[2] Based in Cologne, Germany, ESL has eleven offices and multiple international TV studios globally.

[3][4] In 2022, it was announced that ESL and esports platform FACEIT were acquired by Savvy Games Group (SGG), a holding company owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

[5][6] The Electronic Sports League was launched in 2000 as the successor to the Deutsche Clanliga, which was founded in 1997 by Jens Hilgers.

[1] In 2015, ESL's Intel Extreme Masters Katowice was at the time, the most watched esports event in history.

[9] In July 2015, Modern Times Group (MTG) bought a 74 percent stake in ESL from its parent company, Turtle Entertainment, for $86 million.

Esports in Cinema included Dota 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive coverage from ESL One Cologne 2015 and ESL One New York,[14] as well as a documentary, "All Work All Play," which follows the rise of esports and highlights pro gamers as they work toward the Intel Extreme Masters World Championship.

[20][21] Punishments for the use of performance-enhancing drugs range from reduced prize money and tournament points to disqualification and a maximum two-year ban from ESL events.

[29] ESL held its 10th arena event in November 2015 at the SAP Center in San Jose, California.

[38] On 28 April 2021, Intel and ESL renewed their partnership again in a three-year contract, which will see the two companies invest US$100,000,000 in esports, throughout 2024.

[39] In 2022, it was announced that ESL and esports platform FACEIT were being acquired for a combined US$1.5 billion by Savvy Games Group (SGG), a holding company owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

Some of their more notable competitions include the following: ESL Play is an esports platform that provides tournaments and ladders across all games and skill levels.

[46] ESL National Championships were held for Battlefield 4, Counter-Strike, Dota 2, Halo, Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, Mortal Kombat, Smite, StarCraft II, World of Tanks, and Rainbow Six.

[48] The ESL Pro Tour is a year-round circuit that uses a ranking system for qualification to a major championship event.

[50] In 2023, ESL Pro Tour hosted tournaments for three titles: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, and StarCraft II.

Notably, the Riyadh Masters is the third-largest esports tournament in terms of prize money, following the Fortnite World Championship and The International.

[65][66] AnyKey has researched and implemented a code of conduct, which aims to address an inclusion policy for esports events and online broadcasts and the harassment issues underrepresented populations face.