Business News

OverActive Media Details Plans for New Esports Venue

OverActive Media Details Plans for New Esports Venue

| Tags: | Author

The owners of Toronto Ultra and Defiant have revealed plans for a new esports Venue in their hometown. OverActive Media; owners of Toronto Ultra and Defiant, just revealed plans for a new Esports Venue. Set to be completed in 2025, the $500 million project plans to host 200+ events a year. Bringing music, entertainment and […]


StarCraft: Shopify Enters Esports With Shopify Rebellion

StarCraft: Shopify Enters Esports With Shopify Rebellion

| Tags: , | Author

The ecommerce giant enters esports with their own Starcraft 2 roster. Canadian ecommerce giant Shopify announced their interest in the esports scene back in September 2020; when they appointed Dario Wünsch as esports program manager. Back then, not much was known about Shopify’s intentions in esports. But today they have announced their first venture, a […]


Gambit Esports Partners With AS Monaco For Fortnite And Dota 2

Gambit Esports Partners With AS Monaco For Fortnite And Dota 2

| Tags: , | Author

Russian esports organization Gambit announces a partnership with Monaco-based eponymous sports club. From now on, Gambit’s Dota 2 and Fortnite rosters will play under the new tag; AS Monaco Gambit (ASM.GMB). The partnership applies to Gambit’s Dota 2 and Fortnite squads, excluding League of Legends and CS:GO teams for now. And will include streams, content […]


“The Growth is Very Humbling” Interview With Paper Crowns Founder, Skyler Johnson & Lead Developer, Ollie Groves

“The Growth is Very Humbling” Interview With Paper Crowns Founder, Skyler Johnson & Lead Developer, Ollie Groves

| Tags: | Author

Paper Crowns reveal more on their humble beginnings, partnership with the CDL, and much more. Recently, ESTNN had the opportunity to speak with Paper Crowns Founder & CEO, Skyler Johnson, along with their Lead Developer, Ollie Groves. We spoke about everything from their origins as a company, their recent partnership with the CDL, and what […]


Astralis Opens First-Ever Flagship Store In Tivoli Gardens

Astralis Opens First-Ever Flagship Store In Tivoli Gardens

| Tags: | Author

News that’s sure to delight Astralis fans, the org is planning to open it’s first ever flag-ship store in Copenhagen. Copenhagen-based amusement park Tivoli Gardens will soon house a fun-filled facility built by Danish esports organization, Astralis. Best known competitively in CS:GO, Astralis also boast rosters in Fifa and League of Legends. Although this isn’t […]


Ultimate Gamer Launches $1M Global Esports Competition

Ultimate Gamer Launches $1M Global Esports Competition

| Tags: | Author

Ultimate Gamer is on the prowl for the “Best Gamer on Earth®” with the Ultimate Gamer Worldwide Open. There is no better time for esports and video games to thrive, taking full advantage of the millions stuck at home. Ultimate Gamer is putting gamers’ skills to the test and open up the floor for anyone […]


Fortnite: Highest Earning Players of 2020

Fortnite: Highest Earning Players of 2020

| Tags: | Author

Find out the highest earning Fortnite players of 2020. Competitive Fortnite: Battle Royale in 2020 was another milestone year in the growing legacy of one of the most popular games of all time. In some senses, it seems that the competitive scene has usurped casuals with the evolution of building, editing and utilizing in-game mechanics […]


How To Invest In Esports: The Perfect Guide

How To Invest In Esports: The Perfect Guide

| Tags: | Author

People around the world are constantly finding new modes of entertainment, and esports is a budding industry that is steadily increasing in popularity and is quickly taking over the world. While traditional athletic sports remain a favorite pastime for sports fans around the world, the world of esports is catching up and is garnering the […]


ReKTGlobal Welcomes New Investors Josh Richards and Griffin Johnson

ReKTGlobal Welcomes New Investors Josh Richards and Griffin Johnson

| Tags: | Author

The parent company of CDL franchise London Royal Ravens and Team Rouge continue to acquire new investors, with TikTok superstars now joining the team. At the start of the month, ReKTGlobal, parent company of London Royal Ravens and Team Rouge introduced Vikram “Vikkstar” Singh-Barn as a new co-owner of the CDL Franchise. To kick off […]


Hitmarker Launches Second Equity Crowdfunding Round

Hitmarker Launches Second Equity Crowdfunding Round

| Tags: | Author

Esports job-posting website Hitmarker is launching a second equity crowdfunding campaign to facilitate expansion into new markets. Hitmarker is known as one of the go-to for esports-specific jobs postings. Back in November 2019 they launched a successful crowdfunding campaign and raised over £200,000 in the process. Now the company is back for the second round […]


Excel Esports Rebrands To Excel, Sporting ‘The Power Of Better’ As A New Motto

Excel Esports Rebrands To Excel, Sporting ‘The Power Of Better’ As A New Motto

| Tags: | Author

Excel Esports is now just Excel after a rebranding move. The United Kingdom-based esports organization Excel Esports announced today that it has rebranded to Excel, promising ‘The Power of Better’ for its fans, followers and players. Excel currently possesses a Fortnite player, World Cup runner-up Jayden “Wolfiez” Ashman, and will soon announce full League of […]


