The Esports Advocate
Esports business news: deals, legal, and governance.
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Riot Games Launches Valorant Champions Tour 2025 Season Capsule
Riot Games has introduced the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) 2025 Season Capsule, a new collection of in-game digital items designed to provide direct financial support to professional teams and leagues within the Valorant esports ecosystem.
- Riot Games is launching the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) 2025 Season Capsule on February 6, 2025, to provide direct financial support to partnered teams and leagues.
- The collection will be available in the Valorant in-game store until the conclusion of Masters Bangkok, which runs from February 20 to March 2, 2025.
- The capsule includes a VCT Karambit melee weapon with five chromas, four regional player cards, and four reactive gun buddies.
NODWIN Gaming Acquires StarLadder
NODWIN Gaming, an India-based esports organization owned by Nazara Technologies, has acquired the Ukraine-based tournament organizer StarLadder.
- India-based NODWIN Gaming has acquired Ukrainian tournament organizer StarLadder for an initial consideration of $5.5 million USD.
- The acquisition deal includes a secondary payment structure contingent upon StarLadder meeting specific earn-out targets.
- StarLadder founder Roman Romantsov will remain in charge of the company’s operations alongside the existing staff.
GameSquare Shores Up Marketing Team with Key Executive Hires
GameSquare Holdings, a publicly traded esports and gaming company, has expanded its marketing leadership team through the appointment of four new executives.
- GameSquare Holdings has appointed four new executives to its marketing team to support its growth, following a revenue increase from $11 million in 2021 to over $100 million currently.
- Matt Mayer, formerly EVP of strategic marketing at NCompass International, has been appointed as GameSquare's new EVP of brand marketing.
- Jonathan Murnane, previously head of gaming and entertainment at NCompass International and a former Activision executive, has been named EVP of gaming & entertainment.
Guild Esports Renamed to Cassel Capital PLC
The London-based esports organization formerly known as Guild Esports has officially rebranded to Cassel Capital PLC.
- London-based esports organization Guild Esports has officially changed its name to Cassel Capital PLC.
- The rebrand follows the October 2024 sale of all Guild Esports assets to the California-based investment firm DCB Sports LLC.
- As part of the asset sale, DCB Sports acquired 100% of the company's assets in exchange for assuming all of its disclosed liabilities.
MOONTON Launches Mobile Legends: Bang Bang in China
MOONTON, a subsidiary of ByteDance, has officially launched its flagship title, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), in the Chinese market.
- MOONTON, a subsidiary of ByteDance, has officially launched its flagship title Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) in the Chinese market, integrating the region into its global esports ecosystem.
- The Chinese MLBB esports ecosystem will feature a franchise-based model, incorporating slot fees and revenue-sharing opportunities for participating organizations.
- Smartphone manufacturer Realme has signed a strategic partnership to serve as the official equipment provider for MLBB tournaments in China.
Riot Games Reveals LEC EMEA Masters 2025 Changes
Riot Games has announced a structural overhaul of the League of Legends EMEA Masters for the 2025 competitive season.
- Riot Games is shifting the League of Legends EMEA Masters to a three-split format (Winter, Spring, and Summer) in 2025 to align with the LEC’s seasonal structure.
- The 2025 EMEA Masters Winter event begins on March 17, featuring 16 teams competing under a 'Fearless Draft' format.
- The Spring event will expand to 32 teams in a regionally protected group stage, followed by a 16-team single-elimination playoff bracket consisting of best-of-five series.
G2 Esports Launches Media House Agency 62
G2 Esports has officially launched a new media house agency, 62, designed to bridge the gap between mainstream brands and the global gaming community.
- G2 Esports has launched a new media house agency named 62 to help mainstream brands create authentic marketing campaigns for the global gaming community.
- The agency is led by Mathieu Lacrouts, an entrepreneur who previously founded the agency Hurrah and has experience working with major brands including Netflix, Coca-Cola, Mastercard, and Ralph Lauren.
- 62 provides services including creative advertising, media buying, content production, and event management by leveraging G2’s internal content creation team.
Esports World Cup Foundation Seeks Merchandising Licensees
The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has initiated a global search for commercial partners to join its newly launched Global Licensing Program.
- The Esports World Cup Foundation has launched a "Global Licensing Program" to recruit partners for the production and sale of official merchandise.
- Eligible product categories for prospective licensees include gaming accessories, apparel, bags, home decor, travel accessories, sporting goods, toys, and games.
- The program is open to international companies, with no specific regional restrictions on where licensed products can be manufactured or sold.
Dota 2’s The International 2025 Heads to Hamburg, Germany
Valve Corporation has announced that The International 2025, the premier annual Dota 2 tournament, will take place at the Barclays Arena in Hamburg, Germany, from September 11–14, 2025.
- Valve Corporation will host The International 2025, the premier annual Dota 2 tournament, at the 16,000-seat Barclays Arena in Hamburg, Germany, from September 11–14, 2025.
- The tournament will feature 16 qualifying teams competing for the championship title.
- It remains uncertain if Valve will reinstate the Battle Pass crowdfunding system, which previously generated record-breaking prize pools, such as the $40 million total in 2021.
NIP Group Secures $40M Funding From Abu Dhabi’s Government
Ninjas in Pyjamas Group (NIP Group) has entered into a multi-year partnership with ADIO Holdings Restricted Limited, an entity established by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office.
- NIP Group has entered a multi-year partnership with ADIO Holdings Restricted Limited, securing up to $40 million in funding from the Abu Dhabi government over a four-year period.
- The funding is contingent upon NIP Group meeting specific quantitative and qualitative performance milestones.
- As part of the agreement, NIP Group will relocate its global headquarters to Abu Dhabi to expand its operations in the Middle East.
Hero Esports’ Asian Champions League to Feature $2M Total Prize Pool
Hero Esports, formerly known as VSPO, has announced that its upcoming Asian Champions League (ACL) will feature a total prize pool of 15 million RMB, equivalent to approximately $2.04 million USD.
- Hero Esports will host its multi-title Asian Champions League (ACL) at DreamHack Shanghai in May 2025, marking the first time the DreamHack event has been held in China.
- The ACL tournament features a total prize pool of $2.04 million USD (￥15M RMB).
- The competition will include six titles: Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2, Teamfight Tactics, CrossFire, Honor of Kings, and the Tencent-developed shooter Delta Force.
Jakarta to Serve as Host City of Mobile Masters MLBB 2025
The ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) and Qualcomm Technologies have announced that Jakarta, Indonesia, will host the 2025 Mobile Masters championship for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB).
- The ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) and Qualcomm Technologies will host the Mobile Masters Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) championship at the Tennis Indoor Stadium Senayan in Jakarta, Indonesia, from April 11–13, 2025.
- The tournament features a $200,000 USD prize pool and serves as the inaugural global Snapdragon Pro Series MLBB title event.
- The competition will include 12 international teams, with 10 qualifying through Season 6 of the Snapdragon Pro Series, one from a Chinese MLBB qualifier, and one host-nation spot reserved for Team Liquid ID.