The Esports Advocate
Esports business news: deals, legal, and governance.
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Overwatch 2 Joins the Esports World Cup
Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch 2 has been confirmed as a featured title for the upcoming Esports World Cup, scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in July 2024.
- Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch 2 will be featured as a competition title at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in July 2024.
- The Esports World Cup Foundation and ESL FACEIT Group, both owned by the Saudi Arabian government’s Public Investment Fund, are facilitating the inclusion of the game.
- It remains unconfirmed whether the event will serve as an official stop for the newly formed Overwatch Champions Series or function as an independent tournament.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Joins Snapdragon Pro Series
The ESL FACEIT Group and Qualcomm Technologies have entered a partnership with MOONTON Games to integrate the mobile multiplayer online battle arena title, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), into the 2024 Snapdragon Pro Series.
- MOONTON Games has partnered with ESL FACEIT Group to integrate Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) into the Snapdragon Pro Series for the 2024 season.
- The partnership features a total prize pool of $780,000 USD for MLBB competitions throughout 2024.
- MLBB has been designated as a 'Mobile Masters' title for Year 3 of the Snapdragon Pro Series, offering up to $200,000 in prize money for top international competitors.
GameSquare Completes FaZe Clan Acquisition
GameSquare Holdings has finalized its acquisition of FaZe Clan, a strategic merger that integrates the prominent esports and youth culture brand into GameSquare’s broader media and gaming ecosystem.
- GameSquare has officially completed its merger with FaZe Clan following approval from shareholders at both companies.
- To resolve potential conflicts of interest regarding overlapping esports rosters, GameSquare divested Complexity Gaming to its founder and CEO, Jason Lake, for approximately $10.36 million.
- FaZe Clan eliminated roughly $31 million in annualized operating costs during Q3 2023 compared to the same period in 2022.
Level Infinite and Esports World Cup Join Forces
Level Infinite, the gaming and esports brand owned by Tencent, has entered into a three-year strategic partnership with the Esports World Cup Foundation.
- Level Infinite, the gaming brand owned by Tencent, has entered into a three-year partnership with the Esports World Cup Foundation to expand the competitive presence of Honor of Kings and PUBG Mobile.
- The partnership includes the launch of the PUBG Mobile World Cup, which will feature a $3 million USD prize pool and replace the previous PUBG Mobile World Invitational as a summer event.
- The Honor of Kings Invitational Midseason will also be held at the Esports World Cup, offering a $3 million USD prize pool and qualification paths for the Honor of Kings Invitational Championship later in 2024.
Saudi Government Launches $120M USD Esports and Gaming Investment Funds
The Saudi Arabian government has officially launched two new venture capital funds dedicated to the gaming and esports sectors, totaling $120 million USD.
- The Saudi Arabian government’s National Development Fund (NDF) and the Social Development Bank (SDB) have launched two venture capital funds totaling $120 million USD to support the gaming and esports sectors.
- Merak Capital will manage an $80 million fund, while IMPACT46 will manage a separate $40 million fund.
- The initiative is part of the government’s "Gaming and Esports Financing Programme," developed in cooperation with the Saudi Esports Federation.
Skyesports Reveals European Teams for Skyesports Masters
Skyesports has announced the lineup for the European Qualifier of the Skyesports Masters, an international Counter-Strike 2 competition.
- The Skyesports Masters main event for Counter-Strike 2 will take place in India from April 8–14 with a total prize pool of $350,000 USD.
- A European qualifier featuring 12 teams in a single-elimination bracket is scheduled for March 19–24 to determine additional participants for the main event.
- The 12 teams competing in the European qualifier are Guild Eagles, Fnatic, BetBoom Team, FORZE Esports, B8, Preasy Esport, Natus Vincere Junior, Pera Esports, 3DMAX, Sprout, TSM, and GUN5.