CoD: H3CZ Reveals A Leak Almost Ruined The OpTic Chicago Deal

CoD: H3CZ Reveals A Leak Almost Ruined The OpTic Chicago Deal

| Tags: | Author

A leak almost led to H3CZ not reacquiring OpTic Gaming. Call of Duty’s esports scene is still recovering from the shocking news that the OpTic Gaming brand is back in the hands of owner Hector “H3CZ” Rodriguez. This ground-breaking deal took place more than a year after Immortals Gaming Club acquired Infinite Esports & Entertainment, […]


CoD: Vikkstar Joins London Royal Ravens As Co-Owner

CoD: Vikkstar Joins London Royal Ravens As Co-Owner

| Tags: | Author

Popular YouTuber and Warzone streamer Vikkstar has joined the London Royal Ravens as Co-Owner. ReKT Global, the parent company of the London Royal Ravens, has announced Vikram “Vikkstar” Singh Barn as a new co-owner of the Call of Duty League franchise. Vikkstar is one of Britain’s most popular YouTubers and streamers. Vikkstar has a collective […]


UGC Launches Scholastic Arm with Flagship Tournament, Battle Academy

UGC Launches Scholastic Arm with Flagship Tournament, Battle Academy

| Tags: | Author

Scholastic esports are receiving more love courtesy of Ultimate Gaming Championship from Nov. 9- Dec. 12, with the launch of UGC EDU and their flagship $25,000 Battle Academy tournament series. Esports has grown exponentially in 2020, and with the expansion of professional events, support for collegiate gaming continues to climb. Blizzard made its own attempt […]



DreamHack and ESL Announce Merger

DreamHack and ESL Announce Merger

| Tags: , | Author

Two of the biggest companies in esports are teaming up. Today, ESL and DreamHack announced that the two companies will be merging together. This is a massive move for the esports and gaming scene, as both companies are hugely influential. Along with this, the company will now be known as ESL Gaming. ESL and DreamHack […]


Apple vs. Epic Games Lawsuit May See A Jury Trial Next Year

Apple vs. Epic Games Lawsuit May See A Jury Trial Next Year

| Tags: | Author

Apple vs. Epic Games could continue well into 2021. The news cycle went quiet for a few weeks in the ongoing legal battle between Apple Inc. and Fortnite developer – Epic Games. It seemed that both companies reached an impasse. Epic Games aired their grievances toward Apple and vice versa in several court proceedings beginning […]


CERD.GG; Building a platform for esports education

CERD.GG; Building a platform for esports education

| | Author

With the world of collegiate esports growing larger every day, ESTNN speak with some of the bright young minds working to shape the next generation of professional players. Despite the industry growing so rapidly over the last decade, the concept of esports is still a bit of a mystery to the mainstream. But that is […]


FTW: Summer Showdown, Riot’s All-Women VALORANT Tournament

FTW: Summer Showdown, Riot’s All-Women VALORANT Tournament

| Tags: | Author

Riot is surprising the Valorant community with FTW Summer Showdown, an all-women Valorant tournament with a $50,000 prize pool. Leveling the Playing Field The North America Ignition Series was set to end after Pop Flash, but Riot had a surprise waiting. A new tournament aimed to bring eyes to the underrepresented group in esports. The […]


David Beckham’s Guild Esports To List On London Stock Market

David Beckham’s Guild Esports To List On London Stock Market

| Tags: | Author

Guild Esports, of which David Beckham is a partial investor, are looking to raise £20m by listing on the London Stock Exchange. David Beckham has a 40% minority stake in Guild Esports. Guild Esports will be the first organization of its kind in the UK; allowing fans to directly invest in its future. The initial […]



BITKRAFT Ventures Raises $165 Million in Funding for Video Game Investment

BITKRAFT Ventures Raises $165 Million in Funding for Video Game Investment

| Tags: | Author

Bitkraft Ventures has raised $165 million for their fund, a hefty $40 million over the initial goal. BITKRAFT is a venture capital fund that focuses on gaming, esports, and interactive media. They began Pre-Seed Funding back in 2017 and have since consistently built up a network of over 50 companies. The limited partners in the […]


White House Official Says Video Game Companies Exempt From Tencent Order

White House Official Says Video Game Companies Exempt From Tencent Order

| Tags: | Author

The executive order will be limited to WeChat transactions only a White House official has confirmed. US President Donald Trump shook the gaming and business world today when he signed an executive order banning transactions between American companies and citizens and the Chinese business conglomerate; Tencent. Tencent just also happen to have whole or partial […]


Riot Games Sets Up Deals Council In Wake Of NEOM Deal

Riot Games Sets Up Deals Council In Wake Of NEOM Deal

| Tags: | Author

In the wake of the controversial partnership with NEOM, Riot Games is set to shake up how it handles global deals. This new global deals council aims to provide company-wide transparency for all business development and sponsorship deals within Riot Games’ global markets. The new council will feature members from the Global Esports team, Riot’s […]


Activision Blizzard Financial Results Exceed Companies Expectations

Activision Blizzard Financial Results Exceed Companies Expectations

| Tags: | Author

Activision Blizzard has revealed massive gains in its second-quarter financial results conference call. Activision Blizzard revealed that second-quarter revenue grew 38% to $1.93 billion. With a global pandemic still raging on, video games have looked to be standouts in profitable entertainment. The industry was already the largest entertainment medium, and it doesn’t look like that’s […]


America Is Home to 214 Million Gamers

America Is Home to 214 Million Gamers

| Tags: | Author

Gaming is no longer a niche hobby; it’s gone full mainstream. The rapid rise of gaming is unprecedented. Ten years ago, most people would laugh at you if you told them you wanted to be a “pro gamer”. Nowadays, colleges and universities offer scholarships to talented players. Streaming gameplay on YouTube and Twitch has become […]


