The Esports Advocate
Esports business news: deals, legal, and governance.
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Esports Charts Partners With GeoGuessr
Esports Charts and the competitive division of the geography-based game GeoGuessr have entered into a strategic partnership to enhance the data-driven capabilities of the latter’s tournament operations.
- Esports Charts has entered a partnership with GeoGuessr to provide viewership and audience engagement analytics for the game's competitive esports tournaments.
- The collaboration will provide GeoGuessr event organizers with a tournament dashboard to track engagement trends, compare regional performance, and inform data-driven decision-making for future events.
- Financial terms of the partnership agreement between the two companies were not disclosed.
Layoffs Hit G2 Esports, 100 Thieves, and Team Liquid
In early September 2025, three prominent esports organizations—G2 Esports, 100 Thieves, and Team Liquid—implemented workforce reductions as part of a broader trend of restructuring within the competitive gaming industry.
- Team Liquid laid off approximately 6% of its global workforce of over 300 employees in early September 2025 as part of a company-wide restructuring.
- The Team Liquid layoffs primarily impacted staff within the organization's Brand, Marketing, and Content departments.
- G2 Esports and 100 Thieves also implemented staff reductions in early September 2025, though both organizations have not publicly disclosed the scale or scope of these cuts.
GameSquare Acquires Click Management for $8.5 Million
GameSquare Holdings, a publicly traded esports and gaming company, acquired Click Management in September 2025 for an initial consideration of $8.5 million.
- GameSquare Holdings acquired Click Management for an initial $8.5 million, with an additional $3 million in potential earn-outs tied to financial performance targets over the next two years.
- The acquisition deal structure includes an upfront cash payment of $4.5 million, followed by a $4 million payment due within 60 days of December 31, 2025.
- GameSquare is discontinuing its programmatic advertising division, Frankly Media, which previously recorded an EBITDA loss of $1.1 million on $46.9 million in sales.
Gameplan Launches Unreal Engine 3D Fundamentals Certification
Gameplan, an edtech company based in Upsala, Sweden, has introduced a new Unreal Engine 3D Fundamentals Certification program.
- Gameplan has launched an Unreal Engine 3D Fundamentals Certification program developed in direct collaboration with Epic Games.
- The certification covers a broad range of technical skills, including game development, animation, virtual production, visual effects, architecture, and extended reality (XR) simulations.
- Individual vouchers for the certification are priced at approximately $50 USD, with additional bulk and course-specific pricing options available.
Call of Duty League Team Vegas Falcons Relocate to Riyadh, Rebrand as Riyadh Falcons
The Call of Duty League (CDL) franchise formerly known as the Vegas Falcons has officially relocated to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and rebranded as the Riyadh Falcons.
- The Call of Duty League (CDL) franchise formerly known as Vegas Legion has officially relocated to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and rebranded as the Riyadh Falcons.
- The franchise slot was acquired by the Saudi Arabian organization Team Falcons in late 2024, ahead of the 2025 season.
- Star player McArthur “Cellium” Jovel, a 2021 Call of Duty World Champion, has joined the Riyadh Falcons following his departure from Atlanta FaZe.
Streams Charts Partners With Get In
Streams Charts, a livestreaming analytics platform owned by the Ukraine-based company AWERTI, has entered into a strategic partnership with Get In, a UK-based creative marketing agency.
- Livestreaming analytics platform Streams Charts has entered a partnership with the UK-based creative marketing agency Get In.
- Under the agreement, Get In will utilize data from Streams Charts and Esports Charts to inform its gaming and esports marketing and social media campaigns.
- The financial terms of the partnership between the two companies were not disclosed.
KRAFTON Reveals PUBG UNITED 2025 and BGMI Esports Events
KRAFTON has announced a strategic expansion of its esports ecosystem, headlined by the launch of PUBG UNITED 2025.
- KRAFTON is unifying its PUBG and PUBG Mobile esports properties under a new brand called PUBG UNITED 2025, with the inaugural event scheduled for November in Bangkok, Thailand.
- The BGMI International Cup 2025 will take place from October 31 to November 2, featuring a prize pool of ₹1 Crore (approximately $114,000 USD).
- The BGMI International Cup 2025 will host 16 teams, consisting of the top eight rosters from India and the top eight from South Korea and Japan.
PlayVS Details Madden NFL Youth Championship Season Two
PlayVS, in collaboration with the National Football League and EA Sports, has announced the second season of the Madden NFL Youth Championship.
- PlayVS, the NFL, and EA Sports have launched the second season of the Madden NFL Youth Championship (MYC), a scholastic esports competition for middle and high school students.
- The competition is open to students aged 13–18 in the United States and Canada, with no entry fees required to participate.
- The overall champion will receive a paid trip for themselves and a parent or guardian to attend Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in February 2026.
Riot Terminates Movistar KOI’s VCT EMEA Partnership Agreement
Riot Games has officially terminated the partnership agreement of Movistar KOI, a division of OverActive Media, within the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) EMEA league.
- Riot Games terminated the VCT EMEA partnership agreement with Movistar KOI, a division of OverActive Media, effective after the 2025 season due to an alleged breach of contract.
- The termination is reportedly linked to Movistar KOI's failure to meet contractual obligations regarding co-streaming requirements involving content creator Ibai Llanos.
- OverActive Media CEO Adam Adamou publicly disagreed with Riot's decision, stating the organization had provided alternative solutions when specific obligations could not be met.
BIG Partners With Medical Cannabis Company GreenMedical
Berlin International Gaming (BIG) has entered into a strategic partnership with the German medical cannabis company GreenMedical, marking the first collaboration of its kind between an esports organization and a medical cannabis provider in Europe.
- Berlin International Gaming (BIG) has entered a partnership with medical cannabis company GreenMedical, marking the first esports-cannabis sponsorship deal in Europe and the first involving a Counter-Strike 2 team.
- The partnership was facilitated by the German marketing agency Freaks 4U Gaming, a subsidiary of NODWIN Gaming.
- GreenMedical branding will be integrated into BIG’s Counter-Strike 2 team jerseys, social media channels, and collaborative content, alongside joint activations and giveaways.
HRH Crown Prince MBS Named Board of Trustees Chair for Esports World Cup Foundation
The Saudi Arabian cabinet has appointed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) as the Chair of the newly established Board of Trustees for the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF).
- Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has been appointed Chair of the newly established Board of Trustees for the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF).
- The Board of Trustees for the EWCF is set to serve a three-year term, marking a significant increase in direct government oversight of the organization.
- While the EWCF has historically claimed to be a non-profit independent of the Saudi government, this appointment further links the foundation to state leadership and the Public Investment Fund (PIF).
NRG Partners With Thrustmaster for Rocket League Team
NRG Esports has entered into a strategic partnership with Thrustmaster, a precision game controller brand and subsidiary of Guillemot Corporation.
- NRG Esports has entered into a partnership with precision controller brand Thrustmaster, naming the company the official controller partner for its Rocket League roster.
- The partnership includes the integration of Thrustmaster branding into NRG's social media content, player jerseys, and competitive equipment.
- Thrustmaster will be featured across several of NRG's media properties, including the 'Mission Control' broadcast series and 'Community Game Nights' on Twitch.