Scump, H3CZ, and Activision Blizzard Head to Arbitration
The legal dispute between retired professional Call of Duty player Seth “Scump” Abner, OpTic Gaming founder Hector “H3CZ” Rodriguez, and Activision Blizzard has shifted toward arbitration.
- Seth “Scump” Abner and Hector “H3CZ” Rodriguez have agreed to pause their $680 million lawsuit against Activision Blizzard to move the dispute to an arbitration tribunal.
- The plaintiffs allege that Activision Blizzard maintains a “100% monopoly” on Call of Duty esports, resulting in significant financial harm to team owners and professional players.
- The arbitration process will determine the jurisdiction of the claims, specifically addressing the formation, enforceability, and validity of existing arbitration clauses in the parties' contracts.
Winners of the $100K HER Galaxy Apex Legends Remain Unpaid
The Dubai-based esports organization Galaxy Racer (GXR) has failed to fulfill its financial obligations to participants and service providers following the $100,000 HER Galaxy Apex Legends Open, which concluded on June 25, 2023.
- Dubai-based esports organization Galaxy Racer (GXR) has failed to pay prize money to winners of the $100,000 HER Galaxy Apex Legends Open, which concluded over eight months ago on June 25, 2023.
- Tournament platform provider LeagueSpot is still owed approximately $40,000 for its work in facilitating, managing, and providing technical infrastructure for the event.
- Galaxy Racer missed the 180-day contractual payout deadline in December 2023 and failed to meet a subsequent internal commitment to finalize all payments by the end of February 2024.
Takeaways From Recent ESL FACEIT Group Town Hall
The ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) recently held a company-wide town hall to address a significant organizational restructuring following a global workforce reduction of approximately 15% to 20%, impacting between 250 and 300 employees.
- ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) is cutting approximately 15% of its global workforce, impacting between 250 and 300 employees and leaving a remaining staff of 1,200.
- Co-CEOs Craig Levine and Niccolo Maisto stated the company is currently not profitable but aims to reach profitability by early 2025 through these organizational changes.
- EFG has officially sunsetted the Vindex brand, fully integrating its assets—including Esports Engine—into the broader EFG ecosystem.
Rainbow Six Siege Joins the Esports World Cup
The Esports World Cup Foundation has officially confirmed that the tactical shooter Rainbow Six Siege will be a featured title at the inaugural Esports World Cup, scheduled for July 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- Ubisoft has officially confirmed that Rainbow Six Siege will be a featured title at the 2024 Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this July.
- The competition will feature a multi-million-dollar prize pool, building on the $2 million USD prize pool offered for the game at the 2023 Gamers8 event.
- The Esports World Cup is organized by the Esports World Cup Foundation and facilitated by the ESL FACEIT Group, a subsidiary of the Saudi Arabian government’s Public Investment Fund.
2024 Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault Details Revealed
The French Tennis Federation has announced the details for the 2024 Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault, marking the seventh year of the professional esports competition.
- The 2024 Roland-Garros eSeries, now in its seventh year, will hold its final stage on May 25, featuring eight competitors vying for a share of a €5,000 (approx. $5,430 USD) prize pool.
- Renault has joined as the new presenting partner for the tournament, while Mastercard has signed on as an official partner for the first time.
- The competition utilizes Wildlife Studios’ mobile game 'Tennis Clash,' which has accumulated over 150 million downloads since its October 2019 release.
PGL Lays Out 2024-2026 Roadmap for Dota 2 Esports
PGL has announced a comprehensive multi-year roadmap for Dota 2 esports, committing to host a minimum of eight major tournaments between 2024 and 2026.
- PGL has committed to hosting at least eight major Dota 2 tournaments between 2024 and 2026, with each event featuring a $1 million USD prize pool.
- The tournament series kicks off with PGL Wallachia Season #1, scheduled for May 10–19, 2024, at PGL Studios in Bucharest, Romania.
- Each of the eight planned tournaments will feature a 16-team format determined through open and closed qualification rounds.