Chiefs Esports Club Partners With L’ORÉAL PARIS MEN EXPERT

Chiefs Esports Club Partners With L’ORÉAL PARIS MEN EXPERT

| | Author

The Australian organization Chiefs Esports Club and the men’s skincare and grooming brand L’Oréal Paris Men Expert have just launched a deal until the end of 2020. To celebrate the partnership L’Oréal and Chiefs will be holding a giveaway for Chiefs’ fans. The organization also has plans to host several events, though the details surrounding […]


OG Signs With Global Talent Agency Rumble Gaming

OG Signs With Global Talent Agency Rumble Gaming

| | Author

OG and Rumble Gaming partner up to take the esports org to the next level. In a bid to continue their growth in the NA market, European esports organization, OG, have signed with talent agency, Rumble Gaming. Billed as full-service esports and gaming company, Rumble Gaming offer a wide range of services specifically targeted at […]


ReKTGlobal Partners with TalentX Entertainment to Start Esports Management Company

ReKTGlobal Partners with TalentX Entertainment to Start Esports Management Company

| Tags: | Author

A new esports management company has been born from two influential esports businesses. ReKTGlobal, the parent company of Rogue and the London Royal Ravens, has just begun a new partnership with on the rise development company TalentX Entertainment… forming a new TalentX Gaming talent management company. We're thrilled to announce our partnership with TalentX today! […]


FaZe Clan Partners with Sugar23 to Start their Own Studio

FaZe Clan Partners with Sugar23 to Start their Own Studio

| Tags: | Author

FaZe Clan is teaming up with Sugar23 for a huge project. Top American esports organization FaZe Clan is an unstoppable force both on and offline. Their presence is huge in the esports community. Now, it looks like the Clan has their eyes on a new media prize. Just this week, the Clan have announced that […]


WWE’s Ronda Rousey Teams up with Top PC Company iBUYPOWER

WWE’s Ronda Rousey Teams up with Top PC Company iBUYPOWER

| Tags: | Author

Rousey will team up with iBUYPOWER to provide livestream content and product announcements. Former MMA champion and WWE wrestler Ronda Rousey is dipping her toes into the streaming market. iBUYPOWER introduced Rousey as a brand ambassador today. She’ll be teaming up with the computer company to collaborate on vlogs, product announcements — and even surprise […]


Forget Farmville, Facebook is Launching a New App for Video Gaming

Forget Farmville, Facebook is Launching a New App for Video Gaming

| Tags: | Author

In a world where video games are more popular than movies, it was only a matter of time until The Social Network started their hand at online video streaming. Today, Facebook unveiled plans to release a brand new, top of the line video apps. The app itself collects each of Facebook’s gaming-related services together including […]


FaZe Clan Reportedly Raises over $40 Million in Funding

FaZe Clan Reportedly Raises over $40 Million in Funding

| Tags: , | Author

FaZe Clan pulled off a very successful round of fundraising. Leading esports organization FaZe Clan has released details this week regarding their Series A funding round. In it, the organization raised over $40 million dollars. This funding round was led by Jimmy Iovine and NTWRK, which was unveiled earlier this month. Those who contributed towards […]


League of Legends: BMW Partners with Fnatic, G2 Esports, Cloud9, T1 and FunPlus Phoenix

League of Legends: BMW Partners with Fnatic, G2 Esports, Cloud9, T1 and FunPlus Phoenix

| Tags: | Author

The German automotive giant BMW has made a huge move into esports. BMW has picked up a sponsorship with five of the world’s largest esports (and League of Legends) teams. With the new deal involving Europe’s Fnatic and G2, US organization Cloud9, Chinese side FunPlus Phoenix and Korean organizationsT1. The partnership will see content activations […]


Esports Talent Agency Rumble Gaming Partners with Gaming Org Fade2Karma

Esports Talent Agency Rumble Gaming Partners with Gaming Org Fade2Karma

| Tags: | Author

Rumble Gaming and Fade2Karma have announced their new partnership today. They will collaborate to expand their viewer bases and bring esports and gaming content to more people. Both companies are known for bringing their brands and creators to prominence and the partnership is a promising one indeed. Rumble Gaming is an esports talent agency that […]


IBM Uses World Community Grid to Benefit COVID-19 Research

IBM Uses World Community Grid to Benefit COVID-19 Research

| Tags: | Author

With the World Community Grid, IBM is stepping up to help COVID-19 researchers. IBM is no stranger to using the power of the internet to benefit its research. IBM has had its own computing power crowdsourcing program – the World Community Grid – for a while now, but just recently has IBM turned this project […]


Video Game Publishers Team Up to Promote Social Distancing with Play Apart Together Initiative

Video Game Publishers Team Up to Promote Social Distancing with Play Apart Together Initiative

| Tags: | Author

Major game publishers, including Activision Blizzard and Twitch, team up with the World Health Organization to promote social distancing with a campaign called “Play Apart Together.” To encourage people to stay inside during the quarantine, the World Health Organization and some of the largest video game publishers launch a campaign to promote gaming. This operation, […]


