The Esports Advocate
Esports business news: deals, legal, and governance.
Documents
Stephen Reid Leaves Microsoft for Endless Foundation
Stephen Reid, a prominent figure in game-based learning, has departed Microsoft after a nine-year tenure to join the Endless Foundation as its vice president of learning.
- Stephen Reid has joined the non-profit Endless Foundation as vice president of learning after a nearly nine-year tenure at Microsoft.
- During his time at Microsoft, Reid served as the game-based learning lead and was instrumental in the creation and launch of Minecraft: Education Edition.
- Reid’s career at Microsoft began in 2015 as a creative consultant, followed by a transition to a full-time employee role in April 2020.
Galaxy Racer Squares Up With Last Her Galaxy Employees
Dubai-based esports organization Galaxy Racer has finalized outstanding financial obligations to its former North American staff following the closure of its HER Galaxy operations.
- Dubai-based Galaxy Racer has completed all outstanding salary and paid time off (PTO) payments to its recently laid-off North American HER Galaxy staff.
- The company is scheduled to pay out the winners of the $100,000 HER Galaxy Apex Legends Open by approximately December 23, 2023, in accordance with contract terms.
- Galaxy Racer officially announced the closure of its North American operations on November 30, 2023.
Call of Duty League Broadcasts Exclusive to YouTube for 2023-2024 Season
The Call of Duty League (CDL) has transitioned to an exclusive broadcast partnership with YouTube for the 2023-2024 season, marking a departure from the multi-platform approach utilized during the previous year.
- The Call of Duty League (CDL) has designated YouTube as the exclusive broadcast partner for the 2023-2024 season, ending the multi-platform distribution model used during the 2022-2023 season.
- All 2023-2024 CDL matches will be broadcast in 4K resolution exclusively on the official YouTube Gaming channel.
- Financial terms of the new media rights agreement between Activision Blizzard and YouTube were not disclosed.
Guild Esports Reveals Counter-Strike 2 Roster to Compete in Esports World Cup
London-based, publicly traded organization Guild Esports has announced the formation of a dedicated Counter-Strike 2 roster, branded as the Guild Eagles, to compete in the 2024 Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- London-based Guild Esports has formed a new Counter-Strike 2 roster, the 'Guild Eagles,' specifically to compete in the 2024 Esports World Cup in Riyadh.
- The roster consists of former Bad News Eagles players Genc 'gxx-' Kolgeci, Flatron 'juanflatroo' Halimi, Sener 'SENER1' Mahuti, Dionis 'sinnopsyy' Budeci, and Rigon 'rigoN' Gashi.
- The coaching staff includes Kevin 'Krystal' Amend, Keiran 'KayJay' Playfair, and Jonatan 'Devilwalk' Lundberg, with James Banks serving as a consultant.
Cologne Gaming Network Partners With Razer
The Cologne Gaming Network (CGN Esports), a German esports organization, has entered into a partnership with the European division of Razer, a global manufacturer of gaming peripherals.
- German esports organization Cologne Gaming Network (CGN Esports) has entered into a partnership with the European division of hardware manufacturer Razer.
- Under the agreement, Razer will provide its esports-specific gaming peripherals to CGN’s professional Valorant and Fortnite rosters for use in competition.
- Razer intends to utilize feedback from CGN’s professional players to assist in the future development of its esports hardware lineup.
Minnesota Varsity League Launches MNVL Jr. for Middle School Students
The Minnesota Varsity League (MNVL), a scholastic esports organization owned and operated by Wisdom Gaming, has announced the launch of MNVL Jr., a new competitive program specifically designed for middle school students.
- Wisdom Gaming-owned Minnesota Varsity League (MNVL) is expanding its scholastic esports operations with the launch of MNVL Jr., a new program for middle school students in grades five through eight.
- The MNVL Jr. program will feature competitive gaming in titles including Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros., Chess, and Minecraft, with registration for the Spring 2024 season open until the end of January 2024.
- Since its inception in 2019, the parent MNVL organization has grown to encompass 82 Minnesota high schools with over 2,000 active participants as of the Fall 2023 season.
Twitch to Shut Down Operations in South Korea
Twitch, the Amazon-owned live streaming platform, announced its decision to cease all operations in South Korea effective February 27, 2024.
- Twitch will officially shut down its operations in South Korea on February 27, 2024.
- The primary reason for the exit is the prohibitively high cost of network fees, which Twitch CEO Dan Clancy stated are 10 times higher in South Korea than in most other countries.
- Despite attempts to reduce operational costs through a P2P model and capping video quality at 720p, the platform continued to operate at a significant loss.
G2 Esports Takes Over Minnesota Røkkr
G2 Esports has finalized an agreement to acquire the assets of the Minnesota-based organization Version1, marking a significant consolidation within the North American esports landscape.
- G2 Esports has acquired the operating rights to the Call of Duty League franchise Minnesota Røkkr as part of a strategic partnership with the Version1 ownership group.
- As part of the deal, the ownership group behind Version1—which includes WISE Ventures and investor Gary Vaynerchuk—has become shareholders in G2 Esports.
- The Version1 brand is being put on hold, and the organization has effectively closed following the layoff of its North American staff.
Gfinity Sells Esports Division to Ingenuity Loop Limited
Gfinity has finalized the sale of its esports solutions division to Ingenuity Loop Limited, marking a definitive exit from the competitive gaming sector.
- Gfinity has sold its remaining esports solutions division assets to Ingenuity Loop Limited, finalizing its strategic pivot away from esports operations to focus on its media division.
- The deal includes a £15,000 ($16,200 USD) down payment to cover costs incurred by the division since August 2023 and grants Gfinity a 15% equity interest in Ingenuity Loop.
- Ingenuity Loop holds an option to buy out Gfinity’s 15% equity stake for £200,000 ($216,000 USD) in cash within the first 12 months of the deal's completion.
Tundra Esports CEO Carleton Curtis to Step Down
Carleton Curtis is set to depart from his leadership positions at Tundra Esports and its parent company, Sandstorm Media Group, effective at the end of 2023.
- Carleton Curtis will step down as CEO of Tundra Esports and executive chairman of its parent company, Sandstorm Media Group, at the end of 2023.
- Tundra Esports co-founder Maxim Demin will assume the leadership role following Curtis' departure.
- Curtis joined Tundra Esports as interim CEO and executive board member in February 2023, having previously served as a non-executive board member for Sandstorm Media Group since December 2021.
Emirates Esports Federation Partners With ITW Global
The Emirates Esports Federation (EEF) has entered into a strategic partnership with India-based ITW Global to launch the Indian leg of the E-Gaming League (EGL).
- The Emirates Esports Federation (EEF) and ITW Global have partnered to launch the E-Gaming League (EGL), a new international franchised esports competition.
- The EGL will feature a franchise and draft format with participants from the Middle East, UAE, India, China, South-East Asia, Europe, and the United States.
- The Indian leg of the league, EGL India, is scheduled to launch in October 2024.
Gentle Mates Partner With Shikenso Analytics
The French esports organization Gentle Mates has entered into a strategic partnership with the German analytics firm Shikenso Analytics.
- French esports organization Gentle Mates has entered a partnership with German analytics firm Shikenso Analytics to evaluate the performance of its sponsorship and marketing campaigns.
- Gentle Mates will utilize Shikenso’s AI-powered tools to measure campaign effectiveness across live streams, video content, social media, and partner activations.
- The financial terms and the duration of the partnership agreement were not disclosed by either party.