The Esports Journal - Edition 1

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In this edition 46

Jason Lake

With over 16 years of experience, its longevity can’t just be down to luck, but rather excellent management, top players and creating partnerships with the right companies.

14 Nicolas Maurer

Hitmarker

There have been plenty of reports covering the explosive growth of esports, but none have ever really taken a look into what this means for the industry’s employment opportunities.

A major driving force behind Team Vitality´s success has been CEO Nicolas Maurer who has taken the lead on the business side, from the fledgling days up to partnerships with the likes of Adidas, Renault, Razer, Volvic, Orange and Red Bull.

8 A note from the Esports Insider team

It’s with great pleasure that we welcome you to the Tribeca Rooftop in downtown Manhattan; an idyllic location for our first event (#ESINYC) in the United States of America.

16 Women of Esports and Gen.G

Recent studies have highlighted that women make up half of the gaming industry, yet there is still a lack of diversity across esports teams and gaming platforms.

20 Kinguin

From sponsoring the most prominent teams and tournaments to forming a recently re-branded competitive organisation of his own, Viktor Wanli has tried his hand in many sectors.

26

HKS: Architecture and design

Esports venue opportunities, multipurpose stadiums of the future and more.

30 Betway

Betway has been excellent at creating engaging content for fans and tapping into the plethora of bigname players at its disposal through its various sponsorship deals.

34

We are Nations

Clothing the biggest organisations in the world.

36 Shonduras

The importance of creating a unique identity within esports.

38 Gaming Malta

We spoke to Hon. Silvio Schembri, about their ambitious aims in the esports world.

40 Dreamhack

During 2018, DreamHack festivals welcomed over 310,000 visitors

42 GRID

Esports platform GRID aims to improve esports data.

44 WIN WIN aims to service esports consumers through a variety of means.

51 Southeast Asia

The esports world’s fastest growing region.

54 It’s

time for Latin America

Esports are no longer something new for the region and tournaments gather more people every time.

56 Challengermode

Empowering the future of esports by building competitive infrastructure from the ground up.

The companies and executives that make esports one of the fastest growing industries worldwide

EDITION 1

ESI NYC - April 23rd 2019

EDITION 2

ESI Hall of Fame - June 10th 2019, Los Angeles

EDITION 3

ESI London - September 16-17th

Esports BAR Miami - 2-4th October

Digital versions will also be available via www.esportsinsider.com & www.lmgmas.com

To get involved, or if you have any questions at all, please reach out via info@theesportsjournal.news

Welcome to The Esports Journal

We’ve given life to this industry-focused magazine, which will be available in digital format and print (at all good esports b2b events near you), as we believe there’s a gap in the market for such a project.

Notes from the editors

ust as in ‘traditional sports’ there are businessfocused publications from SportsPro to SportBusinessReview, we saw there was space for such a magazine focused on esports. Some prefer to read their long-form content in a print publication, and indeed for the screens only amongst you, we’ll produce each version in digital format too, which naturally will be made more widely available.

Initially, in 2019, The Esports Journal will only be available at select esports industry events, but there are plans to expand beyond this should there be appetite for it. There will be a minimum of three editions of The Esports Journal in 2019, and you can pick each up at the below events:

ESI NYC

April 23rd 2019

ESI Hall of Fame

June 10th 2019, Los Angeles

ESI London

September 16-17th

Esports BAR Miami

2-4th October

Sam Cooke Managing Director & Co-Founder ESI

This is an idea we’ve toyed with for a while. We’ve been producing daily business-focused content on esportsinsider.com for close to three years now, and then after chats with our Buenos Aires-based friends at LMG, we decided to go ahead.

Maybe I’m being nostalgic for the days of reading Match magazine, GamesMaster and NME, but I do believe there is a space and will be a desire for an esports industry focused print magazine. And we’re producing a digital alternative too, for those who of you determined to see the end of WHSmith. The aim with the magazine content is that it’ll be differentiated enough from ESI content in that it’ll be a home for longer form content, more in-depth interviews and insightful opinion pieces. All industry and business focused. Give us time, and we will deliver on this front.

Moreover you won’t be forced to read ‘Esports Insider says’ at the end of every article.

Agustín Cikes

COO & Co-Founder LMG

In LMG, we are keen supporters of printed magazines; perhaps it ́s as Sam said, I’m being nostalgic because it reminds me of when I read Wired magazine, or simply, the newspapers in the morning. What I do know is that I’m 100% sure that it’s much more effective to take a magazine home or to the office rather than bookmarking a link (though you can do this with The Esports Journal too..).

Over the past few years, we’ve attended the most important business events in the esports industry, and one thing we noticed was that there was no specialised magazine focused on the industry (looking at the business side; the organisations, the brands, executives, associations, challenges and so on). And so here we are; about to launch a highquality magazine with fantastic, exclusive content and reaching the most important executives of the industry.

Enjoy!

About Us

Based in London and founded in the summer of 2016, Esports Insider is an industry events, agency and media company, with a leading international business focused news site.

We are a team of industry professionals who are both knowledgeable and well connected across the space as a whole. In this fast paced and fast changing industry we have formed a team of experts to play a part in guiding it in the right direction.

Esports Insider.com - One of the leading esports industry focused platforms worldwide. We feature the latest news stories each day, alongside opinion pieces, and interviews with those making waves in esports business.

We publish four to eight stories daily, and see upwards of 140,000 page views per month, and have a twice weekly newsletter, the ESI Dispatch. Our Twitter following is 7,000+ and our combined social media reach is over 12,000. We are also active on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.

ESI Events - We run esports industry focused events and have produced more such events than any other, globally. These have included the ESI Forum Series, the ESI Super Forum, Betting on Esports Conference, ESI Birmingham, ESI London, and ESI Hall of Fame.

In 2019 we have ESI NYC, ESI London, the ESI Forum Series and the ESI HoF in Los Angeles. We offer white label events services too.

ESI Media - We offer content creation options (editorial, podcast and video), advertising, consultancy, and social media campaign promotions.

ESI Connect - ESI Connect sits in-between current esports rights holders and companies seeking to do business the right way, without all the hassle. Acting as an agency, media house, translator and mentorship group, ESI Connect will evaluate what you seek to do, propose the best fit, initiate the right contacts and support you in the delivery of your plans.

About Us

Based in Buenos Aires and founded in 2016, Latam Media Group was launched to bring a new concept in communication, networking and content creation.

Latam Media Group is a media group specialized in the Latin American Gaming industry. Its expertise in public relationships let them multiply their business audience, building a selected and exclusive network that acts as a guide to keep evolving in the right direction.

LMG now organizes events, VIP dinners, conferences and summits for the Latin American gaming industry.

Betting Mgz - The first and only magazine focused on the online gaming industry in Latin America. It´s distributed in the main events of teh region, reaching the main operators, suppliers, regulators and businessmen.