Gaming Startup Rally Cry Raises over $1 Million in Seed Funding

Gaming Startup Rally Cry Raises over $1 Million in Seed Funding

| Tags: | Author

There are few things less predictable than huge businesses coming together for their own betterment. In this case,  one of these companies gets a fresher start. https://twitter.com/teamRallyCry/status/1243212891022475264 On-the-rise gaming startup Rally Cry has raised $1.2 million (£979,002) in seed funding. That includes investments from founders of Blizzard Entertainment, Twitch, and Riot Games. Rally Cry is […]


Amuka Esports Acquires Incendium Gaming, Assert Itself as a Major Player in the Fighting Game Industry

Amuka Esports Acquires Incendium Gaming, Assert Itself as a Major Player in the Fighting Game Industry

| Tags: | Author

Amuka Esports acquires Incendium Gaming, a leading tournament organizer for fighting games. Amuka Esports is a Canadian esports company creating localized esports hubs for casual gamers in cities across North America. Each hub consists of a game venue, tournament organizer, content team, merchandise brands and incubator. Founded in 2019, Amuka Esports is a quickly growing […]


A new online platform helps mitigate disputes between esports professionals

A new online platform helps mitigate disputes between esports professionals

| Tags: | Author

MKM Law LLP launches first-of-its-kind online dispute resolution platform for the esports industry: MKMediation. Esport is one of the fastest-growing industries — with millions of dollars of cash prizes and bigger sponsors coming in at each tournament. As the public wants more content, new organizations pop up all around the world, and players are treated […]


Blizzard Entertainment Implements Work-From-Home Policy

Blizzard Entertainment Implements Work-From-Home Policy

| Tags: | Author

Blizzard is taking steps for their employees’ health safety. With the growing threat and the USA announced a national state of emergency, Blizzard Entertainment has decided to send all staff home as it implements a work-from-home policy. Outside of the USA Blizzard staff will follow local guidelines. Just including Europe, Blizzard has offices, distribution centers, […]


Modern Esports Venue, LVL, Announced for Berlin

Modern Esports Venue, LVL, Announced for Berlin

| | Author

The next major installment in esports entertainment facilities is coming to Berlin, and it’s called LVL. VERITAS Entertainment has announced today that they will be building a new state of the art esports and gaming entertainment venue that is designed with gamers in mind and competition at the heart. This new venue includes its own […]



The Weekly Brief: Esports Business News Feb. 14th to 21st

The Weekly Brief: Esports Business News Feb. 14th to 21st

| | Author

In a first for ESTNN, we’ve aggregated all of the esports business news from the past week so you can stay up to date on the other side of the industry. This week’s news ranges from Faker being a part owner in T1 to ESL establishing a new league format and partnerships. NACE partners with […]


Nicecactus Negotiates Purchase of Online Tournament Platform Glory4Gamers

Nicecactus Negotiates Purchase of Online Tournament Platform Glory4Gamers

| Tags: | Author

Nicecactus has closed the deal on its acquisition of Glory4Gamers. Video game team management platform, Nicecactus, has announced its latest esports acquisition: online tournament platform Glory4Gamers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oZMA1FcAsU The deal is to engage Nicecactus’ ability to reach users on a further international level. It takes elements of both their workforces and compiling them into an “efficient” […]


Youtube Scores $160 Million Esports Media Deal with Activision/Blizzard

Youtube Scores $160 Million Esports Media Deal with Activision/Blizzard

| Tags: , , | Author

More details about the deal between Activision/Blizzard and YouTube have surfaced. The new Activision/Blizzard Esports media-rights deal with Youtube is valued at over $160M. This figure is projected over three years. That is a lot of moolah, and according to official correspondents briefed on the terms of this brand-spanking-new deal. This carefully-calculated partnership with Google […]


Paul “Redeye” Chaloner Reveals His New Esports Book

Paul “Redeye” Chaloner Reveals His New Esports Book

| Tags: | Author

Esports host, commentator and all-round esports man Paul “Redeye” Chaloner has revealed his latest project is an esports book title “This is Esports (And How to Spell It)”. The book, subtitled “An Insider’s Guide to the World of Pro Gaming”, will be published by Bloomsbury UK via its Bloomsbury Sports publishing house. No date is […]


Fortnite: Overtime Acquires Evade, Expands its Esports Endeavor

Fortnite: Overtime Acquires Evade, Expands its Esports Endeavor

| Tags: | Author

Overtime Gaming has arrived, and they are looking to deepen their impact on esports in a significant way. Overtime Sports is expanding its efforts in esports, beginning with a high-profile acquisition of popular Fortnite organization, Evade. In addition to acquiring Evade, Overtime Sports is also establishing Overtime Gaming, which will represent their presence in esports […]


Tinder Flirts with a Bright Future in Brazilian Esports

Tinder Flirts with a Bright Future in Brazilian Esports

| Tags: | Author

In a world of brand sponsorship, by-the-numbers investments, and lonely gamers looking for love, it was only a matter of time before Tinder swiped right on their esports crush. paiN Gaming, a notable Brazilian esports organization, announced this week that it has begun a developing “sponsorship agreement” with go-to late night dating app, Tinder. What […]




FaZe Clan Scores $22.7M Investment Loan From Growing Canadian Firm

FaZe Clan Scores $22.7M Investment Loan From Growing Canadian Firm

| Tags: | Author

FaZe Clan just received a massive cash injection from Canaccord Genuity — $22.7 million in the bank. Fast-growing Canadian investment bank, Canaccord Genuity, announced a partnership last week with FaZe Clan. One of the most popular esports organizations in the world. The partnership takes the form of a brand new convertible loan facility, complete with […]


