The Esports Advocate
Esports business news: deals, legal, and governance.
Documents
League of Legends Japan League Names First Partners
The League of Legends Japan League (LJL) has secured its first two commercial partners for the 2023 season, marking a strategic expansion of the league's sponsorship portfolio.
- The League of Legends Japan League (LJL) has secured Steelcase and AfreecaTV as its first two partners for the 2023 season.
- Steelcase will serve as the official chair supplier for the league and plans to offer special promotions to viewers.
- AfreecaTV has been named the official broadcast partner and will host viewer activations, including giveaways of in-game League of Legends items.
Halina Malik Promoted to Head of Marketing at eFuse
The Ohio-based social gaming and competition platform eFuse has promoted Halina Malik to the position of head of marketing.
- Halina Malik has been promoted to Head of Marketing at the Ohio-based social gaming platform eFuse.
- Malik replaces Marcus D. Sallis, who departed eFuse to join sports apparel company Fanatics as senior director and head of product marketing.
- Prior to her promotion, Malik served as eFuse's head of content, a position that is currently vacant.
OpTic Gaming Cuts Staff
In January 2023, the Frisco, Texas-based esports organization OpTic Gaming initiated a round of staff layoffs.
- Frisco, Texas-based esports organization OpTic Gaming laid off at least three employees on January 26, 2023.
- Confirmed departures include OpTic Brand Manager Lindsay Caudill and a team operations staffer, Ian Huston, along with one additional employee in a creative role.
- OpTic Gaming did not provide a comment or confirm the total number of staff affected by the layoffs.
Ford Performance Partners With Screen to Speed
Ford Performance has entered into a strategic partnership with Init Esports to serve as an official partner for the Screen to Speed racing simulation competition.
- Ford Performance has joined as an official partner of 'Screen to Speed,' a racing simulation competition developed by Init Esports to promote diversity and inclusion for women in motorsports.
- The competition, which utilizes the iRacing platform, currently features approximately 150 women competing in online qualifiers.
- The top 20 drivers from the online qualifiers will advance to an in-person final event held on March 4 in Las Vegas during the Pennzoil 400 NASCAR weekend.
Gamers8 Returns This Summer With $30M Total Prize Pool
The Saudi Esports Federation has announced the return of its annual gaming and esports festival, Gamers8, scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, starting July 6, 2023.
- The Saudi Esports Federation will host the 2023 Gamers8 festival in Riyadh, featuring a total prize pool exceeding $30 million.
- The eight-week event, titled 'The Land of Heroes,' is scheduled to begin on July 6, 2023.
- The 2023 prize pool represents a significant increase from the $15 million offered during the 2022 iteration of the festival.
LCS Opening Day: Sponsors and Partners 2023
The 2023 League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) season features a diverse roster of corporate partners, reflecting the continued integration of non-endemic and endemic brands within the North American esports ecosystem.
- The 2023 LCS Spring Finals are scheduled for April 8–9 at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina, with ticket sales commencing January 26.
- Mastercard continues as a primary partner, serving as the presenting partner for opening day, the opening ceremony, and the 'Player of the Week' sweepstakes.
- GrubHub has been named the presenting sponsor for both the LCS Spring Finals and the LCS Championship, featuring viewer-focused activations like 'Delivering the Win' promo codes and Hextech Chest giveaways.
Global Esports Founder Dr. Rushindra Sinha: Battlegrounds Mobile India Will Not Return
Dr. Rushindra Sinha, founder and CEO of the India-based organization Global Esports, has publicly asserted that the mobile battle royale game Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) will not return to the Indian market.
- Dr. Rushindra Sinha, CEO of Global Esports, has publicly stated that the banned mobile game Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) is unlikely to return to the Indian market.
- The Indian government banned BGMI in July 2022 due to ongoing concerns regarding data security and the game's perceived negative influence on youth behavior.
- Despite persistent rumors and speculation from content creators and esports organizations, there has been no official communication from the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeiTY) regarding a potential unban.
LCK Names ONE Esports its Official Media Partner for the 2023 Season
The League of Legends Championship Korea (LCK) has renewed its strategic partnership with Singapore-based media company ONE Esports, designating the firm as the official media partner for the 2023 competitive season.
- The League of Legends Championship Korea (LCK) has renewed its partnership with ONE Esports, naming the Singapore-based company its official media partner for the 2023 season.
- This agreement marks the second consecutive year of collaboration between the LCK and ONE Esports, following their initial partnership established in June 2022.
- The 2023 League of Legends World Championship will be hosted in Seoul, South Korea, increasing the strategic importance of the LCK region for Riot Games this year.
Long-Time Producer and Video Editor Cut From TSM
In January 2023, the Los Angeles-based esports organization TSM terminated two members of its creative staff, specifically a long-time producer and a video editor.
- TSM laid off at least two employees, including a long-time producer and a video editor, on January 24, 2023.
- The terminated producer, Kevin Lee, had been with TSM for nearly five years and oversaw content creation across the organization's ecosystem.
- The second affected employee, Dean Ver Tinio, was a Philippines-based video editor and producer who had worked with the company for 18 months.
SK Gaming Renews Partnership with nhow Hotels
The German esports organization SK Gaming has officially renewed its partnership with the European hotel chain nhow Hotels for an additional year.
- German esports organization SK Gaming has renewed its partnership with the hotel chain nhow Hotels for another year, following their initial collaboration established in March 2022.
- The expanded partnership will focus on developing themed gaming rooms and dedicated bootcamp opportunities for esports teams and fans at select nhow locations.
- nhow Hotels is a brand under the NH Hotel Group, which is owned by the Thailand-based international operator Minor Hotels, a company managing over 550 hotels across 55 countries.
Hackers Attempt to Extort Riot Games Following Security Breach
Riot Games experienced a significant security breach in January 2023, resulting in the exfiltration of source code for League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, and a legacy anticheat platform.
- Riot Games confirmed that hackers exfiltrated source code for League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, and a legacy anticheat platform following a social engineering attack.
- The attackers contacted Riot Games demanding a ransom payment, which the company officially refused to pay.
- Riot Games stated that no player data or personal information was compromised during the security breach.
Brazilian Esports Journalist Victor Frascarelli Joins FURIA
The Brazilian esports organization FURIA has initiated a strategic expansion of its global operations, marked by a series of key personnel appointments.
- Brazilian esports organization FURIA has hired prominent esports journalist Victor Frascarelli to lead its global public relations efforts.
- The hiring of Frascarelli is part of a broader organizational strategy to expand FURIA’s international footprint.
- FURIA also added Pedro Trajano as travel manager and Giulia Tancredi as facilities coordinator to its staff.