LMGMAS.com - It´s one of the leading websites of the Latin American gaming industry. Apart from promoting the latest trends of the companies and the executives, LMGMAS makes the difference with their innovative way of communication, exploiting all the resources that social networks and new trends allow.

All the content is perfectly segmented, according to the interests of each of their readers. This is:

Esports Industry: All the information related to esports industry, focused on Latin America with a worldwide perspective.

Gaming Agenda: Exhibitions, Conferences, Summits and Webinars.

Betting Sports Mkt: It´s a new era for betting, entering to sports market as never before. In this section, you´ll find all the content related to this area.

LMG Eventos - Thanks to our daily contact with the whole industry, we know the needs of our clients. That´s why we organize events that fit perfect with their demand. Some of our events:

Esports Brands Conference

Betting Sports Marketing Conference

Affiliate Summit LatAm

One on One VIP Dinners

A note from the Esports Insider team

t’s with great pleasure that we welcome you to the Tribeca Rooftop in downtown Manhattan; an idyllic location for our first event (#ESINYC) in the United States of America.

With so much of our readership being based in the US, and a swathe of esports activity across the country, it made sense for us to hop across the pond and put together a cracking conference for you.

We’ve crafted what we think is the best agenda and speaker line-up of any business to business esports conference to date. Engaging panels encouraging debate and discussion from industry leaders as well as intimate roundtables, and the opportunity for everyone to have their say.

With topics covering everything from the FGC through to investment, we’ve a broad range of content that should prove invaluable for those already in

the industry, and those looking to learn more. Too many conferences now provide the same vanilla esports panels which is why we’ve taken a different approach. Esports Chamber 101 is a concept we’re very excited to bring to life for the first time in New York City, with true industry stalwarts on hand to take a deep dive into the numerous areas we need to improve on as an industry, and state quite clearly, what needs to change.

At Esports Insider we take great care of all of our attendees, so rest assured no one will go hungry today. There’s ample time for networking in our allocated breaks and during the gourmet lunch before the conference wraps up and we welcome you all, as our guests, up to the roof for a two-hour open bar overlooking the Hudson and New York City. For those who aren’t too tired, we invite (indeed we openly encourage) you to follow us to the official after-party at Jay Z’s The 40-40 club, where more drinks and food will be supplied, along with some NBA on

the screens for those who like that kind of thing.

Events like this aren’t possible without support from you, our attendees, as well as our fantastic sponsors and partners. A huge thank you to GamingMalta, YouGov Sport, AoE Creative, eSports Integration, HKS Inc, We Are Nations, Foley & Lardner LLP, Vizrt, BSE Global, DreamHack, Windows10, Acer and Epulze.

Additionally, a special thanks to our partners Swipe Right, Ginx Esports TV, LMG and DBLTAP.

All that’s left for us to say is enjoy the day. Make the most of the opportunities presented to you and forge key business relationships for the future. If you have any questions throughout the day make sure you grab a member of the ESI team who will be more than happy to assist you.

Cheers! Team ESI

MEDIA

We’ve assembled a hit squad of content creators who, as a collective, know the industry and each competitive scene inside, out.

Whether it’s editorial, podcast, video, or social media campaigns, we can help. If you need expert esports content for your platform, and/or want to promote your business to the key industry stakeholders, drop us a line

For more information visit www.esportsinsider.com or email info@esportsinsider.com

Jason Lake

compLexity Gaming

Working with the most valuable franchise in the world

AUTHOR Adam Fitch  @byadamfitch

Since forming in 2003, compLexity Gaming has become one of the most renowned organisations in esports.

With over 16 years of experience, its longevity can’t just be down to luck, but rather excellent management, top players and creating partnerships with the right companies. One of those at the centre of all of this has been CEO Jason Lake. His impact on not only compLexity but esports as a whole has not gone unnoticed with him being inducted into the ESI Hall of Fame in 2018.

We spoke to Jason to find out what being in the ESI Hall of Fame means to him, and the incredible growth of not just compLexity but esports in Texas following his deal with the Dallas Cowboys.

The Esports Journal: How did you feel when Esports Insider first reached out to you in regards to being among the first three people to enter its Hall of Fame?

Jason Lake: I’ve never been one to seek awards, but it’s a humbling honour that the ESI crew took the time to recognise my contributions to the space. It really meant a lot to me, my family and compLexity.

ESJ: At ESI London in September 2018, you were inducted alongside Chris Puckett and Michal “CARMAC” Blicharz. What’s it like being in the company of other legendary industry figures?

JL: I can’t say enough great things about Chris and Michal. It was a huge honour to receive the award alongside them.

ESJ: What are your key achievements when it comes to compLexity in the last few years? You’ve done plenty with the organisation in recent times.

JL: For compLexity the past couple years have been about positioning ourselves for a long term future. We’ve centralised our operations in Texas alongside the Dallas Cowboys and spent a good amount of time integrating with the organisation and learning best practices. We’ve scaled our business side, team sides and content division. We’ve designed and built out our HQ, the GameStop Performance Center. I believe it’s about building a solid, smart foundation. Now that we’ve done that we’re ready to catapult into the future of esports.

ESJ: At the beginning of 2019, compLexity partnered with Panini. What was the process of getting the company to venture into esports for the first time in collaboration with your organisation?

JL: Our CRO Daniel Herz and our CMO Cam Kelly spearheaded that partnership. We’re very excited about the potential and will have some very cool collaborations in 2019 and beyond.

“Now that we’ve done that we’re ready to catapult into the future of esport”

ESJ: How has your experience with Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys been so far? He acquired a majority stake, and that’s obviously a huge deal.

JL: It’s honestly been fantastic. Their support goes far beyond just the obvious financial backing. We’ve fully integrated with the larger Dallas Cowboys organisation and had access to some mind-boggling infrastructure. The Jones and Goff families have been incredibly supportive at every turn. We count ourselves very blessed to be associated with them.

ESJ: What’s the current status of the centre you’re working on?

JL: The GameStop Performance Center (“GSPC”) will be opening up this Spring. We’re so excited to have such an incredible facility.

ESJ: Have you done anything with the Cowboys partnership that you’d never have been able to do without it?

JL: The long answer to this would be a novel! In short, we’ve managed to scale our business in a way that would never be possible without such support.

2019 is going to be a huge year for compLexity, and I think I’ll just let our announcements and momentum speak for themselves.

ESJ: North Texas is becoming somewhat of a business hotspot and appears to be subject to a lot of recent economic growth as of late. How do you feel about compLexity’s involvement - and that of other esports projects such as the Arlington Stadium, OpTic Gaming, and Team Envy - in this development?

JL: I believe the Dallas area is now second only to Los Angeles when it comes to esports hubs in North America. We’re having a great time working alongside our colleagues and believe the industry will only continue to grow in our area.

