The Esports Advocate
Esports business news: deals, legal, and governance.
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GIANTX Launches New Marketing Division Night Mrkt
The esports organization GIANTX has officially launched a new creative marketing division, Night Mrkt, to facilitate authentic brand engagement with Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences.
- Esports organization GIANTX has launched a new creative marketing agency called Night Mrkt to help brands connect with Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences through gaming and digital culture.
- Night Mrkt has been operating behind the scenes for several months, with confirmed collaborations already established with ESL FACEIT Group and Opel.
- The agency is headquartered in London and Málaga, with a strategic focus on expanding its services across the UK, Europe, and the United States.
G2 Esports Completes Series B Investment Round Led by Wise Ventures
G2 Esports has successfully closed a Series B investment round led by WISE Ventures, the investment arm of the Wilf family, who are the owners of the Minnesota Vikings and various professional soccer franchises.
- G2 Esports has completed a Series B investment round, securing a seven-figure sum led by WISE Ventures, the investment arm of the Wilf family (owners of the Minnesota Vikings).
- The funding round included participation from the Tornante Company, Gary Vaynerchuk, and G2’s internal leadership team.
- Existing investors, including Jens Hilgers (Bitkraft/ESL), Al Tylis, and Bluepool (owners of the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty), also increased their financial stakes in the organization.
Street Fighter 6 Tournament Announced for the Hero Esports’ Asian Champions League
Hero Esports has officially confirmed that Street Fighter 6 will be a featured title at the upcoming Asian Champions League (ACL), scheduled for May 17–18, 2025, in Shanghai.
- Hero Esports will host a Street Fighter 6 tournament as part of the Asian Champions League (ACL) in Shanghai from May 17–18, 2025.
- The ACL Street Fighter 6 tournament features a $30,000 USD total prize pool and is open to all competitors with no entry requirements.
- The champion and runner-up of the ACL Street Fighter 6 event will secure direct qualification slots for the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Teamfight Tactics Comes to Hero Esports’ Asian Champions League
Hero Esports has officially integrated Teamfight Tactics into its Asian Champions League (ACL), a multi-title tournament series designed to serve as a regional pipeline for the Esports World Cup.
- The top six teams from the Teamfight Tactics competition at the Hero Esports Asian Champions League (ACL) will earn qualification spots for the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- The ACL is a multi-title tournament hosted by Hero Esports featuring eight games, including Teamfight Tactics, Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2, and Valorant, running from May 6 to May 18, 2025.
- Registration for the Teamfight Tactics tournament opens on March 23, 2025, and closes on March 31, 2025.
MOONTON Partners With OPPO for MLBB x OPPO Smooth Legend Cup APAC Grand Finals
MOONTON Games has entered a strategic partnership with global smartphone manufacturer OPPO to host the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) x OPPO Smooth Legend Cup APAC Grand Finals.
- MOONTON and OPPO have partnered to host the MLBB x OPPO Smooth Legend Cup APAC Grand Finals, taking place March 27–29, 2025, at the Gandaria City Mall in Jakarta, Indonesia.
- The tournament features a total prize pool of $76,500 USD for participating grassroots teams.
- More than 300 grassroots teams from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand competed in online qualifiers to reach the grand finals.
Astralis Renews Long-Standing Partnership with OMEN by HP
The Copenhagen-based esports organization Astralis has officially renewed its long-standing partnership with OMEN by HP, marking seven years of collaboration between the two entities.
- Esports organization Astralis has renewed its long-standing partnership with OMEN by HP, marking seven years of collaboration between the two entities.
- As part of the renewed agreement, OMEN will upgrade all 126 gaming stations at the Astralis Nexus gaming hub with new hardware, including i7-14700F CPUs and GeForce 4070 Super GPUs.
- The partnership includes continued brand promotion through video content, social media channels, and prominent placement on Astralis team jerseys during competitions.
M80 Partners With IMG Academy for Esports Camp in Florida
The esports organization M80 has entered into a partnership with the sports education brand IMG Academy to launch a specialized training program for young gamers.
