The Esports Advocate
Esports business news: deals, legal, and governance.
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Zeynep Gencaga Dechelotte Named Deputy Director of IOC Esports
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has appointed Zeynep Gencaga Dechelotte as the new deputy director of its esports division.
- Zeynep Gencaga Dechelotte was appointed deputy director of IOC Esports in November 2024 to help lead the organization's esports initiatives.
- Dechelotte previously served as senior esports director and head of regions at Ubisoft, and held business development roles at Riot Games Europe for over two years.
- The IOC has established a 12-year partnership with the Saudi Arabian government to host the Olympic Esports Games.
Team Vitality, Lille Olympique Sporting Club Renew Partnership
Team Vitality and the French football club Lille Olympique Sporting Club (LOSC) have renewed their partnership for a third consecutive year, continuing their collaborative efforts within the EA Sports FC esports ecosystem.
- Team Vitality and Lille Olympique Sporting Club (LOSC) have renewed their partnership for a third consecutive year to compete in EA FC esports.
- The 2024/25 season roster features players Ilian Bouchi and Brice Masson, coached by Johann ‘ManiiKa’ Simon.
- The partnership aims to secure qualification for the 2025 Esports World Cup.
OverActive Media Reveals Movistar KOI Plans for 2025
OverActive Media has outlined a strategic restructuring and expansion plan for its European esports operations, centered on the Movistar KOI brand.
- OverActive Media has secured a naming rights partnership with Telefónica for its European esports operations, rebranding MAD Lions to Movistar KOI for the 2025 season.
- The partnership with Telefónica covers multiple competitive circuits, including the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC), Valorant Champions Tour EMEA (VCT EMEA), and the Superliga.
- OverActive Media will launch a new Fortnite squad in 2025, which will be supported by a custom-branded team map.
OverActive Media Discontinues Toronto Defiant Brand
OverActive Media has officially announced the discontinuation of its Toronto Defiant brand, marking the company’s exit from Overwatch 2 esports for the 2025 season.
- OverActive Media is officially discontinuing the Toronto Defiant brand and will not compete in Overwatch 2 esports for the 2025 season.
- CEO Adam Adamou confirmed that if the company returns to Overwatch competition in 2026, it will do so under a new brand identity.
- The Toronto Defiant was originally established in 2018 as an expansion team for the now-defunct Overwatch League.
Teamfight Tactics Esports Comes to Paris in 2025
Riot Games has announced that Paris, France, will host its premier Teamfight Tactics (TFT) esports competition in 2025.
- Riot Games has announced that its largest Teamfight Tactics esports competition for 2025 will be held in Paris, France.
- While specific details for the Paris event remain undisclosed, it is expected to mirror the scale and scope of the 2024 TFT Macao Open.
- The 2024 TFT Macao Open, held from December 13–15, features a 512-competitor open-bracket LAN tournament.
Overwatch 2 and EA FC 25 Confirmed for 2025 Esports World Cup
The Esports World Cup Foundation has officially confirmed that Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch 2 and Electronic Arts’ EA FC 25 will be featured titles in the 2025 Esports World Cup.
- Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch 2 and EA’s EA FC 25 have been confirmed as official titles for the 2025 Esports World Cup, scheduled to begin in July 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- The Call of Duty League has committed to a three-year deal with the Esports World Cup Foundation and is adjusting its competitive calendar to accommodate the summer event.
- The Esports World Cup is an eight-week, multi-title competition operated by the ESL FACEIT Group, a subsidiary of the Saudi government-owned Savvy Games Group.
Esports World Cup Foundation Partner Program Expands
The Esports World Cup Foundation has announced an expansion of its club partner program for the 2025 summer competition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- The Esports World Cup Foundation is expanding its 2025 partner program to include 40 teams, up from 30 in 2024.
- The foundation has allocated $20 million in funding for the 2025 program, an increase from the $16.8 million provided in the previous year.
- Applications for the 2025 partner program are open until January 10, 2025, with criteria focusing on competitive performance, social media presence, and global fan engagement.
Sentinels Partner With Stacked
The Los Angeles-based esports organization Sentinels has entered into a one-year partnership with the social media platform Stacked.
- Esports organization Sentinels has entered into a one-year partnership with the social media platform Stacked.
- Stacked will serve as the official news and information aggregation platform for Sentinels, providing fans with match schedules, results, and highlight links.
- Sentinels intends to use the platform to interact directly with fans and provide spoiler-free match results for its Valorant team.
Prodigy Agency Launches Prodigy Solutions Division
Prodigy Agency, a Toulouse-based esports and gaming firm, has officially launched a new division titled Prodigy Solutions.
- Prodigy Agency has launched a new division, Prodigy Solutions, to provide strategic marketing and consulting services to brands and game publishers.
- The new division will operate globally with dedicated teams across North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia.
- Prodigy Solutions aims to leverage the agency's existing network of esports players and influencers, which collectively represents over 50 million followers worldwide.
PGL Reveals Changes to Counter-Strike 2 Esports in 2025 – 2026
PGL Esports has announced significant structural and operational updates to its Counter-Strike 2 tournament roadmap for the 2025–2026 seasons.
- PGL is implementing a new prize pool payment system that guarantees payouts within two weeks of an event's completion, significantly faster than the industry standard of 90–120 days.
- The 2025 Tier-1 Counter-Strike 2 event previously scheduled for Buenos Aires has been relocated to Cluj-Napoca, Romania, to reduce travel logistics and team strain.
- PGL's 2025 Tier-1 event calendar includes five major stops: Cluj-Napoca (Feb 14–23), Bucharest (April 6–13), Astana (May 10–18), a Perfect World-organized event in China (Oct 1–13), and Belgrade (Oct 25–Nov 2).
Level Infinite Commits $10M to PUBG Mobile Esports in 2025
Level Infinite, the gaming brand under Tencent Holdings, has announced a $10 million investment dedicated to its global PUBG Mobile esports ecosystem for 2025.
- Level Infinite, a brand of Tencent Holdings, will invest $10 million into global PUBG Mobile esports initiatives throughout 2025.
- The 2025 circuit will feature over 20 regional tournaments across the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia to provide amateur players pathways into professional leagues like the PUBG Mobile Super League (PMSL).
- Key 2025 events include the PUBG Mobile Global Open (PMGO) in Uzbekistan during the spring, the PUBG Mobile World Cup (PMWC) in Riyadh as part of the Esports World Cup, and the PUBG Mobile Global Championship (PMGC) in Thailand.
PUBG Mobile Confirmed for 2025 Esports World Cup
Level Infinite and the Esports World Cup Foundation have officially confirmed that the mobile battle royale title PUBG Mobile will return as a featured competitive game for the 2025 Esports World Cup.
- PUBG Mobile has been confirmed as a competitive title for the 2025 Esports World Cup, an eight-week event hosted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- The Esports World Cup is a non-profit initiative funded by a grant from the Saudi Arabian government’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF).
- The 2025 tournament will feature a diverse lineup of titles, including Apex Legends, Rainbow Six Siege, Dota 2, Street Fighter 6, Free Fire, Honor of Kings, Counter-Strike 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and Call of Duty: Warzone.