ESJ:What makes the likes of Frisco and Dallas so well-suited to housing esports organisations and companies?

JL: Investors in the area have obviously shown a tremendous amount of support. The region is one of the fastest growing parts of America and has a true feeling of optimism and a pioneering spirit. Combine that with the affordable cost of living, central location in the U.S. and a massive population of gamers and I believe we’re on to something special here.

ESJ: A trend that’s slowly emerging in esports is the implementation of franchised leagues, yet compLexity hasn’t gotten involved in any. Is this through a lack of interest, are you waiting for the right time, place, and price to get involved, or is there another reason?

JL: It’s not a lack of interest as much as it’s a long term plan. Unlike some other organisations, we’re not in a rush to raise our valuation. We’re trying to build a sports property that will last decades. This long term outlook means we have the ability to sit back and analyse these opportunities over time rather than diving right into them. As a long time believer in esports, I sincerely hope these franchise leagues are all successful, and investors are pleased. As a businessman who hopes to maximise his partners’ investment, I want more historical data before committing such resources. Yes, I have access to a tremendous amount of capital. However, I also have a fiduciary duty to manage it properly, so we’re continuing to evaluate all opportunities in the market very carefully.

“I believe the Dallas area is now second only to Los Angeles when it comes to esports hubs in North America”

THE 2019 EDITION TAKING PLACE IN LOS AN GELES

Nixon Peabody LLP, Los Angeles 10 June 2019 5pm till late

This is the second year of the ESI Hall of Fame, which in 2018 inaugurated the likes of Jason Lake, Michal ‘Carmac’ Blicharz and Chris Puckett.

The ESI Hall of Fame was made to celebrate and recognise individuals who have built, moulded and continue to shape the esports industry. We will move it form city to city each year, and on 10th June we’ll bring in the class of 2019 on a rooftop overlooking Los Angeles.

Nicolas Maurer

Team Vitality

How publishers and teams work together

Despite only forming in 2013, Team Vitality has made a lasting impression across a wide-range of esports. 2018 saw the team’s most successful year with them securing victories in Counter Strike, League of Legends (and a spot in the newly franchised LEC), Hearthstone and Rocket League a testament to the Paris based organisation’s ability to compete at the highest-level across multiple titles.

A major driving force behind their success has been CEO Nicolas Maurer who has taken the lead on the business side, from the fledgling days up to partnerships with the likes of Adidas, Renault, Razer, Volvic, Orange and Red Bull.

Speaking to Nicolas, better known as Nico, we found out the process that the team goes through to consider entertaining a new title and how relationships with publishers really matter.

AUTHOR Graham Corking  @ESIGraham

The Esports Journal: As a leading European org with teams in multiple titles, what is the process for the decision making when considering entering a new title?

Nicolas Maurer: We begin by looking at a few criteria: The first one is a game’s reach in general, its popularity with the public. We also focus on games that have niche communities or games that are popular in a specific region of the world; for example, Arena of Valor is a game that is particularly popular in Asia. We are also interested in games that are popular in certain age ranges, such as Fortnite, which is a game that has a strong community of young people. A game might also not perform as well but be pushed forward by an editor, which means we could potentially be interested, but it might not be enough to get our full attention. Our priority is to make sure the game is relevant to us.

ESJ: How important is a healthy relationship with the publishers themselves?

Nico: The diversity of the ecosystem undoubtedly comes with challenges. Getting to know the processes and company philosophies of each publisher is time-consuming; it takes a lot of work and resources on the team side. At the same time, those interactions and the work that goes into it helps us evaluate the pros and cons of the different approaches, and push for industry best practices as we learn and iterate them.

ESJ: How important has pushing more women within Vitality head staff been?

Nico: The under-representation of women in all aspects of esport is a real concern. There is some frustration because the gaming community is still toxic towards women; there is no prominent female pro-player figure. We, at Vitality, are aware of all those problems and do our very best to address them. That’s why we’re hiring women with significant responsibilities in the executive staff: both our CFO and our COO are women. It’s a really important cause, and we are willing to change things entirely.

ESJ: When deciding to enter a new title as an org how important is a pre-existing good relationship with its developer?

ESJ: What is the opinion of the franchised versus non-franchised systems at Vitality HQ?

Nico: We are fond of the franchised systems, they create paths to sustainability and lay the foundation for healthy redistribution because everyone, from game editors to teams taking part in leagues, benefits from it. We feel that the non-franchised systems can be problematic because they create lots of expenses with very little return on investments, but it is the most empirical system. Because there are still some games that do not work well with the franchised systems, it would be interesting to explore a hybrid system so the esports clubs can benefit too.

Nico: For the key, tier one games, it doesn’t matter, to put it simply - we have to be present. If we feel the publisher doesn’t have the right approach, we’ll try to push them in the right direction, always with the goal of creating a fair and balanced ecosystem around their title. For tier two and three titles, publisher support, goodwill and openness really can make all the difference. If we know there is a path to supporting the teams (via in-game items and a rev share), dedicated resources to develop a good and sustainable product, naturally we’d be way more likely to invest there!

ESJ: What responsibilities does a top esport organisation have towards the audience?

Nico: As influencers, we have huge responsibilities to live up to. Young people listen and often turn to our players for advice. It’s because we have such a strong voice that we have true marketing power. Toxicity, inclusiveness, being healthy, respect and education are some of the sensitive subjects we have to be careful about. Our message has to be sensible, and we have to make sure our ambassadors convey the right one. Of course, we encourage young people to follow their dreams, but also firmly believe that school and education are crucial and should not be put aside. The most important thing to us is staying faithful to the positive values we try to convey, being good role models and remaining accountable to our audience

“We also focus on games that have niche communities or games that are popular in a specific region.”

“Young people listen and often turn to our players for advice.”

“The underrepresentation of women in all aspects of esport is a real concern.”

Saira Mueller

Women of Esports and Gen.G

Assembling the Avengers

AUTHOR

Laura Byrne  @SimplyLaura123

While the MeToo movement was making waves across Hollywood, esports and gaming, in general, was still lagging behind. Recent studies have highlighted that women make up half of the gaming industry, yet there is still a lack of diversity across esports teams and gaming platforms. However, change is afoot, women from all around the world are coming to the forefront of the industry and shaping its future.

Among those is Saira Mueller, creator and founder of Women of Esports. WoE was created to bring awareness to the challenges women face in the industry and build a platform for change. Since its creation last year, there are now over 500 active members in the Discord, 70 mentees participating in the mentorship program and four members of volunteer staff.

Saira’s career achievements don’t end there, after three years as Managing Editor at Dot Esports, Saira takes on a new challenge as the Director of Content at Gen.G. Her new role will see her oversee all content for the organisation which includes its Overwatch and League of Legends teams.

We found out more about her recent career (and city…) moves, the origin of Women of Esports, ambitions at Gen.G and her feelings on being involved in the ESI New York conference.