- Esports organization M80 has partnered with IMG Academy to launch a hybrid esports training program for teens ages 12-18 at the IMG Academy campus in Bradenton, Florida.
- The program focuses on three titles—Valorant, Rocket League, and League of Legends—and combines two weeks of online education with one week of on-site training.
- The on-site training sessions are scheduled for June 2025: Valorant (June 9–13), Rocket League (June 16–20), and League of Legends (June 23–27).
Lunar Client Owner Moonsworth Acquires Badlion From ESL FACEIT Group
Moonsworth, the operator of the popular Minecraft: Java Edition platform Lunar Client, has acquired the Minecraft launcher Badlion from the ESL FACEIT Group.
- Moonsworth, the operator of Lunar Client, has acquired the Minecraft: Java Edition launcher Badlion from ESL FACEIT Group for an undisclosed sum.
- The acquisition combines two major platforms in the Minecraft ecosystem, resulting in a unified user base of over 3 million monthly active players.
- Lunar Client intends to integrate Badlion’s features to create a platform that offers enhanced performance, customizable mods, and improved gameplay mechanics.
Team Occupy Seeks Legal Action Over Unpaid Valorant Challengers Fees
Team Occupy, a Cairo-based esports organization, has initiated legal action against Riot Games following a protracted dispute over unpaid fees related to Valorant Challengers events in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
- Egyptian esports organization Team Occupy is pursuing legal action against Riot Games to recover approximately $7,500 USD in unpaid participation fees for Valorant Challengers MENA events held in 2023 and 2024.
- Team Occupy is seeking to block Riot Games from hosting future tournaments or events within Egypt by filing an official complaint with the Egyptian Esports Federation.
- The organization claims that discussions regarding the outstanding debt have stalled for two years, with Riot Games allegedly directing them to resolve the issue with third-party tournament operator Calyx.
Communications Workers of America File Complaint With National Labor Relations Board on Behalf of Raven Software Workers
The Communications Workers of America (CWA) has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Raven Software, a Wisconsin-based studio owned by Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard.
- The Communications Workers of America (CWA) has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Activision Blizzard, a subsidiary of Microsoft, regarding the alleged illegal disciplining of a union member at Raven Software.
- The CWA alleges that management violated the National Labor Relations Act by prohibiting a union member from discussing a disciplinary investigation with colleagues or the union, creating a chilling effect on protected labor activities.
- This filing follows a broader August 2024 complaint in which Raven Software union members accused Activision Blizzard and Microsoft of bad-faith bargaining and retaliatory practices, including the discriminatory treatment of employees regarding pay, promotions, and work-from-home policies.
eFuse Partners With GameSquare to Enhance Its Sidekick Platform
eFuse has entered into a multi-year partnership with Sideqik, a subsidiary of the publicly traded gaming and entertainment company GameSquare, to upgrade its live-stream monetization and engagement platform, Sidekick.
- eFuse has entered into a multi-year partnership with GameSquare subsidiary Sideqik to integrate Sideqik’s data intelligence into the eFuse Sidekick platform.
- The integration aims to enhance Sidekick’s live-stream monetization and engagement capabilities by providing brand partners with improved audience segmentation, real-time metrics, and AI-powered ad optimization.
- eFuse will incorporate Sideqik’s influencer discovery and analytics tools into its agency business to support creator partnerships and project execution.
Ninjas in Pyjamas Renews Partnership With Red Bull
Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP), a subsidiary of the publicly traded NIP Group, has officially renewed its partnership with the energy drink brand Red Bull.
- Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP), a subsidiary of NIP Group (Nasdaq: NIPG), has renewed its long-standing partnership with Red Bull.
- The two companies originally established their partnership in November 2022, though the financial terms and duration of the new agreement remain undisclosed.
- The collaboration will continue to focus on marketing, content creation, and fan engagement, including the integration of Red Bull branding on player jerseys and across social media and streaming channels.