Professional Soccer Star Gareth Bale Launches Ellevens Esports Organization

Professional Soccer Star Gareth Bale Launches Ellevens Esports Organization

| Tags: | Author

While professional soccer player, Gareth Bale, is known for his football skills — he has undoubtedly started something great in the world of esports. Just this week, Welsh professional footballer Gareth Bale launched Ellevens Esports. Launched in partnership with the 38 Entertainment Group. Of which both entrepreneur Jonathan Kark and former professional footballer Larry Cohen […]


CORSAIR Acquire SCUF Gaming

CORSAIR Acquire SCUF Gaming

| Tags: | Author

CORSAIR has acquired yet another major gaming & esports brand as it acquires SCUF Gaming, the popular controller brand used by professional console gamers across esports. CORSAIR was founded in 1994 and in recent years has added Elgato and Origin PC to its collection of products that it offers alongside the companies own selection. Andy […]


Rumor: Bilibili Pay $113 Million for LoL Worlds Exclusive Streaming Rights in China for Three Years

Rumor: Bilibili Pay $113 Million for LoL Worlds Exclusive Streaming Rights in China for Three Years

| Tags: | Author

Beijing News has reported that Bilibili is set to pay $113 Million (800 million yuan) over three years to Riot Games for the exclusive Chinese broadcasting rights for League of Legends Worlds. Bilibili outbid Chinese streaming sites Huya and Douyu in the process. For context, Bilibili is one of many major streaming platforms in China […]


Misfits Gaming Group Launch $10 Million Seed Fund For Esports Businesses

Misfits Gaming Group Launch $10 Million Seed Fund For Esports Businesses

| Tags: , | Author

Misfits Gaming Group, owner of the Call of Duty League team Florida Mutineers, has officially launched “the newest company under the MGG umbrella,” MSF.IO. MSF.IO is an esports incubator and seed fund, aimed at supporting esports companies “looking to take their business or idea to the next level,” according to the organization’s official press release. […]


Juked Esports Startup Launches New Beta Testing

Juked Esports Startup Launches New Beta Testing

| | Author

Hot-to-trot esports startup, Juked, has just launched their first open-world beta testing for streaming live video game content. The Californian esports company just began last February and rumor is their team are fervent on delivering continued updates for future fans and subscribers in 2020. On their official page, Juked is attempting “to create a better […]


Skillz Unveils Mobile Gaming Tournaments Supporting the American Cancer Society

Skillz Unveils Mobile Gaming Tournaments Supporting the American Cancer Society

| | Author

Following the partnership revealed in July, Skillz has announced mobile gaming tournaments supporting the American Cancer Society (ACS). Skillz, an esports provider for mobile games, has announced a range of tournaments for mobile esports professionals to compete in and support the American Cancer Society. Through the Skillz platform, competitors in mobile games such as Bubble […]


Amuka Esports: Building and Uniting a Gaming Community One Puzzle Piece at a Time

Amuka Esports: Building and Uniting a Gaming Community One Puzzle Piece at a Time

| | Author

Launched this April, Amuka Esports is an incubation company with a focus on the casual gaming market. Ben Feferman, the CEO of Amuka Esports, has played video games like Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! and NHLPA Hockey ’93 since he was five years old. “Those were the games that really transformed my childhood,” he told ESTNN. “I loved […]


Esports Bigwigs ESL and Dreamhack Partner with Nielsen

Esports Bigwigs ESL and Dreamhack Partner with Nielsen

| | Author

Nielsen will track esports viewership and statistics for the two industry giants. According to a press release, ESL and Dreamhack, two large-scale tournament organizers in the esports space, have signed an agreement with Nielsen to provide “comprehensive esport measurement[s]” for their tournaments. The agreement will further advance research standards in esports and provide greater confidence […]


“We Won’t Limit Ourselves to Studio Formats Only” – Head of Esports at WePlay! Eugene Luchianenco

“We Won’t Limit Ourselves to Studio Formats Only” – Head of Esports at WePlay! Eugene Luchianenco

| | Author

Eugene Luchianenco, Head of Esports at WePlay! Esports, sat down with ESTNN to talk about the grassroots tournament scene, WePlay!’s recent Dota Underlords tournament, and what the future holds for WePlay!.  Earlier this month, tournament organizer WePlay! hosted the first open tournament for Dota Underlords, Valve’s newest game and one of the most popular entries […]


Overwatch: Chris DeAppolonio is the new President of the Houston Outlaws

Overwatch: Chris DeAppolonio is the new President of the Houston Outlaws

| Tags: | Author

The Houston Outlaws have found their new president. The Houston Outlaws announced Chris DeAppolonio as the new president of the organization this morning, according to a tweet from DeAppolonio himself. I am thrilled to announce my new role as president of the @Outlaws. The brand, team, & staff are dear to me having prior worked […]


CSGO: RFRSH Will Sell Astralis and Origen to a New Ownership Group

CSGO: RFRSH Will Sell Astralis and Origen to a New Ownership Group

| Tags: | Author

Astralis’ parent company RFRSH Entertainment have reportedly agreed to the sale of their CS: GO team. According to a report from dr.dk, RFRSH has arranged the sale of Astralis to a separate ownership group that primarily consists of Danish investors. Nikolaj Nyholm, the Director of RFRSH, has announced that he will be stepping down from […]


