The Esports Advocate
Esports business news: deals, legal, and governance.
Documents
Fresh Round of Layoffs Hit ESL FACEIT Group
ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), a prominent international tournament organizer and festival company, has implemented a new round of workforce reductions.
- ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) has initiated a new round of layoffs affecting approximately 80 to 90 employees, primarily within its EMEA division.
- EFG CEO Niccolo Maisto stated in an internal email that this reduction marks the end of the current phase of organizational change and that no further layoffs of this scale are anticipated.
- The company described the cuts as a strategic realignment intended to reduce operational complexity and focus resources on high-growth areas, rather than purely a cost-cutting measure.
Prodigy Agency Hires Martin Demilly and Aurélien Couprit
Prodigy Agency, a Toulouse-based firm specializing in esports talent representation, has appointed Martin Demilly as head of sales and partnerships and Aurélien Couprit as sales and partnerships team manager.
- Prodigy Agency has appointed Martin Demilly as head of sales & partnerships and Aurélien Couprit as sales & partnerships team manager to support the company's expansion beyond traditional esports.
- Martin Demilly joins the agency following a five-year tenure at ESL FACEIT Group, with previous executive experience at companies including Airbus and Gulf Oil International.
- Aurélien Couprit returns to Prodigy Agency to lead campaign management and execution, having previously served as a campaigns manager at the firm and worked for the government of Bussy-Saint-Georges.
Joost van Dreunen Joins ELO Agency as a Strategic Advisor
London-based ELO Agency has appointed industry economist Joost van Dreunen as a strategic advisor to bolster its business operations and venture activities.
- 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.
- Van Dreunen will focus on providing game studio clients with data-driven insights regarding the impact of community empowerment and new publishing models.
- The appointment comes as the $220 billion global games market faces pressure from stalled growth and cost-cutting measures by publishers.
Grant Rousseau Joins NIP Group to Lead Esports Division
NIP Group (NASDAQ: NIPG) has appointed industry veteran Grant Rousseau as the new chief operating officer of its esports division.
- NIP Group (NASDAQ: NIPG) has appointed Grant Rousseau as the new chief operating officer of its esports division.
- Rousseau joins NIP Group following a three-year tenure at Team Falcons, where he oversaw the expansion of 20 esports rosters and secured back-to-back Esports World Cup victories in 2024 and 2025.
- In his new role, Rousseau will report to Co-CEOs Hicham Chahine and Mario Ho to manage operations for NIP Group’s global competitive rosters, including Counter-Strike 2, Apex Legends, and Honor of Kings.
Riot Dismantles LTA, Brings Back LCS and CBLoL
Riot Games has announced the dissolution of the League of Legends Championship of the Americas (LTA), a unified structure established in 2025 that combined the League of Legends Championship Series (LCS), the Campeonato Brasileiro de League of Legends (CBLoL), and the Liga Latinoamérica (LLA).
- Riot Games is dismantling the League of Legends Championship of The Americas (LTA) and returning to separate LCS and CBLoL leagues starting in 2026.
- The LCS will cover North and Central America, while the CBLoL will encompass South America, including Brazil and LATAM South.
- Cross-regional playoffs are being eliminated, with each league returning to an independent season structure that crowns its own regional champions.
Jared Kushner, Saudi Arabia to Take Electronic Arts Private
Electronic Arts has announced a definitive agreement to transition into a private company through an acquisition by an investor consortium.
- Electronic Arts has agreed to be taken private by an investor consortium including Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake, and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners in a deal valued at $55 billion.
- Under the terms of the agreement, EA stockholders will receive $210 per share in cash, representing a premium over the $168.32 share price at market close on September 25, 2025.
- The transaction has received approval from EA’s Board of Directors and is expected to close in the first quarter of fiscal year 2027, subject to regulatory and shareholder approval.
Luminosity Gaming Faces Payout Delays and Uncertainty Under New Ownership
Luminosity Gaming is currently experiencing significant operational and financial instability following its acquisition by the Canadian media company Vertiqal Studios on August 30, 2025.
- Vertiqal Studios acquired Luminosity Gaming from Enthusiast Gaming on August 30, 2025, in a deal that included a C$900,000 cash payment and the assumption of approximately $2.6 million in liabilities.
- Following the acquisition, multiple players, contractors, and content creators have publicly reported significant payment delays, with some alleging they have gone months without compensation.
- Vertiqal Studios acknowledged that it underestimated the scale of financial issues and management problems inherited from the previous ownership, stating it only recently realized the full extent of the outstanding debts.
Anne Banschbach Joins BLAST to Guide Valve Esports Ecosystem
International tournament organizer BLAST has appointed Anne Banschbach as the new program director of Valve Ecosystems and development.
- BLAST has appointed Anne Banschbach as the new Program Director of Valve Ecosystems and Development to oversee its Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 tournament series.
- Banschbach will lead the strategic direction of BLAST’s flagship properties, specifically the BLAST Premier for Counter-Strike 2 and BLAST Slam for Dota 2.
- In her new role, Banschbach is tasked with managing relationships with teams, players, and stakeholders, while increasing community and media engagement.
GRID Acquires Bayes Esports Intellectual Property Assets
GRID, a prominent esports gaming data and betting technology platform, has acquired the intellectual property assets of Berlin-based Bayes Esports.
- GRID has acquired the intellectual property assets of Berlin-based Bayes Esports for an undisclosed amount following the latter's liquidation proceedings.
- Bayes Esports officially filed for insolvency in May 2025, and a Berlin district court confirmed the company was illiquid and over-indebted on August 1, 2025.
- GRID plans to integrate Bayes’ decade of developed technology—including live data trading solutions, prediction models, and fan engagement tools—into the GRID Data Platform.
U.S. House Oversight Committee Seeks Audience With Gaming CEOs
The U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has formally invited the chief executive officers of four major gaming and social platforms to testify at a hearing scheduled for October 8, 2025.
- The U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has summoned the CEOs of Discord, Valve, Twitch, and Reddit to testify at a hearing on October 8, 2025.
- Chairman James Comer is leading the inquiry to investigate how gaming platforms are allegedly being utilized to advance political violence and radicalization.
- The hearing follows the September 10, 2025, murder of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, with investigators examining the online activities of the accused shooter, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson.
Chiliz Group Takes 51% Stake in OG Esports
The Chiliz Group has acquired a 51% controlling stake in the esports organization OG Esports, marking a significant shift in the team's ownership structure.
- Chiliz Group has acquired a 51% controlling stake in OG Esports for an undisclosed financial sum.
- The acquisition follows a challenging fiscal year for OG Esports, which reported a loss of approximately €2.9 million (over $3.3 million USD) in 2024.
- Xavier Oswald has been appointed as the new CEO of OG Esports, while co-founders Johan “n0tail” Sundstein and Sébastien “Ceb” Debs will transition to a new strategic project focused on the organization's competitive foundation.
Former Enthusiast Gaming Execs Launch New Agency Called XDOTG
Former Enthusiast Gaming executives have launched a new marketing agency, XDOTG, aimed at providing integrated creative and distribution services for brands within the gaming and esports sectors.
- Former Enthusiast Gaming CMO Alex Gonzalez has launched a new agency called XDOTG, serving as its president alongside a team of former senior leaders from Enthusiast Gaming.
- XDOTG operates across four core pillars: Talent, Studios, Culture, and Distribution, focusing on creative production and media distribution for gaming and esports campaigns.
- The agency aims to differentiate itself by designing long-term in-game experiences for platforms like Roblox and Fortnite, moving beyond traditional influencer promotion to ensure sustained engagement.