The Esports Advocate
Esports business news: deals, legal, and governance.
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GameSquare Partners With Barnes & Noble College
GameSquare Holdings has entered into a strategic partnership with Barnes & Noble College, a division of Barnes & Noble Education, to develop and implement collegiate esports and gaming programming across the United States.
- GameSquare Holdings (NASDAQ:GAME) has entered a strategic partnership with Barnes & Noble College (BNC) to develop collegiate esports and gaming programming across the United States.
- The collaboration aims to reach approximately 6 million students across more than 1,100 physical and virtual campus bookstores.
- The partnership will launch a new collegiate esports series titled 'the Legends Cup' for the 2025–2026 academic year.
Berlin International Gaming Extends Acer Predator Partnership
Berlin International Gaming (BIG) has officially extended and expanded its long-standing partnership with high-performance hardware brand Acer Predator.
- Berlin International Gaming (BIG) has extended and expanded its partnership with hardware brand Acer Predator, with the deal facilitated by sports marketing agency SPORTFIVE.
- Under the renewed agreement, Acer Predator will continue to supply BIG with gaming PCs, laptops, and display equipment for use at the organization's Berlin headquarters and the Esport Factory.
- The partnership covers all of BIG’s competitive rosters, including teams for Counter-Strike 2, League of Legends, Trackmania, and Fortnite.
Luminosity Gaming Sold to Vertiqal Studios; Ex-CEO Adrian Montgomery’s Bid Passed Over
Enthusiast Gaming has officially exited the esports sector through the divestment of Luminosity Gaming and its associated direct-sales operations.
- Vertiqal Studios acquired Luminosity Gaming, Omnia Media, and related assets from Enthusiast Gaming on September 2, 2025.
- The acquisition deal was valued at C$900,000 (approximately $653,000 USD) in cash, with Vertiqal Studios assuming approximately $2.6 million in existing liabilities.
- Enthusiast Gaming has officially exited the esports organization business to refocus on its profitable consumer-facing platforms, such as U.GG and Icy-Veins.
Raidiant Launches Rainbow Six Siege Competition: Rally Point
Raidiant, an esports tournament and broadcast operator specializing in women-focused events, has partnered with publisher Ubisoft to launch Rally Point, a new competitive series for Rainbow Six Siege.
- Raidiant has partnered with Ubisoft to launch 'Rally Point,' a new competitive tournament series for women in the United States and Canada focused on the game Rainbow Six Siege.
- The tournament features a total prize pool of $10,000 USD, which will be distributed across the regular season and playoffs.
- The competition officially begins on September 19, 2025, and concludes with a finals broadcast scheduled for December 12, 2025.
Qiddiya Fully Acquires Evolution Championship Series Organizer RTS
Qiddiya, a Saudi Arabian government-backed mega-city project, has finalized the full acquisition of RTS, the organizer behind the Evolution Championship Series (Evo).
- Qiddiya, a Saudi Arabian government-backed mega-city project, has acquired full ownership of RTS, the organizer of the Evolution Championship Series (Evo).
- The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed by Qiddiya or its leadership.
- This acquisition follows a late-August announcement where Qiddiya initially invested in RTS and NODWIN Gaming acquired Sony Interactive Entertainment’s stake in Evo.
Saudi Esports Federation and Merak Capital Sign Agreement
The Saudi Esports Federation (SEF) and Riyadh-based investment firm Merak Capital have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to formalize a strategic partnership aimed at advancing the gaming and esports sector within Saudi Arabia.
- The Saudi Esports Federation (SEF) and Riyadh-based Merak Capital have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to expand their cooperation on gaming and esports initiatives.
- The partnership aims to develop training programs for citizens, foster global partnerships, host regional events, and attract international gaming studios to Saudi Arabia.
- This agreement builds upon the $80 million Merak Gaming Fund, which was launched in January 2025 as part of the National Gaming and Esports Financing Program.