Dota 2: OG and PSG Sign Sponsorship Deals with SteelSeries, Betway

Dota 2: OG and PSG Sign Sponsorship Deals with SteelSeries, Betway

| Tags: | Author

OG has signed a sponsorship deal with SteelSeries, and LSG has inked a partnership with Betway. With TI 9 just around the corner, the hype is getting bigger and bigger with each day. Having said that, a lot of the top organizations in Dota 2 are getting new sponsors lately. PSG Esports and Betway PSG […]


As Bugha Wins Fortnite World Cup, Esports Prize Pools Outpace Professional Sports

As Bugha Wins Fortnite World Cup, Esports Prize Pools Outpace Professional Sports

| | Author

ESTNN’s Matt Pryor explores the meteoric rise of esports prize pools. The rise of esports has been one of the more intriguing topics over the past 10 years. A steadily surging increase in viewership has come hand in hand with huge prize pools, and has monetarily benefited both organizations and players alike. Last weekend’s Fortnite […]


Overwatch Has Generated $1B USD From In-Game Purchases Since Launch

Overwatch Has Generated $1B USD From In-Game Purchases Since Launch

| Tags: | Author

Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch has made a billion dollars through in-game purchases since the game launched in 2016. SuperData, a Neilson-owned video game data research company, recently published its monthly Worldwide Digital Games Market analysis that revealing a global video game market revenue growth of 2% to $9.2B USD in June. While major licenses such as League […]


China’s Video Game Policy Is Influencing American Developers

China’s Video Game Policy Is Influencing American Developers

| | Author

ESTNN’s Malik Shelp sheds some light on how China’s draconian video game policy is influencing American video game developers. Unless you’re out of the loop, it’s pretty common knowledge that China holds a monumental stake in the gaming industry. They provide a substantial percentage of the user base for popular games like League of Legends […]


Pittsburgh Knights Announce Strategic Partnership with Wiz Khalifa

Pittsburgh Knights Announce Strategic Partnership with Wiz Khalifa

| | Author

The Pittsburgh Knights Esports organization announced a partnership with rapper Cameron Jibril “Wiz Khalifa” Thomaz this morning. North American esports organization Pittsburgh Knights announced a partnership with Cameron Jibril “Wiz Khalifa” Thomaz this morning, according to a press release from the organization. Thomaz will join the organization as a strategic partner and provide creative direction, […]


ESL and AT&T Extend Partnership Into 2020

ESL and AT&T Extend Partnership Into 2020

| | Author

ESL North America and AT&T announced a partnership extension this morning ahead of IEM Chicago. Tournament organizer ESL and telecommunications giant AT&T have extended their North American partnership this morning according to an official press release. The partnership will bring new experiences to ESL’s North American events, including Intel Extreme Masters Chicago, ESL One New […]


NRG Teases Mysterious Announcement For July 22

NRG Teases Mysterious Announcement For July 22

| | Author

Esports organizations NRG is teasing what looks to be a brand overhaul set to be unveiled on July 22. NRG Esports teased what looks like a brand overhaul today on the team’s official Twitter account. a whole new nrg coming july 22nd 🙂https://t.co/2jOFMO0d0f — NRG (@NRGgg) July 16, 2019 The link takes viewers to the […]


“For New People, We’re Making the Esports Curve Way Easier” : Weekly.gg Co-Founder Franco Rivas On Newsletter

“For New People, We’re Making the Esports Curve Way Easier” : Weekly.gg Co-Founder Franco Rivas On Newsletter

| | Author

Weekly.gg has made its mark in the esports industry for veterans and newcomers alike with its recent launch of a tailored email newsletter: a to the point newsletter for esports professionals. The email goes out to subscribers every Friday, containing curated news told in a unique way. The people behind Weekly.gg, Alan Ruchtein, Gonzalo Sanchez […]


Blizzard Promotes Johanna Faries to Commissioner of Call of Duty Esports League, Outlines Future Plans

Blizzard Promotes Johanna Faries to Commissioner of Call of Duty Esports League, Outlines Future Plans

| Tags: | Author

Activision Blizzard announced Johanna Faries as Call of Duty Esports League Commissioner today. Activision Blizzard promoted Johanna Faries to the Commissioner position of the Call of Duty Esports League today, according to a post on their official website. Faries, who worked for the NFL before becoming Head of Call of Duty Esports, now takes on […]


100 Thieves Announce Doug Barber as Vice President of Brand & Apparel

100 Thieves Announce Doug Barber as Vice President of Brand & Apparel

| | Author

100 Thieves announced that they have brought Doug Barber, the previous owner of clothing brand Reigning Champ, onboard as Vice President of Brand & Apparel. 100 Thieves hired Doug Barber to lead a brand new position, Vice President of Brand & Apparel, according to an official press release by the organization. Doug Barber previously owned […]


Immortals Lays off OpTic Gaming Staff Following IGC Acquisition

Immortals Lays off OpTic Gaming Staff Following IGC Acquisition

| | Author

IGC has laid off several employees from different parts of the OpTic Organization following their acquisition of Infinite Esports and Entertainment. As many OpTic fans already know, Immortals Gaming Club finalized their acquisition of the esports organization in early June. However, there have been even more consequences that have just come to light; according to […]


RFRSH & Astralis Announce Two-Year Logitech G Partnership

RFRSH & Astralis Announce Two-Year Logitech G Partnership

| | Author

RFRSH Entertainment has announced they have entered into a two-year partnership with Logitech G. RFRSH Entertainment, owners of the Danish Counterstrike squad Astralis, announced a two-year partnership with Logitech G to provide equipment and peripherals to the Danes. This is the second RFRSH-owned team Logitech has sponsored in the past week. Last Wednesday, Logitech G […]