The Esports Journal: Last year you founded Women of Esports, can you talk us through your idea and the process you went through to bring it to life?

Saira Mueller: Women of Esports is essentially a space for women in the industry or those who are looking to get into the industry, to connect with each other and give their support.

I’d been thinking about creating a space along those lines for over a year. When the Me Too movement started, I remember I was talking to a friend in the industry about my plans in September last year. He told me I should just do it, and I was like, “Ok sure why not, I might as well do it right now!”

SM: The Mentorship Program was born from our “Advice” channel in the Discord. So many women were asking for help that it was clear we needed to do something more to help those that are just getting started or who are looking at careers in esports. For the first round of the Mentorship Program, we had around 70 mentees, only women that were in the Discord could sign up to be mentored by filling out an application that asked them what they want to pursue in esports, what they’ve already done, and what they want to get from mentorship. To recruit mentors we asked them to fill out a rigorous application that asked about their experience, years in esports, what they can offer mentees and how much time they can give.

online trolls that ask why there isn’t a “Men of Esports” group and that it’s sexist to have a space just for women to connect like this. Our answer is always: “Why don’t you start one yourself, no one is stopping you!”

That’s when I tweeted out that I was starting the Discord and that if any ladies wanted to join they just had to hit me up. I didn’t expect to receive the amount of responses I ended up with at all. There were hundreds of messages just in my Twitter DMs over the course of two days. I began fielding and making sure that the women worked in the industry or were actively pursuing a career in esports. Since then it’s grown so much, and we now have around 500 members in the Discord.

ESJ: One of the core parts of Women of Esports is your Mentorship Program. What processes did you go through to recruit mentors and mentees?

My Mentorship Program Coordinator Amanda and I then went through each and every application individually, and in turn, matched up mentors and mentees based on their answers with the aim to ensure that it was beneficial for both parties. It was then up to the mentor and mentee to connect and ask whatever questions they needed and get help to grow their skills. The feedback we’ve had from some of the mentors and mentees so far has been great! We also love seeing pictures of mentors and mentees hanging out together at events.

We’re about to send out the official feedback forms to everyone that was part of the first round, so the second round will likely look very different when launched in the future.

ESJ: What has been the response from the esports community? Is there anyone in particular that has helped you along the way?

SM: The response from the esports community has been mostly positive. Of course, you’re going to have the few

But there are so many amazing people that work in the esports industry that have signed up to be mentors in the Mentorship Program, so I think that alone shows that we’ve got a lot of support. In terms of people that have helped us, there are so many I can’t even name them all. But the organisation wouldn’t be where it is today without our volunteer staff members, Kierstin, Rebecca, Amanda, and Sarah. They have really taken a lot off my plate and helped shape what the community is today.

ESJ: Women of Esports has grown so quickly in such a short space of time, what are your long term goals for the program?

SM: I have so many! Firstly, we want to make sure the second iteration of the Mentorship Program is really solid, and that will depend on the feedback we get from everyone in the first round.

“I didn’t expect to receive the amount of responses I ended up with at all. There were hundreds of messages just in my Twitter DMs over the course of two days”

“...the organisation wouldn’t be where it is today without our volunteer staff members”

“I also really want to start a summer internship program where we place maybe five women with various esports organisations in LA for the summer”

I also really want to start a summer internship program where we place maybe five women with various esports organisations in LA for the summer. We want to put them up in a house together so they can lean on each other for support, and build up those lasting friendships that will help them throughout their careers. I’d also love to do a proper study of women in the esports industry so we have accurate numbers to quote publicly, and then we can use this to track trends over time and see whether the community is helping to bridge the gap in equality.

There are also a few other things that I can’t mention yet as well.

ESJ: You recently announced that you left your role at Dot Esports and are joining Gen.G as their Director of Content. Can you tell us about your new role and why you chose to make the move?

SM: My new role as Director of Content means that I’ll be overseeing all the content we produce for Gen.G’s teams.

So this means social media posts, written content, video content, and helping the organisation decide what our overall brand and marketing play is going to be in the U.S. While I loved the direct team I was working with at Dot, I’d been in a management and editing position there for over three years, and it felt a bit like I was stagnating - I didn’t have room to grow. With Gen.G, I have the opportunity to learn new things and test my journalism skills to create amazing content for our seven teams. Also, Gen.G has been putting together an epic team on the business side. It literally feels like the Avengers assembling. You can expect some amazing things from us over the next few years.

For someone looking to pursue a job in esports content creation, what advice would you give them?

SM: Make as much content as you can in your spare time, study, iterate, and hone your skills.

Being a fan of esports isn’t enough.

enough”

Esports teams are now hiring the best of the best from outside of the esports industry, across sports, entertainment, and media etc., to fill their roles. So yes, you’ll have a bit of an advantage if you have an in-depth knowledge of esports, but only if you can back it up with the skills that teams are looking for.

ESJ: You will be moderating the opening panel at ESI NYC, how do you feel about taking part in the event?

SM: I’m really excited about this panel! It’s somewhat funny that I agreed to moderate it while still at Dot and now I’m on the team side of the industry.

I will now be able to guide the conversation in a completely different way because I’ll have a lot more knowledge of the player side of things and the requirements that are put on them from a sponsor and brand perspective. I also can’t wait to catch up with my industry friends that will also be speaking at Esports Insider. These events are what bring us all together and give us the opportunity to catch up, so I’m always thankful that I get to be a part of them.

“Gen.G has been putting together an epic team on the business side. It literally feels like the Avengers assembling”

“Being a fan of esports isn’t

“These events are what bring us all together and give us the opportunity to catch up, so I’m always thankful that I get to be a part of them”

Viktor Wanli

Kinguin

Creating the Esports Performance Center

AUTHOR

Adam Fitch  @byadamfitch

Having been in the industry for longer than most, Viktor Wanli is a mainstay in esports. From sponsoring the most prominent teams and tournaments to forming a recently re-branded competitive organisation of his own, Wanli has tried his hand in many sectors. Kinguin was founded in 2013 as a trading platform but didn’t waste much time in investing in esports in a big way, especially with Team Kinguin - which is now known as devils.one.

Here Wanli details the experiences, challenges, and triumphs behind Kinguin’s Esports Performance Center - a facility located in Warsaw, Poland - which is dedicated to the improvement of the industry’s top teams. Wanli will take to the stage at ESI London in September 2019 to discuss this, and answer any questions on it.

The Esports Journal: When did the idea for the Esports Performance Center come about?

VW: Esports is not really new to me. I’ve always been an insider, and I would say I managed successfully to join both of the cultures because Kinguin, as a business concept, revolves more around the casual gamer. Even for today’s esports startups, it’s tough to have a proof of concept and go on any substantial and fair valuation about these concepts.

