The Esports Advocate
Esports business news: deals, legal, and governance.
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Castrol Sponsors Wolves Esports Honor of Kings Team
Castrol, the global lubricant brand owned by British Petroleum, has entered into a sponsorship agreement with the Chinese esports organization Wolves Esports.
- Castrol has signed a sponsorship deal to become the official partner of the Wolves Esports Honor of Kings division.
- The Castrol brand will be featured on the left shoulder of the Wolves Esports team jerseys.
- Castrol has maintained a sponsorship relationship with the King Pro League (KPL), the top Honor of Kings franchise league in China, since February 2021.
Gamers8 Total Prize Pool Hits $45M USD
The Saudi Esports Federation has significantly increased the financial scale of its flagship festival, Gamers8, by raising the total prize pool for its upcoming July event to $45 million USD.
- The Saudi Esports Federation has increased the total prize pool for the July 2023 Gamers8 festival to $45 million USD, triple the $15 million offered in 2022.
- The $45 million figure represents a $15 million increase over the previously announced prize pool from January 26, 2023.
- Leaked documents indicate ESL plans to restructure the Dota 2 circuit by creating a new regional event called the 'Riyadh Masters' in Saudi Arabia.
Chinese Singer Li Zhengning Launches KOALA Esports to Compete in NBPL
Chinese pop singer Li Zhengning has officially entered the professional esports sector by launching KOALA Esports.
- Chinese pop singer Li Zhenning has launched a new esports organization, KOALA Esports (ELA), to compete in the Naraka Bladepoint Professional League (NBPL).
- KOALA Esports was formed through the rebranding of the existing Naraka Bladepoint team, YZG Esports.
- The 2023 NBPL Spring Split, featuring the newly formed KOALA Esports, is scheduled to begin on March 9, 2023.
Alliance Partners With Chinese Hotel Chain Yuan Ye Qu
The Swedish esports organization Alliance has entered into a strategic partnership with the Chinese hotel chain Yuan Ye Qu.
- Sweden-based esports organization Alliance has entered into a strategic partnership with the Chinese hotel chain Yuan Ye Qu.
- Yuan Ye Qu will provide a dedicated training house for Alliance's professional esports teams.
- The partnership includes joint fan activations, with the first events scheduled to take place at Yuan Ye Qu hotels and homestays in Changsha.
FaZe Clan Signs All-Women Roster for VCT Game Changers
In March 2023, FaZe Clan officially entered the competitive Valorant landscape by signing its first all-female professional roster.
- FaZe Clan signed its first all-female professional esports roster to compete in the 2023 Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) Game Changers Series.
- The roster consists of players Jennifer “refinnej” Le, Emma “emy” Choe, Vannesa Emely “panini” Emory, Madison “maddiesuun” Mann, and Diane “di^” Tran.
- The team previously competed together under the name Hamboigas during the 2022 Champions Tour Game Changers Series III: North America.
More Staff Cuts at Generation Esports
Generation Esports, a prominent organizer of scholastic, collegiate, and military-focused esports competitions, has continued its trend of workforce reductions.
- Generation Esports laid off at least two additional employees as of March 6, 2023.
- The recent departures follow a series of workforce reductions, including approximately six layoffs in early December 2022 and 15–20 cuts in September 2022.
- The employees affected in the latest round include league operations manager Shannon Le and project manager for tournament operations Nevin Horne.
Sources Claim Counter-Strike 2 Is Real
Valve is reportedly developing a successor to its flagship tactical shooter, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, under the working title Counter-Strike 2.
- Valve is developing a new version of its tactical shooter titled 'Counter-Strike 2,' with a limited public beta test expected as early as late March or early April 2023.
- The new iteration will transition to Valve’s Source 2 engine and feature 128-tick server support to improve gameplay performance.
- The update includes a revamped matchmaking system designed to enhance the overall player experience.
Two Games in the Olympic Esports Series Highlight Ties Between Global Esports Federation and Refract Technologies
The inclusion of specific video game titles in the Olympic Esports Series has raised questions regarding potential conflicts of interest and preferential treatment.
- Two games selected for the Olympic Esports Series, Virtual Taekwondo and Tic Tac Bow, were developed by Refract Technologies, a studio with significant leadership ties to the Global Esports Federation (GEF) and the Singapore Esports Association.
- Refract Technologies executives Michael Chng, Chong Geng Ng, and Eugene Koh hold leadership or board positions within the GEF and the Singapore Esports Association.
- Chris Chan, the president of the Global Esports Federation, serves as the secretary general of the Singapore National Olympic Council, which held decision-making authority regarding the selection of games for the Olympic Esports Series.
Newzoo Sunsets Dedicated Esports, Cloud, and Mobile Reports
Newzoo has officially discontinued its dedicated reporting on esports, cloud, and mobile sectors, marking a strategic shift in its data analytics focus.
- Newzoo officially sunsetted its dedicated esports, cloud, and mobile industry reports at the end of 2022.
- The firm terminated its long-standing esports partnership program, which previously involved data-sharing agreements with organizations such as Team Liquid, G2 Esports, Fnatic, and Immortals.
- Newzoo has discontinued its 'Global Esports' revenue model, citing that the partnership program and the specific financial data inputs from teams were no longer necessary for its current business strategy.
ESL FACEIT Group Acquires Vindex
The ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) finalized the acquisition of the U.S.-based esports production company Vindex on February 17, 2023.
- ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) acquired U.S.-based esports production company Vindex on February 17, 2023, for an undisclosed amount.
- The acquisition includes Vindex’s subsidiaries, Esports Engine and the Vindex Intelligence Platform, which will now operate under the EFG umbrella.
- Belong Gaming Arenas, Vindex’s gaming center division, was excluded from the deal and will be spun out into an independent company.
International Olympic Committee Reveals Olympic Esports Series
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has launched the Olympic Esports Series, a global virtual competition culminating in an in-person event held during the inaugural Olympic Esports Week in Singapore from June 22–25, 2023.
- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) launched the 'Olympic Esports Series,' a virtual competition culminating in an in-person event during 'Olympic Esports Week' from June 22–25, 2023, in Singapore.
- The selected titles include Gran Turismo, Just Dance, WBSC eBaseball Power Pros, Chess.com, Zwift, Virtual Regatta, Tennis Clash, Tic Tac Bow, and virtual Taekwondo.
- The IOC excluded major professional esports titles—such as League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Valorant—due to their violent content and lack of a direct real-world sports counterpart.
Invictus Gaming Signs Sponsorship Deal With Mala Prince
The Chinese esports organization Invictus Gaming (IG) has entered into a sponsorship agreement with the spicy gluten snack brand Mala Prince.
- Chinese esports organization Invictus Gaming (IG) has signed a sponsorship deal with the spicy gluten snack brand Mala Prince.
- The Mala Prince logo will be displayed on the left shoulder of IG’s team jerseys during all 2023 League of Legends Pro League (LPL) matches.
- This partnership marks the first time Invictus Gaming has secured a sponsorship deal with a snack food brand.