Cosworth and iRacing Launch Data Partnership to Broaden Telemetry Access
Cosworth and iRacing have entered a multi-year partnership to integrate professional-grade telemetry analysis into the simulation platform.
- Cosworth has entered a multi-year partnership with iRacing to become its official data analysis partner, providing over 350,000 active users with free access to professional-grade Pi Toolbox software.
- The integration allows iRacing users to natively read telemetry (.ibt) files and will introduce live remote telemetry capabilities later this year to facilitate data sharing between drivers, engineers, and coaches.
- The partnership includes the launch of the 'Cosworth Cup' in September 2025 and the integration of Cosworth branding into upcoming iRacing console titles, including iRacing Arcade.
BLAST Signs Three-Year Deal With Chengdu Broadcasting Group Corporation
UK-based esports tournament organizer BLAST has entered into a three-year strategic partnership with the state-owned Chengdu Broadcasting Group Corporation (CBC).
- BLAST has signed a three-year strategic partnership with the state-owned Chengdu Broadcasting Group Corporation (CBC) to host esports events in China.
- The inaugural event under this partnership is the $1 million USD BLAST Dota 2 Slam, scheduled to take place in Chengdu from November 25 to December 7, 2025.
- The grand final of the BLAST Dota 2 Slam will be held at the Chengdu Fenghuangshan Sports Park Gymnasium, a venue with a seating capacity of up to 18,000.
Talon Esports Faces Public Loan Dispute After $1M Bridge Financing Deal
Talon Esports recently became the subject of a public financial dispute following a $1 million bridge loan agreement between its CEO, Sean Zhang, and investor Bainy Zhang of Fisher8 Capital.
- Talon Esports CEO Sean Zhang faced a public dispute with investor Bainy Zhang over a $1 million bridge loan that was intended to cover player payments and short-term capital expenses.
- The loan, initiated on June 25, 2025, was subject to multiple extensions and interest rate hikes, escalating from an initial 5% annual rate to a final rate of 2.5% per week, or 130% annualized.
- Talon Esports repaid the $1 million principal in two installments on August 21 and August 22, 2025, using funds borrowed from a third party.
NODWIN Reveals OnePlus Android BGMI Masters Series Details
NODWIN Gaming has announced the details for the fourth season of the Battlegrounds Mobile India Masters Series (BGMS), a prominent esports tournament based in India.
- NODWIN Gaming has announced Season 4 of the Battlegrounds Mobile India Masters Series (BGMS), which will air live on Star Sports Khel and JioHotstar until September 14, 2025.
- The tournament features a total prize pool of INR 1.5 crore (approximately $171,330 USD).
- OnePlus returns as the title sponsor and official smartphone partner, with Android serving as the co-title sponsor for the second consecutive year.
ESL FACEIT Group Signs MoU With IGET
The ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) has entered into a strategic partnership with the International Games and Esports Tribunal (IGET) through a signed Memorandum of Understanding.
- ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Games and Esports Tribunal (IGET) to standardize dispute resolution across its owned and operated competitions.
- The partnership involves the integration of 'IGET Model Clauses' to address industry-specific disputes, including integrity-related matters like match-fixing and anti-doping, as well as contractual and intellectual property issues.
- The agreement was officially signed on August 25, 2025, during the New Global Sports Conference held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Shikenso Analytics Extends FURIA Partnership for Two Years
Brazilian esports organization FURIA has extended its partnership with AI-powered sponsorship analytics provider Shikenso Analytics for an additional two years.
- Brazilian esports organization FURIA has renewed its partnership with AI-powered analytics provider Shikenso Analytics for an additional two years.
- The agreement focuses on utilizing Shikenso’s technology to track, measure, and optimize sponsor visibility across digital platforms, including Twitch and YouTube.
- FURIA’s CMO, Pedro Lopes, stated that the partnership is essential for providing transparent data on partner ROI and identifying new growth opportunities.