The Esports Advocate
Esports business news: deals, legal, and governance.
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JingDong Gaming Acquires Vici Gaming King Pro League Franchise
Beijing-based esports organization JingDong Gaming (JDG) has expanded its competitive portfolio by acquiring the King Pro League (KPL) franchise slot previously held by Xiamen-based Vici Gaming (VG).
- JingDong Gaming (JDG) has acquired a franchise slot in the King Pro League (KPL), the top-tier competition for Honor of Kings.
- The acquisition marks the exit of Xiamen-based Vici Gaming from the Chinese esports scene, concluding the organization's 12-year history.
- JDG also acquired the contract of professional player Yang “Wuwei” Tao from Nanjing Hero, a move highlighted by his status as the top-ranked player in terms of commercial value within the KPL.
G2 Esports Renews Partnership With Shikenso Analytics
G2 Esports has extended its partnership with the German analytics firm Shikenso Analytics through 2025.
- G2 Esports has extended its partnership with German analytics firm Shikenso Analytics through 2025.
- The partnership focuses on using Shikenso’s AI-driven technology to evaluate the effectiveness and exposure of G2 Esports' sponsorships across broadcast and social media channels.
- Financial terms of the contract renewal between G2 Esports and Shikenso Analytics were not disclosed.
Esports Charts Partners With Krafton
The South Korean game publisher Krafton has entered into a strategic partnership with the data analytics platform Esports Charts.
- Krafton, the publisher of PUBG and PUBG Mobile, has entered into a partnership with the analytics platform Esports Charts.
- Krafton will utilize the Esports Charts 'Event Dashboard' to monitor tournament performance and viewership metrics.
- The dashboard provides Krafton with access to historical event data and real-time coverage of upcoming tournaments.
MPL MENA Partners With Saudi Esports Federation
MOONTON Games has entered into a strategic partnership with the Saudi Esports Federation (SEF) for the Season 5 Playoffs of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League Middle East and North Africa (MPL MENA).
- MOONTON Games has partnered with the Saudi Esports Federation (SEF) for the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL) MENA Season 5 Playoffs.
- The Saudi Esports Federation will sponsor the full cost of player travel visas for the Season 5 Playoffs.
- The MPL MENA Season 5 Playoffs will take place as an offline LAN event at VOV Gaming in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from June 13–15, 2024.
Riot Reveals Format Changes to 2024 EMEA Masters Summer Split
Riot Games has implemented significant structural adjustments to the 2024 EMEA Masters Summer Split, responding directly to feedback from the League of Legends esports community regarding the original format announced in March.
- Riot Games has updated the 2024 EMEA Masters Summer Split format to include a 60-team tournament, a new Swiss Stage, and increased best-of-five (Bo5) match opportunities.
- The tournament will run from July 31 to August 30, 2024, featuring a three-phase structure consisting of a Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ), a Swiss Stage, and Playoffs.
- The LCQ will involve 32 teams competing in four single-elimination brackets from July 31 to August 2, with the top teams advancing to the Swiss Stage.
Why Valorant is Not Part of the Esports World Cup in 2024
The exclusion of Valorant from the 2024 Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was primarily driven by rigid scheduling constraints.
- Valorant was excluded from the 2024 Esports World Cup due to scheduling conflicts, as its competitive calendar was already finalized prior to the event's planning.
- Despite the exclusion, teams within the Valorant professional ecosystem actively lobbied Riot Games to secure a spot in the Riyadh-based tournament.
- Riot Games has entered a one-year contract with the Esports World Cup Foundation for League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics, adopting a wait-and-see approach based on public reception and performance.
EFLARE and the Missing $100K Prize Pool
The esports industry faces a significant controversy regarding the EFLARE Counter-Strike 2 tournament, which concluded in November 2023 with a promised $100,000 prize pool that remains unpaid to winning teams.
- Winners of the November 2023 EFLARE Counter-Strike 2 tournament, including first-place team Ongeh Warrior ($50,000), have not received any of the promised $100,000 in prize money more than six months after the event concluded.
- EFLARE appears to be a non-existent corporate entity with no formal business registration, no physical address, and no operational footprint beyond social media accounts and encrypted email services.
- Bleed Esports CEO Mervyn Goh facilitated the tournament's creation after being approached by an unidentified individual known as 'Chris Lin,' and initially fronted approximately $23,000 of his own money to pay production staff.
High Scores in Hypocrisy: The Real Game Esports Plays With Saudi Money
The esports industry faces a significant ethical crisis regarding its financial reliance on Saudi Arabian investment, which stands in direct opposition to the values of inclusivity and human rights often championed by gaming organizations.
- The esports industry is facing criticism for accepting significant financial investment from Saudi Arabia while simultaneously promoting values of inclusivity and equality that contradict the nation's human rights record.
- The report highlights the case of Manahel al-Otaibi, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison by a Saudi tribunal for social media posts regarding women's rights, occurring in proximity to major Saudi-backed esports projects.
- Critics argue that the influx of Saudi capital is being used as a form of 'sportswashing' to improve the country's global image, effectively using the gaming community as digital camouflage for human rights abuses.
Tournament Operator Epulze Announces Layoffs
Epulze, a Sweden-based tournament organizer and esports platform, has initiated a round of layoffs as part of a broader organizational restructuring.
- Tournament operator and platform provider Epulze has initiated company-wide layoffs as part of a strategic restructuring effort.
- The layoffs are intended to extend the company's financial runway while it navigates a delayed fundraising process caused by a slow financial market in 2023.
- Epulze is shifting its corporate focus toward achieving profitability in response to the current funding challenges.
Level Infinite Launches Honor of Kings Partnership Program
Level Infinite, the global gaming brand under Tencent, has launched the Honor of Kings Partnership Program to formalize and incentivize its professional esports ecosystem.
- Level Infinite has launched the Honor of Kings Partnership Program to formalize and incentivize relationships with esports organizations already active in the game's ecosystem.
- Initial teams joining the program include REX REGUM QEON (Southeast Asia), ISURUS (Latin America), and FUT ESPORTS (Türkiye).
- Participating teams receive priority for tournament invitations and promotional support across official Honor of Kings social media channels.
Jaguar Land Rover Sponsors JingDong Gaming
Jaguar Land Rover has entered into a sponsorship agreement with the Chinese esports organization JingDong Gaming (JDG), establishing the British automaker as the team’s exclusive automotive partner.
- Jaguar Land Rover has entered into a sponsorship agreement with Chinese esports organization JingDong Gaming (JDG), naming the automaker as the team's exclusive automobile partner.
- The partnership focuses on promoting the Land Rover Defender vehicle model within the Chinese market.
- Financial terms of the sponsorship deal between Jaguar Land Rover and JDG were not disclosed.
Orgs Gone Wild: Esports World Cup Edition
The Esports World Cup has triggered significant scrutiny regarding the intersection of professional gaming and international marketing compliance.
- Thirty esports organizations, including major entities like FaZe Clan, Cloud9, Team Liquid, and T1, were accepted into the Esports World Cup Foundation’s Club Support Program, which provides annual six-figure payouts to participating teams.
- In May 2024, 27 of these organizations engaged in a coordinated social media promotional blitz for the Esports World Cup without explicitly disclosing their financial relationship with the event organizers.
- The failure to label these posts as sponsored content may violate marketing and consumer protection guidelines enforced by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and various European regulatory bodies, which require clear disclosure of financial ties in advertising.