 4, Project Gotham Racing 3, and Forza Motorsport 2.

[1] The CGS initially targeted the core esports audience for support and embarked on a recruitment campaign to attract well-known figures.

Initially, the CGS aimed for complete exclusivity, but some team owners voiced concerns privately, expressing that this approach could restrict their earnings and potential sponsorship deals.

[1] In July 2006, a pilot episode called the Championship Gaming Invitational (CGI) was taped at Treasure Island in San Francisco, California.

The league immediately faced setbacks, as in March 2007, Hill returned to Fox after News Corp's stake in DirecTV was sold to Liberty Media.

DirecTV then partnered with Britain's British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) and China's Star TV and secured sponsorships with Mountain Dew and Alienware.

To replace Hill, Andy Reif, who had formerly worked with AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour and Paramount Pictures, was brought on to the league's CEO and commissioner.

[3] The inaugural CGS season showcased franchises from six major American cities, with teams from other global regions qualifying through tournaments rather than a structured league format as in the United States.

The American teams were given names associated with major cities and regions: New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Carolina, Chicago, and San Francisco.

[4][6] The sixty players selected in the draft would reside in corporate housing in Marina del Rey for two months while filming season one on a nearby Los Angeles soundstage.

Coinciding with a challenging economic climate as the global economy approached one of the worst recessions in decades, the CGS announced in November 2008 that it would be shutting down.

Amateur organizations also felt pressured to provide salaries that were unsustainable, akin to those offered by CGS, in order to attract talent.

This, especially in North America, led to a culture where players prioritized individual interests, forming teams for assured victories and attending events selectively based on profitability.

Elite-level talent from these organizations couldn't participate, leaving second-tier teams outside CGS with less thrilling victories and reduced prize funds.