Kinguin has always been positioning itself around unique projects in esports, being one of the very first companies to sponsor teams on a very high level — including Team SoloMid, Cloud9, Fnatic, and Ninjas in Pyjamas. Later on, we turned to sponsor tournaments such as ESL One. Lately, we’ve been working a lot around two topics in esports: infrastructure and education.

In terms of infrastructure, we first started thinking of an esports entertainment concept — a retail concept. We defined our goals and values for the project, and we actually started to look for the first location in Warsaw, Poland.

That search actually took us about one and a half years because we have very specific demands about the space in terms of location, availability and construction demands. We found such a location in the centre of Warsaw, however, that later had been called off. Thankfully, we ended up finding the current location of the Esports Performance Center by accident.

It came very naturally to us, with a concept where esports professionals can find a dedicated space — a curated, private environment. I’ve been working with teams and boot camps for a very long time, so I watched the behaviour patterns of teams and their demands and requirements of such a space.

So we knew that we definitely wanted a residential and training space to be in the same facility. However, they should also be separated from each other, so they know when they are at work, when they are training, and when to spend time relaxing and having fun with friends. So we enabled the teams to define these boundaries.

security 24/7. The last floor is a chillout zone. We also look at this as where business and esports meets. Just today we had a viewing party for fans, business associates, and media of the Ultraliga — which is the Polish national competition for League of Legends.

ESJ: What makes the EPC different from other centres and headquarters owned by other organisations?

ESJ: Can you break down for me what the EPC comprises of?

VW: It comprises of four floors. We have an office floor which is for back office management. We have a training floor, which we call the ‘performance floor’, it’s where all the training rooms are located, and it contains room for psychologists and therapists with the support of basic facilities like a kitchen and lounge where they can discuss a strategy and their approach to the game.

Then we have the living quarters, which consists of private rooms which are equipped with individual air conditioning with Netflix and a PlayStation 4. They have all the facilities they would need to have a rest or have some additional entertainment if they would like that. It’s supported by a professional kitchen where we serve breakfast and lunch. This is led by a local chef and supports the healthy nutrition of the professionals. Then we, of course, have a gym. We offer additional packages in terms of guided physical activity, but they are free to access the gym 24/7. That’s one of the beauties about the whole concept; we have everything they could ever need inside. They can go through the facility as they like, there is

VW: An organisation’s headquarters is usually a very simple facility. So, in most of the cases, it consists of a small detached house. The main differences are the level of comfort, the separation of work from fun and from their private life. This is more possible in a facility within 2000 square meters than it is if you have a house of, let’s say, 300 square meters.

We have staff which clean through the rooms daily and provide the support for the teams to do whatever they need to do — not in terms of the facility itself, but also in communication with the outside world, whether that’s visits to the city, transportation, and so on.

ESJ: What are you most proud of when it comes to the EPC?

VW: I’m most proud of the team which actually made it happen in the end because mostly I was just walking around looking at stuff. The guys really made it happen, it took us a long time but what’s interesting is that we had to change lots of the first assumptions we had about the space.

It’s been verified by the professionals themselves; the usage and design of the space. We were lucky enough to actually be able to do these modifications on the go which was a huge lesson in itself. So the final thing coming together is like a dream come true and not just for me.

“That’s one of the beauties about the whole concept; we have everything they could ever need inside.”

ESJ: How much input did professional players have in the facilities available in the centre?

VW: I’ll give you a very specific example. When you plan a space, you try to make it as efficient as possible. So, for example, this very room we’re sitting in was actually supposed to be two rooms. We had the devil.one’s CS:GO team ‘bootcamping’ in the facility, but it wasn’t really finished.

They chose to spend their time relaxing in this room - which is a lot smaller than our largest training room - so I

was curious about the specific reasons behind it. I asked why they chose this room instead of the bigger one, and they explained that if they were in a big room, they would be actually most of the time staring into monitors anyway. They loved how open this space was and categorically told us not to divide it by any means.

They felt thrilled to come into this room where it’s a more relaxed, lounged style instead of sitting around the table to discuss things. We listened!

Is the EPC open for business at it stands or is it more of a case-by-case basis as to who can stay and practice here?

This facility as a business concept has certain fixed costs. We have to be realistic about the tenants of the facility. So, from a business point of

view, there are only a few organisations in the world right now which can afford to come to a boot camp of this scale.

Most of the leading local newspapers, even the mainstream newspapers, have already informed local teams of the facility. On our side, though, we’ve been mostly reaching out to specific organisations. I believe we have really been successful with the organisations we’ve housed so far and have helped them fulfil their mission.

ESJ: Has the centre created new jobs?

VW: Lots of service jobs. I think the facility now employs around ten people full-time for cooking, cleaning, servicing the apartments, the concierge service for the teams, and so on.

ESJ: What would you say has been the biggest challenge with the EPC?

“They loved how open this space was and categorically told us not to divide it by any means”

VW: Everything has gone relatively smoothly, to be honest, but gaining the permits for the residential quarters was somewhat of a challenge. It’s really unique to this building that we’ve been able to obtain these permits because it’s both a hotel and an office. All the regulations with the fire department and so on were slightly challenging.

ESJ: Was there anything that you wanted to include or build that you just couldn’t do execute?

VW: Personally, I would like to have more training rooms in the facility because we have much more demand than we can currently to fulfil. The whole centre is designed to house four teams with their support staff comfortably. So four teams can have excellent training in the facility comfortably together at the same time. I wish we could have another training space, to be honest.

ESJ: How has the centre been received by people in the surrounding area that are not aware or involved in esports?

VW: We definitely don’t have any complaints. The area around us consists mostly of other office spaces or hotels because we are quite close to the airport from here. It’s only about 15 minutes to get to the airport.

There is a very low residential presence on the other parts of the highway, so when it comes to the local authorities, we can also promote it by them, and I think we’ll see more of that. I think overall we definitely have made a positive impact on the community around us.

ESJ: Is there any scope for specific sponsors and partners of different rooms in the centre?

VW: We haven’t officially announced any of those just yet. We’ve been really busy getting the concept right before getting involved in promotions with other partners. Definitely, we have

upcoming showcases of technological partnerships and educational partnerships — especially with some of the largest universities in the country but also with many of the high schools here in the city. So it’ll be mostly technological and educational when it comes to partnerships in the near future.

ESJ: Do you see the EPC as a potential chain that can be located in countries around the world?

VW: I never think of a business as just a local thing; I always try to think in global terms. Thinking of this as a chain, we know already that there are similar a few facilities around the world which are being constructed.

expectations towards different parts of the chain.

The service component here is extremely important; this is what we are trying now to define. We are also new to the business of hospitality despite having experts hired from the industry. Really, we are still at the very early stages of understanding hospitality in esports.

ESJ: Do you find esports business conferences beneficial and fit for Kinguin, what do you get from them?