Nike Partners with Brazillian Esports Organization FURIA

Nike Partners with Brazillian Esports Organization FURIA

| | Author

FURIA announced a partnership with Nike today on the teams official website. It will debut as FURIA’s CS:GO team takes the stage at ESL One Cologne. Brazillian esports organization FURA revealed a sponsorship with Nike today, per the company’s official website. This partnership is Nike’s first entrance into team sponsorships. The sport fashion conglomerate partnered […]


Activision Blizzard Reveals Two More Franchises for Call of Duty League

Activision Blizzard Reveals Two More Franchises for Call of Duty League

| Tags: , | Author

Activision Blizzard announced today that Immortals Gaming Club and WISE Ventures will field franchises in the upcoming Call of Duty League. Immortals Gaming Club will field a Call of Duty Franchise when the League starts next year, according to Activision Blizzard. According to the team, Immortals will retain the newly purchased OpTic Gaming brand for […]


Breaking News: Team Liquid Partners with Marvel Entertainment, Reveals Crossover Jerseys and Merch

Breaking News: Team Liquid Partners with Marvel Entertainment, Reveals Crossover Jerseys and Merch

| Tags: | Author

Well, now we know what Project Whirlwind was all about. In what may be one of the largest esports partnerships of all time, Team Liquid unveiled a strategic partnership with Marvel Entertainment today when the TL League of Legends team entered the Rift Rivals tournament wearing Captain America/Team Liquid crossover jerseys. The partnership includes exclusive […]


OAM Announce Strategic Partnership With Bell

OAM Announce Strategic Partnership With Bell

| | Author

OverActive Media announced Bell, Canada’s largest communications company, as a Founding Marketing Partner.  OAM and Bell Partner Up OverActive Media (OAM) revealed a strategic partnership with Canada’s largest communications company, Bell, today. As part of the deal, Bell acquired a minority interest in OAM and became OAM’s first Founding Marketing Partner. The multi-year agreement includes […]


Origen and Logitech Announce Partnership

Origen and Logitech Announce Partnership

| | Author

The LEC’s Origen and peripheral-maker Logitech announced a partnership this afternoon. Logitech and RFRSH Team Up RFRSH Entertainment and Logitech revealed their two-year partnership today in an official press release. Origen, a RFRSH brand, will start to use Logitech products when competing in the LEC. Additionally, the players will “be integrated in[to] the development of […]


Team Liquid Teases the Mysterious “Project Whirlwind”

Team Liquid Teases the Mysterious “Project Whirlwind”

| | Author

A tweet today from the official Team Liquid Twitter account announced the reveal date for the mysterious Project Whirlwind. Team Liquid’s official Twitter account posted a cryptic tweet this afternoon, teasing something called mysterious: “Project Whirlwind.” The tweet itself contains Team Liquid’s most prominent sponsors, including Monster, Alienware, SAP, Honda, HyperX, Need for Seat, and […]


Overwatch: The Atlanta Reign’s Job Postings Pose Some Big Questions

Overwatch: The Atlanta Reign’s Job Postings Pose Some Big Questions

| Tags: | Author

The Atlanta Reign posted three job opportunities last night that have us thinking. Last night, the Atlanta Reign posted three job opportunities for inside the organization. That, in and of itself, is not groundbreaking. What is interesting, however, is what those job opportunities are. The fledgling Overwatch League franchise posted openings for a Director of […]


COD: Modern Warfare leads Gamestop Preorders After E3

COD: Modern Warfare leads Gamestop Preorders After E3

| Tags: | Author

After a few down years for Call of Duty, Infinity Ward’s return to the Modern Warfare franchise has people excited. Modern Warfare is Back Gaming retailer Gamestop has released a top 10 list of most preordered games after E3, and Call of Duty Modern Warfare tops the list. Infinity Ward’s return to the franchise clearly […]


ESforce adds IT Giant SAP as a sponsor ahead of the EPICENTER Dota 2 Major

ESforce adds IT Giant SAP as a sponsor ahead of the EPICENTER Dota 2 Major

| | Author

The upcoming EPICENTER Major adds German tech company SAP as a sponsor ahead of the tournament. EPICENTER has added German IT company SAP as a sponsor ahead of their upcoming Dota 2 Major tournament. It marks the first time in EPICENTER’s history that they have had a technology company sponsor. SAP specializes in collecting in-game […]


Dreamhack Partners with Akamai Technologies for Dreamhack Summer

Dreamhack Partners with Akamai Technologies for Dreamhack Summer

| | Author

Dreamhack has announced a partnership with Akamai Technologies to raise awareness of hacking and data theft in the esports space. In an official press release from the organization, tournament organizer Dreamhack revealed a partnership today with Akamai Technologies in order to highlight the dangers that hackers pose to esports data security. The partnership includes Dreamhack […]


Dota 2 News: Goryachaya Shutcka named partner of the EPICENTER Major 2019

Dota 2 News: Goryachaya Shutcka named partner of the EPICENTER Major 2019

| | Author

According to a press release from the organization, Russian frozen foods brand Goryachaya Shutcka will sponsor the EPICENTER Major. In a press release this morning, EPICENTER named Goryachaya Shutcka an official partner of the upcoming EPICENTER Major. The brand, translated “Hot Stuff,” will host several online events for both online viewers and fans that attend […]



