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

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 Marketing, Director of Content and a Senior Event Manager. While this is par for the course when an organization first forms, it is a little odd that the Atlanta Reign, who are hosting a Homestand Weekend in just a little under two weeks, might not have any of these positions filled.

It really shouldn’t be an issue of money, either. The Atlanta Reign is owned by Atlanta Esports Ventures (AEV), comprised of Cox Enterprises and Province, Inc. Cox Enterprises is the parent company of Cox Communications, the third-largest cable television provider in the United States. Province, Inc, for their part, is a financial advisory firm with branches in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, and Baltimore.

Whether the lack of these positions inside the Reign was the result of a lack of faith in Activision/Blizzard's city-based model or something else entirely isn’t clear. What is clear, however, is that the Atlanta Reign are currently lacking people in upper-management positions that are integral to the growth of an esports team. Especially one with a major televised and streamed event, the Atlanta Homestand, set to begin on July 6^th.

A Possible Explanation

There is a plausible explanation, however. In May, Activision announced the first five cities that have signed on to own their own Call of Duty World League franchise teams. Atlanta was among them, along with New York, Toronto, Dallas and Paris. ESPN reported that Overwatch League franchises had a right-of-first-negotiation for these teams. It seems as though Atlanta Esports Ventures was ready to jump on the opportunity. It's possible that AEV was biding their time, watching how their first franchise was viewed before committing wholesale into their esports foray. That said, lacking a Senior Event Manager before the first Homestand sends up red flags.

Interestingly, LinkedIn only shows three employees for the Atlanta Reign, and one currently lists himself as the Director of Marketing. ESTNN has reached out to the Atlanta Reign for comment but has only received an automated response in return. We will update this article with a response from the Reign when and if we receive one.

On the other side of the business, The Atlanta Reign have struggled in their first season in the Overwatch League. They’re currently in 16^th place with seven wins and twelve losses, just ahead of the Los Angeles Valiant. Atlanta has had to watch as other expansion teams, like the Vancouver Titans, steamroll the League while languishing at the bottom of the pack. The Atlanta Reign play their next game against the Toronto Defiant on July 6th.

Image VIA: Overwatch League