The Esports Advocate
Esports business news: deals, legal, and governance.
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Call of Duty League Shares More With Teams
Activision Blizzard has announced significant structural changes to the Call of Duty League (CDL) aimed at improving the financial sustainability of its franchised teams.
- Activision Blizzard is eliminating all outstanding franchise fees for Call of Duty League teams and will provide refunds for previously paid fees.
- The league has committed to a two-year minimum revenue guarantee for all teams to provide financial stability and encourage continued investment.
- Teams will receive an increased share of revenue generated from in-game merchandise, including standard team bundles and the newly included Champs bundle.
Esports World Cup Offers $60M Prize Pool
The Esports World Cup Foundation has announced a record-breaking prize pool exceeding $60 million for its inaugural multi-title tournament, scheduled to begin in July 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- The inaugural Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, will feature a total prize pool exceeding $60 million, marking the largest prize pool in the history of multi-title esports tournaments.
- The $60 million prize pool represents a significant increase from the $45 million awarded during the 2023 Gamers8 tournament, which served as the event's predecessor.
- The tournament will utilize an 'innovative cross-game' Club Championship format, which will distribute $20 million of the total prize pool to the top 16 performing clubs.
Neil Duffy Leaves eFuse, Joins OverActive Media
OverActive Media, a publicly traded North American esports and gaming organization, has appointed Neil Duffy as its new Chief Commercial Officer for the Americas.
- Neil Duffy has been appointed as the Chief Commercial Officer for the Americas at OverActive Media, a publicly traded esports and gaming company.
- Duffy previously served as the Chief Revenue Officer at eFuse for over three years, where he managed strategic partnerships and corporate development.
- In his new role at OverActive Media, Duffy is tasked with developing revenue and marketing strategies to drive growth across the United States, Canada, and Latin America.
Global Esports Federation Partners With NODWIN and Cinematic
The Global Esports Federation has officially appointed India-based tournament organizer NODWIN Gaming and California-based production company Cinematic as portfolio management companies to oversee regional event operations.
- The Global Esports Federation (GEF) has appointed NODWIN Gaming and Cinematic as portfolio management companies to oversee regional event operations.
- NODWIN Gaming, based in India, has secured exclusive rights to host GEF events across much of Asia, the Middle East, and the African continent.
- NODWIN Gaming is permitted to operate events in other global regions on a non-exclusive basis through strategic partners, including Germany-based Freaks 4U Gaming and Turkey-based Ninja Gaming.
Riot Promotes David Mulhall Global Head of Esports Partnerships and Business Development
Riot Games has promoted David Mulhall to the position of Global Head of Esports Partnerships and Business Development.
- Riot Games has promoted David Mulhall to Global Head of Esports Partnerships and Business Development to oversee sponsorship strategy across its global and regional esports ecosystems.
- Mulhall will lead partnership efforts for Riot's primary titles, including League of Legends Esports, Valorant Champions Tour, and Teamfight Tactics Esports.
- Since joining Riot in 2020, Mulhall has been instrumental in securing and expanding partnerships with major brands including Mastercard, Red Bull, AWS, HP, OMEN, and HyperX, which have collectively generated hundreds of millions in revenue.
Apex Legends Joins the Esports World Cup
Electronic Arts’ battle royale title, Apex Legends, has been confirmed as an official participant in the 2024 Esports World Cup, a multi-week gaming festival held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- Electronic Arts has added Apex Legends to the official title list for the Saudi Arabian government-backed Esports World Cup, scheduled to take place in Riyadh this summer.
- The Esports World Cup is funded by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund and facilitated by the ESL FACEIT Group, a subsidiary of the state-owned Savvy Games Group.
- While financial terms of the inclusion remain undisclosed, the Esports World Cup Foundation is providing direct financial incentives to professional teams that sign rosters for games featured in the tournament.
ESL FACEIT Group Reveals ‘ESL Featuring Fortnite’
The ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) has announced the development of a new competitive gaming initiative titled ESL Featuring Fortnite.
- ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) is partnering with development studio 404 Creative to launch 'ESL Featuring Fortnite,' a new competitive gaming experience built within Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN).
- The platform will feature 4vs4 team-based gameplay with classic FPS modes such as Capture the Flag, Hardpoint, and Shrinking Zone, hosted on EFG’s proprietary FACEIT platform.
- The initiative is not officially endorsed by Epic Games, the owner of Fortnite, and operates independently of the official competitive scenes currently managed by BLAST.
Raidiant Reveals All-Women Fortnite Competition The Milk Cup
The Milk Cup represents a strategic initiative to foster inclusivity within the competitive gaming landscape by establishing a dedicated tournament series for women in Fortnite.
- Raidiant, WOTE, and content creator ThePeachCobbler have launched 'The Milk Cup,' a new all-women Fortnite tournament series featuring a total prize pool of $250,000.
- The tournament is title-sponsored by 'Gonna Need Milk,' a marketing campaign managed by the Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) to promote dairy consumption in the U.S.
- The competition structure consists of three major events that culminate in an in-person grand finals LAN event.
Esports and Gaming-Focused Firm Deviant Legal Launches
Deviant Legal, a boutique law firm specializing in the video game, esports, and content creation sectors, officially launched in April 2024.
- Deviant Legal, a new boutique law firm dedicated to the video games, esports, and content creation industries, launched in April 2024.
- The firm is founded by Netherlands-based attorney René Otto, who brings nine years of experience from traditional legal practice to the gaming sector.
- Operating as a fully remote firm, Deviant Legal utilizes a network of freelance lawyers to scale its services and reduce overhead costs for clients.
British Esports Federation Partners With NSPCC
The British Esports Federation (BEF) has entered into a strategic partnership with the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) to enhance child safety standards within the UK esports industry.
- The British Esports Federation (BEF) has partnered with the NSPCC to develop safeguarding initiatives and safety programs for children participating in esports.
- The collaboration aims to address rising concerns regarding online grooming, following reports of a significant increase in such crimes against children over the past five years.
- The partnership will produce a guide for parents to help them better understand the esports landscape and the risks involved.
Sky Broadband, Guild Team Up for Women’s Esports
Guild Esports, a publicly traded organization, has partnered with long-time collaborator Sky Broadband to launch a series of competitive gaming initiatives aimed at increasing female representation in the United Kingdom’s esports sector.
- Guild Esports and Sky Broadband have launched a new initiative featuring a series of tournaments designed to increase female representation in professional esports.
- The initiative cites data indicating that while women make up 47% of the gaming population, they represent only 5% of professional esports players.
- The program includes the 'Sky Broadband RACERS ESERIES' beginning April 26 and a forthcoming 'Sky Broadband SOCCER ESERIES,' both of which feed into a final Women’s Esports Finals event.
Activision Blizzard and NetEase Resume Partnership: China
Activision Blizzard and NetEase have officially resumed their strategic partnership to distribute Blizzard’s gaming portfolio within mainland China.
- Activision Blizzard and NetEase officially resumed their partnership in China on April 10, 2024, restoring access to titles including World of Warcraft, StarCraft II, Hearthstone, and Overwatch 2.
- The companies had previously parted ways in January 2023 due to a financial dispute regarding the operation of Blizzard games in the Chinese market.
- NetEase remains the primary partner for this relaunch because the company holds the existing government approval rights for Activision Blizzard’s game portfolio in China.