The Esports Advocate
Esports business news: deals, legal, and governance.
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Smilegate Consolidating Under Smilegate Holdings
South Korean game publisher Smilegate is restructuring its corporate operations by consolidating three key entities—Smilegate Holdings, Smilegate Entertainment, and Smilegate RPG—into a single integrated corporation.
- Effective January 1, 2026, Smilegate will merge its three key entities—Smilegate Holdings, Smilegate Entertainment, and Smilegate RPG—into a single integrated corporation named Smilegate Holdings, Inc.
- Seong Junho, the current CEO of Smilegate, will lead the new integrated corporation to unify business strategy and operational resources.
- All data related to the CrossFire esports ecosystem, including professional player information, gaming data, and prize money payment details, will be transferred from Smilegate Entertainment to the new consolidated entity.
LEC Versus: EMEA Invitational Details
Riot Games has announced the structure and schedule for the LEC Versus 2026, the inaugural event of the League of Legends EMEA Championship season.
- Riot Games will launch the 2026 League of Legends EMEA season with a new 12-team tournament called LEC Versus, beginning January 17, 2026.
- The tournament features all 10 standard LEC teams alongside two ERL guest teams, Los Ratones and Karmine Corp Blue.
- The competition format consists of a single round-robin of best-of-one matches, followed by a double-elimination playoff bracket for the top eight teams.
Valhallan Acquires XP League
Valhallan, a youth-focused esports training academy, has acquired XP League, a North American youth esports events company.
- Valhallan has acquired youth esports events company XP League to form what the companies claim is the largest unified youth esports academy in North America.
- The combined organization operates over 50 locations across 20 states, serving thousands of players including middle school and high school teams, youth organizations, and church groups.
- Valhallan will assume control of all competitive operations, league structure, and season planning for the merged entity.
BLAST Lands Multi-Year Deal to Operate Brawl Stars Esports
BLAST and Supercell have entered into a multi-year partnership to manage the global competitive ecosystem for the mobile action game Brawl Stars.
- BLAST has secured a multi-year partnership with Supercell to operate the global competitive ecosystem for the mobile action game Brawl Stars.
- The program features a total prize pool of $2 million USD and will be structured around two major annual splits: Spring and Summer.
- BLAST has committed to producing 32 broadcast days per year, including live studio broadcasts, arena shows, and a new on-air talent lineup.
Fluxo and W7M Merge to Become Fluxo W7M
Brazilian esports organizations Fluxo and W7M have officially merged their operations to form a new entity, Fluxo W7M.
- Brazilian esports organizations Fluxo and W7M have merged their operations to form a new entity named Fluxo W7M.
- The merger follows over a year of strategic and operational alignment between the two organizations, particularly within their League of Legends divisions.
- The new organization will consolidate rosters and coaching staff across multiple titles, including Counter-Strike 2, Rainbow Six Siege, Free Fire, EA Sports FC, and the Kings League.
OG Launches All-Filipino Dota 2 Team, Sponsored by Melbet
OG Esports has officially expanded its competitive operations into Southeast Asia by launching an all-Filipino Dota 2 roster.
- OG Esports has officially entered the Southeast Asian market by launching an all-Filipino Dota 2 roster.
- The organization has secured a global partnership with betting platform Melbet to support the new team's competitive and content initiatives.
- Melbet will provide support for the team's training, logistics, and fan engagement, while receiving prominent branding on player jerseys.
Vlad Marinescu Elected as IESF President
The International Esports Federation (IESF) has elected Vlad Marinescu as its 10th president during the organization’s 17th Ordinary General Meeting held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- Vlad Marinescu has been elected as the 10th president of the International Esports Federation (IESF) during the organization's 17th Ordinary General Meeting in Kuala Lumpur.
- Marinescu returns to the IESF presidency after previously holding the role from 2020 to 2023 and serving as vice president from 2019 to 2020.
- The newly elected 2026 IESF Board includes representatives from Jordan, Malaysia, Norway, the United States, and Namibia.
Riot Replaces Talon With Full Sense for VCT Pacific
Riot Games has officially replaced Talon Esports with the Thailand-based organization Full Sense for the 2026 Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) Pacific season.
- Riot Games has replaced Talon Esports with the Thailand-based organization Full Sense for the 2026 Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) Pacific season.
- Riot terminated its partnership with Talon in November 2025 due to a failure to meet league operational standards, specifically citing a pattern of significantly overdue payments and insufficient financial capacity.
- Talon faced public financial scrutiny in August 2025 following reports of a $1 million bridge loan and $75,000 in unpaid interest owed to investor Bainy Zhang.
PGL Singapore Major 2026 Announced
PGL has officially announced the PGL Singapore Major 2026, marking a significant expansion for the Counter-Strike 2 competitive circuit.
- PGL will host the Counter-Strike 2 Major in Singapore from November 25 to December 13, 2026, marking the first time the tournament has been held in Southeast Asia.
- The event will feature 32 teams competing for a total prize pool of $1.25 million USD.
- The final four days of the competition will take place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, which has a seating capacity of 12,000 to 15,000 people.
BLAST.tv Austin Major: Economic Impact Report
The BLAST.tv Austin Major, held in June 2025, served as a significant economic driver for the Austin region, generating a total economic impact of $102 million.
- The BLAST.tv Austin Major, held from June 19–22, 2025, generated a total economic impact of $102 million for the Austin region.
- The event attracted 30,248 out-of-state attendees, with representation from all 50 U.S. states and 37 countries.
- Commercial partners received $46 million in media value, with the event generating 37 billion total brand impressions.
Savvy Games Group Signs Memorandum of Understanding with King Saud University
Savvy Games Group has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to foster the development of local gaming and esports talent.
- Savvy Games Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with King Saud University to develop gaming and esports talent in Saudi Arabia.
- The partnership aims to align with the Saudi government's Vision 2030, which seeks to diversify the economy away from oil dependency toward sectors like gaming, esports, and tourism.
- Savvy Games Group will provide students with direct exposure to its business operations through jointly developed programs, skill development initiatives, and knowledge exchange.
FECOD Secures Rights to Broadcast Call of Duty League Matches for 2025-2026 Season
The Spanish Call of Duty Federation (FECOD) has secured the broadcast rights for the 2025-2026 Call of Duty League season.
- The Spanish Call of Duty Federation (FECOD) has secured the rights to broadcast all Call of Duty League matches for the 2025-2026 season via its Twitch channel.
- The broadcast will feature a dedicated team of narrators, analysts, and producers to provide specialized Spanish-language coverage for the community.
- FECOD will provide focused coverage for teams with Spanish ties, specifically Miami Heretics and Toronto KOI, including dedicated live content and segments.