The Esports Advocate
Esports business news: deals, legal, and governance.
Documents
Team Vitality Reveals Two Year Partnership With Kia France
Paris-based esports organization Team Vitality has entered into a two-year partnership with Kia France.
- Team Vitality has entered a two-year partnership with Kia France to serve as the official supplier for its League of Legends European Championship (LEC) and Ligue Française League of Legends (LFL) teams.
- The collaboration centers on a new promotional campaign titled 'The Lane of Mouvement,' which will feature original social media and video content.
- Kia branding will be integrated into the team jerseys for both the LEC and LFL squads, as well as across the organization's digital and video channels.
London Royal Ravens Considering Move to North America
The London Royal Ravens, a franchise within the Call of Duty League owned by Infinite Reality, is currently evaluating a potential relocation from Europe to North America.
- The London Royal Ravens, a Call of Duty League franchise owned by Infinite Reality, is considering a relocation from Europe to North America.
- Potential host cities for the team include Charlotte, North Carolina, as well as Washington, D.C., and Mexico City.
- A move to North America would result in the Call of Duty League having no remaining team presence in Europe.
Riot Games Sought Third-Party Proposals to Handle Collegiate and Scholastic Esports in North America
Riot Games initiated a request for proposals (RFP) process in early 2023 to identify a third-party partner to manage its collegiate and scholastic esports operations in North America.
- Riot Games issued a request for proposals (RFP) earlier in 2023 seeking a third-party partner to manage collegiate and scholastic esports for League of Legends and Valorant in North America.
- The proposed contract spans a three-year term and grants the winning bidder the rights to media, sponsorships, and partnerships.
- GGTech is considered the likely winner of the contract, given its existing partnership with Riot Games for collegiate tournaments in Europe and the UK.
FTC Files for TRO, Preliminary Injunction Against Microsoft-Activision Blizzard Deal
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) initiated legal action in June 2023 to block Microsoft’s proposed $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
- The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction to block Microsoft’s proposed $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
- The FTC’s legal action is intended to pause the merger while the agency conducts an administrative proceeding to determine if the deal violates U.S. antitrust law.
- The FTC’s internal administrative case regarding the acquisition is scheduled to continue on August 2.
Guild Esports Partners With Fanatec
Guild Esports, a publicly traded organization based in the United Kingdom, has entered into a technical partnership with Fanatec, a division of the German company Endor AG.
- Guild Esports has entered a technical partnership with racing simulation hardware manufacturer Fanatec, a division of Endor AG.
- Fanatec will supply eight high-end sim racing rigs and ongoing technology upgrades to Guild’s new racing simulation facility in London.
- The agreement is structured as a value-in-kind deal, though specific financial terms and the duration of the partnership were not disclosed.
Kansas City Pioneers Partner With Army National Guard
The Kansas City Pioneers have entered into a partnership with the Army National Guard to co-produce a series of six esports tournaments throughout the Midwestern United States for the remainder of 2023.
- The Kansas City Pioneers have partnered with the Army National Guard to co-produce six esports tournaments across the Midwestern United States throughout the remainder of 2023.
- The partnership serves as a recruitment vehicle for the Army National Guard, providing a platform to connect with gamers and promote career opportunities in fields such as cybersecurity, IT, and logistics.
- The inaugural events are scheduled for June 16–18, 2023, at the LEVELUP Arena in Kansas City as part of the Midwest Fest.
PlayVS Appoints Jon Chapman as New CEO
PlayVS, a prominent scholastic esports platform, appointed Jon Chapman as its new chief executive officer in June 2023.
- Jon Chapman has been appointed as the new CEO of scholastic esports platform PlayVS, replacing interim CEO Joe Gibson.
- Founder and former CEO Delane Parnell stepped down from his leadership role at PlayVS at the beginning of May 2023.
- PlayVS has raised $106.2 million in total funding since its inception in May 2018 from a wide range of investors, including SoftBank, Sapphire Ventures, and various individual backers.
Infinite Reality Cuts Chief Gaming Officer Michael O’Dell
In June 2023, Infinite Reality terminated the employment of Chief Gaming Officer Michael O’Dell, a move that appeared to be unexpected for the executive.
- Infinite Reality has terminated Chief Gaming Officer Michael O’Dell, a veteran executive who joined the company following its $470 million acquisition of ReKTGlobal in July 2022.
- The London Royal Ravens, an Infinite Reality-owned Call of Duty League team, simultaneously ended its relationship with content creators Jukeyz and lMAngelikaa.
- Michael O’Dell’s departure appears to have been unexpected, as indicated by his public social media commentary regarding the exit.
United Talent Agency Signs GameSquare
United Talent Agency (UTA) has entered into a strategic agreement to manage all brand partnerships for GameSquare, a publicly traded company operating within the esports and gaming sectors.
- United Talent Agency (UTA) has signed an agreement to manage all brand partnerships for the publicly-traded esports and gaming company GameSquare.
- GameSquare’s portfolio includes the esports organization Complexity Gaming, the production studio Fourth Frame Studios, the digital advertising consultancy Frankly Media, and the streaming data analytics platform Stream Hatchet.
- The partnership encompasses representation for GameSquare’s high-profile talent, including streamers Tyler “Ninja” Blevins and Tim “Timthetatman” Betar.
LCK Legendaries Trading Card Beta Service Launches
The South Korean digital collectibles firm Legendaries has launched a beta service for LCK Legendaries, a platform dedicated to digital trading cards featuring professional players from the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK).
- South Korean company Legendaries has launched a beta digital trading card service for the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK), allowing fans to collect and trade cards featuring top players like 'Faker' and 'Chovy'.
- The service will distribute 50% of all revenue generated from the digital collectibles directly to the participating esports teams.
- Digital card packs are priced between $9 and $60, with starter packs launching on June 7, 2023, and standard, elite, and premium packs following on June 12.
DreamHack Dallas Sees Record Attendance
DreamHack Dallas, held from June 2 to June 4, 2023, at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, achieved record-breaking attendance for the organization.
- DreamHack Dallas, held June 2–4, 2023, at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, recorded its highest attendance in North American history with approximately 44,000 attendees.
- The event was organized by the ESL FACEIT Group and featured a mix of esports tournaments, panels, musical performances, and fan activities.
- Tournament winners included ENCE (Intel Extreme Masters Dallas 2023), Nigma Galaxy (ESL Impact Dallas Finals), and FaZe Clan (Halo Championship Series Global Invitationals).
Gfinity Abandons Esports Operations
Gfinity, a UK-based, publicly traded gaming services company, has announced a complete exit from the esports sector.
- UK-based Gfinity has officially exited the esports sector, citing a 'soft' market and limited opportunities for profitable growth.
- Gfinity is selling a 72.5% controlling interest in its subsidiary, Athlos, to the London-based Tourbillon Group UK Ltd, while retaining a 27.5% stake.
- The subsidiary Athlos reported a pretax loss of £500K ($620K USD) on £400K ($496K) in revenue for the 2022 fiscal year.