VW: It’s very good that esports is finally getting the attention it deserves in terms of business opportunities — whether it’s to meet each other regularly

We are in talks with most of them, and we have this idea to bring a chain forward, but I’m working on the values and the basic concept of such a chain. Our goal is to promote unified standards when it comes to giving the teams opportunities so they can have similar

through different esport conference events or to meet newer parties that are trying to understand esports. Sharing these experiences together and with non-endemic brands is extremely important, I can’t imagine going forward without them.

Dustin Sweeney Senior Designer - Esports

Architecture and design

Esports venue opportunities, multipurpose stadiums of the future -- giving fans multi opps for entertainment during a day out at an event

AUTHOR Laura Byrne  @SimplyLaura123

How do you host an esports event in a venue that manages to suit players, sponsors and the fans? Most tournaments and leagues have been run from one main arena, such as the Blizzard Arena in Burbank California. However, in the next few years, we will see an increase in custom built and multi-faceted arenas for professional teams — such as the Philadelphia Fusion who announced a $50million(£38m), 3,500seat arena for the 2021 Overwatch League season.

Behind these arenas are not just teams and investors but the architecture firms that are leading the innovations to improve all facets of fan engagement and sponsorship spaces.

Dustin Sweeney, Senior DesignerEsports at HKS knows all about this after the companies work on the LA Stadium and Entertainment District in the Los Angeles Metro Area.

Dustin talked us through where he sees the future of esports venues, giving fans the most engagement opportunities and how multipurpose stadiums are vital.

The Esports Journal: When and how did esports first appear on HKS’s radar?

Dustin Sweeney: Esports and competitive gaming have been on our radar for the better part of a decade. We have been working on a number of esports projects with our partners and team owners for traditional sports. As global competitions began to draw participation levels of 30,000 and

40,000 consistently, we knew this trend wasn’t going away. Today one of our premier projects - the LA Stadium and Entertainment District in the Los Angeles Metro Area, will include targeted programming to ensure esports is a prime consideration for venue scheduling and programming. As a category leader in creating premier sports venues globally that are both brand-focused and programmed to inspire audiences and fans, we knew early on that esports would be territory where we had to plant our flag.

“Esports and competitive gaming have been on our radar for the better part of a decade”

ESJ: What is HKS’s key objective for sponsoring Esports Insider events?

DS: We recognise the tremendous value opportunity the Esports Insider events present. We recently participated in the London presentation, which provided us with several immediate branding discussions and ventures. Events like these solidify the esports industry by inviting a wide array of stakeholders to learn more about how this industry is poised to redefine what it means to be a competitive sport.

By sponsoring these events, we hope to demonstrate our commitment to the shared esports community. HKS has more than 25 years of experience designing and developing places of performance, congregation, and spectatorship. Our goal is to create places that deliver unparalleled experiences for visitors and unmatched performance for ownership. We’re not here to make esports bigger. We’re here to contribute to making esports an even better, more entertaining experience for all.

provide not only a venue to large events but opportunities to host small, intimate media interactions. These potential venue types must have the ability to play host to more events than there are days in a calendar year.

for this community is the fact that the “venue” has yet to be truly defined. We don’t have a “standard playing surface” or configuration to adhere to or design around.

Currently, the only playing surface is a large LED screen, or is it really? Maybe it’s an entire arena where everyone wears a VR or AR headset. If that’s true, why are we designing venues that look and operate like theatres? Why would fans of esports simply buy a ticket, enter the building, find their seat and

ESJ: What can people expect from your attendance and session involvement at ESI NYC?

DS: Hopefully, our participation will add a new voice to the discussion. There has been a good deal of chatter among developers touting outrageous growth potential for esports and unheard-of levels of interactivity. The questions we are addressing focus on how best to create a successful venue – one that is financially viable and designed to meet the ever-changing landscape. Also, how are you going to use that potential to create a genuinely smarter venue, not just a bigger venue? A space that will

There should never be a “dark day” if the venue is programmed and activated accordingly. For example, when we designed AT&T Stadium for the Dallas Cowboys, it was with the knowledge that this venue would play host to so many other major events beyond NFL games. Concerts. NCAA basketball and football. Auto and truck events. Trade shows. When we design for esports, it needs to be the same thinking that allows for maximising the use of the facility.

ESJ: HKS has helped create some impressive sports venues, is there a future where you will be working on some esports venue?

DS: HKS understands the unique characteristics of gaming, and esports at its centre, and the ability to leverage the innovations we have developed for traditional sports facilities. We are currently working with team owners on several esports venues of varying sizes. I think one of the greatest potentials

consume what’s being fed to them from the stage? What if by merely showing up to the venue as a spectator, you were able to influence the outcome of the match? What If I could interact with the venue in other ways than just sitting in my seat and watching? What if my interaction and participation enhanced my favourite team/player’s abilities or hindered my team’s opponents? These are the concepts we are exploring to push this industry forward. Esports needs its own home. We should not be cramming this redefining competitive sport into a centuries-old venue type. My counterpart, Chi Bhatia, based in our London office, has been spearheading some really unique, nontraditional venue types that begin to answer some of these questions. Much of this venue redefining work is coming to life in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

“We recognise the tremendous value opportunity the Esports Insider events present”

“When we design for esports, it needs to be the same thinking that allows for maximising the use of the facility.”

Estadio TSM Corona Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico

ESJ: The Overwatch League announced for 2020 they will be going on the road. In your opinion what elements will be key in order for teams to create successful home venues?

DS: A home venue needs to fully support and enhance the shared goals and ideals of a community that comes together to feel they are all connected to and one

ESJ: Where do you see the future of esports venues heading?

DS: There is a real opportunity for more social spaces, where fans can freely migrate to different zones throughout the venue, gather with like-fans and friends, and just watch from a standing position. Designers may look to utilise the venue concourses in different ways, perhaps by designating more space to enable sponsors to activate while the event takes place. Or additionally by creating specific areas for game developers to beta-test new releases or operate R&D labs. The concourse becomes a crucial link to the gaming action and a hub where fans and friends can meet and socialise.

everything, someone who is physically at the event can get the same digital experience as someone who is 1000 miles away, how do we design for this?

with the action. Team spirit permeates the venue and serves as base camp for the community of fans. If a fan or supporter can’t visit and interact with the venue on an “off day” you just killed the spirit and hope that it means to be a part of your community.

Similarly, the esports community is only now becoming physical; this all starts in the digital, basic branding 101, continuity through message, activation, and presentation. The more continuity you have in your message, the easier it will be for your audience to get behind the core message and then repeat it to potential new fans. The most successful home venues will be the ones that best translate their core brand values into a physical and emotional experience. If a brand message can’t make that transformation, the brand (and team) will suffer.