Immortals Gaming Club will Purchase Infinite Esports and Entertainment, Parent Co. of OpTic Gaming and the Houston Outlaws

Immortals Gaming Club will Purchase Infinite Esports and Entertainment, Parent Co. of OpTic Gaming and the Houston Outlaws

| | Author

Immortals Gaming Club will purchase Infinite Esports and Entertainment for $35-$45M USD in cash and equity, according to a report by ESPN’s Jacob Wolf. Immortals Gaming Club has announced a deal to purchase OpTic Gaming and the Houston Outlaws parent company, Infinite Esports and Entertainment, for between $35-$45M USD in cash and equity. As of […]


Interviewing the Interviewer: Frankie Ward on CS:GO, Esports, and the Talent Experience

Interviewing the Interviewer: Frankie Ward on CS:GO, Esports, and the Talent Experience

| | Author

ESTNN’s FPS Editor-in-Chief Nicholas Johnson managed to wrangle Frankie Ward, one of the only professional esports interviewers, away from the stage at IEM Sydney and got her perspective on her job, her experiences, and esports as a whole. ­­­­­­­­ There’s something to be said for post-game interviews. Through the interviewers, fans get an inside look […]


Evil Geniuses Acquired by Investment Firm Peak6

Evil Geniuses Acquired by Investment Firm Peak6

| | Author

Tech investment firm Peak6 has announced today that they have acquired storied esports organization Evil Geniuses. Tech investment firm Peak6 announced today that they have acquired esports organization Evil Geniuses. Fans know Evil Geniuses for fielding teams in Dota 2 and Call of Duty (the latter of which now features FaZe Clan alum Dillon “Attach” […]


Immortals Gaming Club’s OpTic Acquisition – What We Know So Far

Immortals Gaming Club’s OpTic Acquisition – What We Know So Far

| | Author

With the recent news that Immortals Gaming is close to purchasing OpTic Gaming, ESTNN’s Phillip Miner breaks down everything that we know so far. It’s a scary time to be an OpTic Gaming fan. Earlier this month, the Immortals Gaming Club announced that it was close to cementing a purchase deal for the OpTic organization. […]



CompLexity Gaming Reveals Rebranding & Team Manifesto

CompLexity Gaming Reveals Rebranding & Team Manifesto

| | Author

Complexity Gaming, one of esports’ longest-running organizations, announced a total rebrand today, complete with a new logo, jerseys and merchandise. Complexity Gaming announced a full rebrand today to coincide with the organizations move to their new headquarters, the GameStop Performance Center. The new design mirrors that of Complexity’s sister team, the Dallas Cowboys. In addition […]



Report: Gamers in China is Expected to Reach 873 Million By 2023

Report: Gamers in China is Expected to Reach 873 Million By 2023

| | Author

DouYu, the Twitch of China is filing in the U.S to go public. Their filing gave a lot of interesting data regarding esports and the Chinese gaming market. We have summarized the statistics that we found to be the most intriguing. Gamers in China is expected to reach 878 million by 2023 China is the […]


New Wave Holdings: Taking Competitive Gaming and Esports Investment to the Next Level

New Wave Holdings: Taking Competitive Gaming and Esports Investment to the Next Level

| | Author

New Wave Holdings Corp. is a recently established competitive gaming and esports investment company. Their CEO and CMO, Tolga Onuk and Daniel Mitre, come from an extensive background in both the technology and gaming industries. Having previously worked for companies like Electronic Arts, Sega, and Thunderbolt Studios, their venture into esports and its communities with […]


Gen.G Raises $46 million, Will Smith and Keisuke Honda Among Investors

Gen.G Raises $46 million, Will Smith and Keisuke Honda Among Investors

| | Author

Esports organization Gen.G revealed on Wednesday that they had raised $46 million in a round of funding to support future projects, with the fundraising led by big names in sports and entertainment. These names include actor Will Smith, known for films such as Men In Black and I Am Legend, Japanese soccer player Keisuke Honda […]


CSGO News: North partners with IT Consulting Firm Capgemini

CSGO News: North partners with IT Consulting Firm Capgemini

| | Author

Counterstrike organization North has announced a partnership with IT consultancy Capgemini today in a press release. Danish Counterstrike organization has announced a partnership today with IT consulting firm Capgemini in an official press release. As a result, The deal includes prime placement of Capgemini’s logo on North jerseys. Additionally, Capgemini will also “spearhead several initiatives […]


100 Thieves Announce Totino’s Sponsorship of 100T Fortnite

100 Thieves Announce Totino’s Sponsorship of 100T Fortnite

| | Author

100 Thieves announced today that Totino’s will sponsor its Fortnite team. In addition to the sponsorship, the 100 Thieves has also revealed that its Fortnite team will move into the Totino’s World Cup House in Atlanta in order to practice for the Fortnite World Cup Qualifiers. North American esports organization announced an expansion with current […]


Chipotle Partners with ESL and Dreamhack

Chipotle Partners with ESL and Dreamhack

| | Author

Chipotle has announced a partnership with both ESL and DreamHack this morning, with content including event sponsorships and the Chipotle Challenger Series, an amateur esports league. American Mexican restaurant Chipotle revealed a partnership today with two of the largest esports tournament organizers, ESL and DreamHack. https://twitter.com/DreamHack/status/1116332574459092992 As per the press release, Chipotle will sponsor ESL […]