Joost van Dreunen Joins ELO Agency as a Strategic Advisor

Key insights

6 takeaways

01
Games industry economist Joost van Dreunen has joined London-based ELO Agency as a strategic advisor to support the firm's venture and agency activities.
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Van Dreunen will focus on providing game studio clients with data-driven insights regarding the impact of community empowerment and new publishing models.
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The appointment comes as the $220 billion global games market faces pressure from stalled growth and cost-cutting measures by publishers.
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ELO Agency, which launched in April 2024, specializes in streamlining event management and planning for game developers, esports teams, and sports clubs.
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Joost van Dreunen is the author of 'One Up: Creativity, Competition, and the Global Business of Video Games' and previously served as CEO of SuperData Research, which was acquired by Nielsen in 2018.
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In addition to his new advisory role, van Dreunen currently teaches at NYU’s Stern School of Business and operates the data intelligence firm Aldora.io.

Summary

London-based ELO Agency has appointed industry economist Joost van Dreunen as a strategic advisor to bolster its business operations and venture activities. The appointment, announced in October 2025, aims to leverage van Dreunen’s expertise to provide game studio clients with data-driven insights regarding community empowerment and engagement strategies. This move aligns with the agency’s broader mission to support developers, esports teams, and sports clubs in navigating the complexities of competitive gaming and event management.

Van Dreunen, a recognized authority in the gaming sector and author of "One Up: Creativity, Competition, and the Global Business of Video Games," joins the firm at a time when the $220 billion global games market faces significant pressure from stalling growth and rising operational costs. He identifies community-led innovation and evolving publishing models as the primary drivers for the future of the industry. By integrating his economic perspective, ELO Agency intends to refine its service offerings and help partners adapt to these shifting market conditions.

The collaboration brings together ELO Agency’s focus on streamlining esports event planning with van Dreunen’s extensive background in data intelligence and market analysis. Having previously founded SuperData Research and served as an educator at NYU’s Stern School of Business, van Dreunen provides the firm with a high-level analytical framework to address the current inflection point in the gaming business. This strategic partnership underscores a commitment to professionalizing the competitive gaming landscape through specialized advisory and operational support.