Another large influence on the potential for esports venues is the progress of wireless communications. New thinking beyond steel, concrete and turf is now needed. The technology and streaming infrastructure which supports interactivity, social media sharing, and new revenue generation requirements are key in development planning. 5G is literally going to redefine our access to information and entertainment, with our limitations no longer being defined by device and location. This changes

Finally, our current markets like to define themselves as “disruptive”. Consumers, especially in the esports demographic, are not buying into the standard ideas of consumerism. Gaining brand attraction is about how you react, accept, and respond to current cultural events, one misstep and half your audience will disappear. This volatility is going to have a major impact on how brands and teams choose to embrace their physical experience.

Given the nature of the millennial audience and the need for the venue to have a continual occupation, stadiums must be more than the legacy model. It used to be about sheer size, but now everyone’s focused on the convergence of the physical and digital experience, increasing connectivity in the stadium to bring fans closer to the players and to each other. Do teams play it safe and build another “typical” concert/ performance venue? Or do they really try to define themselves, and their brand, by embracing a truly new concept, and home, for esports?

“Why would fans of esports simply buy a ticket, enter the building, find their seat and consume what’s being fed to from the stage?”

“Gaining brand attraction is about how you react, accept, and respond to current cultural events, one misstep and half your audience will disappear.”

U.S. Bank Stadium Minneapolis, Minnesota

Adam Savinson

Betway

How building the right partnerships was key for Betway

AUTHOR

Adam Fitch  @byadamfitch

etway has become one of the leading bookmakers within the esports industry. Since moving into esports, it has been excellent at creating engaging content for fans and tapping into the plethora of big-name players at its disposal through its various sponsorship deals.

Earlier this year, Betway became a sponsor of German-based team, BIG — a deal which it described as being ‘a statement of our intent for 2019’. BIG joined the likes of MiBR, Ninjas in Pyjamas and Invictus Gaming on its sponsor list. At the forefront of these deals, and one of the key names behind pushing Betway to become an industry leader, is Adam Savinson.

Adam took over as the Head of Esports with Betway back in 2016 and talked us through the companies strategy and the impact of these high-level partnerships.

The Esports Journal: So Betway has recently become a sponsor of BIG and BLAST Pro Series - as well as extending its deal with ESL - how do you decide who to work with, whether it’s with a team or an event?

Adam Savinson: Our sponsorship strategy focuses on achieving three things for Betway - credibility, trust, and brand exposure. For every country where we hold a license, we look to activate premium sponsorships that offer great brand visibility and authenticity while allowing us to share the thrill with our customers.

Tailoring our offer to esports fans is very important which is why we have built specific sites for them and bespoke social media channels. In terms of sponsorship, however, we look to follow the same exciting model wherever we are licensed.

ESJ: Betway’s working relationship with Ninjas in Pyjamas is often looked at as an example of how partnerships can be successful in this industry, what makes the collaboration between the two parties so effective?

AS: Sponsorship gives us a lot of positives, provided we find the right partners.

It is no secret that the teams and tournaments that we work within esports are the world’s best at what they do, and therefore the decisions to add to our esports portfolio in this way fits nicely with our strategic objectives.

ESJ: How do partnerships and sponsorships factor into Betway being one of the leading bookmakers in esports?

AS: The reality of activating our sponsorships is very similar in each licensed territory we operate. We look for premium opportunities in the top leagues, with the best teams and then bring supporters and customers closer to the game they love with great content and insight. In each country we find the fans are similar; they are passionate, knowledgeable, and sophisticated people who love to have information at their fingertips, so they can then test their knowledge.

ESJ: How has the esports landscape changed over the past couple of years when it comes to bookmakers’ involvement with events and teams?

AS: From Betway’s perspective, we’ve brought genuine value to our esports sponsorships by delivering far more than simply wrapping a team in a logo.

We have been able to educate fans by bringing them closer to the action, allowing them to get to know the players, interact with the teams, and provide a level of excitement and entertainment that didn’t exist before. We also believe that through our investment and support we have helped the sport grow into a truly global phenomenon.

ESJ: How important are partnership activations and content for Betway - they seem to be almost universally well-received, but do they actually play a big part in the overall strategy?

AS: Betway has a broad 2019 strategy, and at the centre of that lies our core values. ‘Authenticity’ and ‘Share the Thrill’ are two of those values, and our partnership activations are crucial in showing these in action by demonstrating that we are not just sponsors of esports, but knowledgeable fans of the sport too.

We find the relationship with Ninjas in Pyjamas a natural one as they understand the desire for us to engage fans through responsible activation. This is why working with them has always been a great experience; there is mutual respect and excellent communication between the two companies and a clear understanding of what we are looking to achieve together.

ESJ: What were the main factors behind the three-year, seven-figure renewal of Betway’s partnership with Ninjas in Pyjamas? That’s obviously a huge commitment for both sides.

AS: We believe in building long-term relationships, and our deal with Ninjas in Pyjamas has been an incredible success.

It was, therefore, a relatively easy decision to continue the deal for another three years and bring more behindthe-scenes content to the fans in a responsible manner.

“Our sponsorship strategy focuses on achieving three things for Betway - credibility, trust, and brand exposure”

“We have been able to educate fans by bringing them closer to the action, allowing them to get to know the players”

“From Betway’s perspective, we’ve brought genuine value to our esports sponsorships by delivering far more than simply wrapping a team in a logo”

We were established in 2016 to take responsibility for disruption, prevention, investigation and prosecution of all forms of cheating in esports, including, but not limited to, match manipulation and doping.

The esports Integrity Coalition works with esports stakeholders to protect the integrity of esports competition.

We are a not-for-profit members’ association and we can help you, whether you’re a tournament organiser, game developer, esports league or betting operator offering esports – join us!

> Clear, consistent, tried and tested regulations

> 20 years’ experience in traditional sports integrity

> 3 years in esports – an established and respected presence worldwide

> Player education –in person and online

> Investigation and prosecution – find and get rid of the cheats and match-fixers

> We monitor suspicious betting for you and alert you to issues

> Help and advice – we can hold your hand throughout

> A global community of like-minded members

> See who’s already on board on our homepage

> A global suspicious betting alert network

> Information sharing under tried and tested Memoranda of Understanding

> Combat betting fraud and match-manipulation

> CSR and PR opportunities – connect with the esports community

> Better regulator relationships & cooperation

> Support player education – increase competitive integrity

> Help make esports safer for wagering

Patrick Mahoney

Clothing the biggest organisations in the world We are Nations

AUTHOR

Adam Fitch  @byadamfitch

We Are Nations is quickly becoming one of the most prominent apparel and merchandising companies in esports. Led by its CEO Patrick Mahoney, the company is partnered with the likes of Riot Games’ LCS, G2 Esports, and OpTic Gaming. Now, We Are Nations is supporting Esports Insider’s leading esports business conferences and main events through 2019. We caught up with Patrick ahead of the ESI NYC conference.

The Esports Journal: What exactly is your involvement in ESI events for this year?

Patrick Mahoney: Past being a sponsor with the logo placements and sponsored benefits across ESI channels, I simply hope to participate more. If there’s ever an apparel, merchandising, or fashion panel where I would have the relevant experience then I’d love to be involved in that capacity, but we’re happy to sponsor ESI’s events. They’re a great way to get our name out. The great thing about esports is that you can have a conference in Manchester, New York, Asia, wherever - it doesn’t really matter. It just happens to be a global conference at a different

location so, everything that we’re doing is relevant anywhere and everywhere. We don’t necessarily need to focus on a specific location or to say that we’re only working in a particular territory. These conferences are very much destination conferences where the global market will come together; I’m sure you’ll have a certain percentage of regional interest, but at the end of the day there’s a global appeal.

ESJ: How do you think esports conferences can be beneficial to businesses?

PM: I think they’re critical; they’re a place to get a core group of people together in different contexts, in

different locations, with a set of mission statements and core values for business. I think it’s something of a two-way street; you have this sort of communal incubator where these ideas will continue to be incubated, and the business will just keep growing.

The fact that these conferences are thriving all over the world is a testament to how global this industry really is, and you’ve got this core group of people starting to drive it along with these really important local conditions.

I can only imagine from a production, IP, or operational standpoint that any game producer or an event promoter has their own set of unique challenges territory by territory. We Are Nations certainly has. I would say it’s harder to distribute jerseys online in Asia than it is in America, for example. We’re all faced with our own challenges, but we can deal with them as a group.

We are creating a very broad multisales channel network and in addition to teams, tournaments and leagues, we would love to collaborate, invest and/or work with any esports brands bringing unique ideas to the table. Right now we’re exploring every opportunity and taking every meeting.

ESJ: What is your criteria for choosing organisations that you end up partnering with to manage and produce apparel?

PM: In addition to the usual metrics - performance, reach, results, and so on - we are drawn to brands with unique character and global appeal. We are also in the process of developing ways to reach amateur teams, as well as college and high school teams, that are seeking custom apparel merchandise.

In addition to our main US base, we have subsidiary companies in the UK, Belgium, and Australia to better service the international needs of our clients.

ESJ: Why did you decide to get involved with ESI’s events as a sponsor?

This is like the early nineties. There was a big alternative music bubble in the US, and a lot of people that I knew in bands needed merchandise. It was a passion play because I knew I could offer a service to these people that - it just sort of went from there.

I see these other start-up companies, and there’s this common thread. They’re like “I love esports, how can I be involved?” and I really respect and admire that. There are a few of us, and there’s nothing wrong with competition in business. It’s healthy, it sort of keeps people in check.

I think that the fact that people are trying to do it and figure it out is great. Each company in the space appears to have its own speciality too, and if that works out then, it’s great for the industry overall. We’re focusing more on having a global team right now, establishing our base through working with organisations and leagues worldwide.

ESJ: From a business standpoint, have you found business conferences worthwhile?

PM: Based on my limited experience, they’re so, so important. I really believe we’re all in this together. There’s a way that we can all coexist in this growing industry, growing sport, and we’re all early adopters. We need each other.

ESJ: Quite a few different companies occupy the section of esports apparel, what do We Are Nations offer to teams that competitors don’t (or can’t)?

PM: Because of our backgrounds in music, entertainment and sports merchandising, we had a turnkey solution. We see esports merchandising as very similar to any other sports merchandising and are excited to help build on this.

PM: There are two main reasons. The first reason is that you guys have been great to us. You’ve been fair with your coverage, and you’ve supported us when we’ve had press releases, and we’ve really appreciated that. I feel as if we need to give back and support. The second is that I believe that these events appear to be a very aggressive, smart, forward-thinking strategy. It just makes sense for us to get involved wherever possible.

We have the advantage of having years of both endemic and non-endemic experience, and I think that’s shown in how quickly we’ve grown.

ESJ: We have a roundtable at ESI New York featuring SirScoots, Saira Mueller, and Slasher about what needs to change in esports (‘Esports Chamber 101’). Have you encountered anything whilst running We Are Nations that you think definitely needs to change?

ESJ: One of the discussions at ESI New York will focus marketing in esports, and that somewhat lends itself to what you do at We Are Nations. What do you think about the overall landscape of the apparel business in esports as it stands?

PM: I see a lot of me when I got started in music where it was a passion play for me.

PM: I think there are things that probably need to mature. It’ll happen with time, and this is a long play, so within that context, yeah, things need to change. I’ve had some conversations with people about kids suddenly making millions of dollars, right? Who’s going to guide them? How are they going to manage that amount of money? How can they avoid the things that have happened in other sports? We obviously don’t want that to happen.

Less specifically, I think the industry just needs to mature but it does have a bunch of younger people operating within it so it’ll just take time.

“Because of our backgrounds in music, entertainment and sports merchandising, we had a turnkey solution”

“There’s nothing wrong with competition in business”

AUTHOR Adam Fitch  @byadamfitch

Shonduras

Spacestation Gaming

The importance of creating a unique identity within esports

The Esports Journal: What made you decide to get into esports, and why did you get involved in such a hands-on capacity?

Shonduras: Esports was something we had started watching and talking about around the office.

After a couple of months, I began to understand the potential of competitive

gaming and wanted to build an organisation that was hyper-focused on engaging with their community.

The concept was similar to how a creator builds and releases content specific to their audience, and our success thus far has been deeply rooted in our community and the way we interact with them on social media.

Esports ownership used to fall under two categories: die-hard fans or die-hard fans who actually had a lot of money in their pocket.

Now though, we have seen the rise in celebrities getting involved with the likes of Drake, Shaquille O’Neal, The Weekdn, J-Lo and Michael Jordan investing in teams. However, a new form of celebrity has begun making moves in esports, the ‘internet celebrity’. This is precisely what Snapchat and YouTube star Shaun “Shonduras” McBride did, and so Spacestation Gaming was born.

With the backing from Shonduras and a ready-made army of fans, Spacestation Gaming’s birth was a little more straightforward than many others. This, however, doesn’t diminish the team’s already-impressive resume but rather enhances it. They’re already partnered with the likes of HyperX, UberEats, and on the NBA side, Utah Jazz. There is no doubt that thanks to Shonduras, Spacestation Gaming has some of the slickest and most engaging content of any team.

We spoke to Shaun to find out just how esports is being used as a marketing asset by brands and why he decided to get involved.

ESJ: How important is it for an organisation to have its own identity and voice in esports?

S: I think every organisation strives to have its own identity and voice, and the ones that can figure that out are the ones that find success.

Being able to figure that out comes from a unique strategy and dedication or is built over time. Looking at Spacestation Gaming, for example, we didn’t have the time invested that other organisations already had, so we went all-in on a posting cadence, a voice that was similar to many social media influencers.

We focus on telling the narrative of our teams through unique content because we realise that our community won’t necessarily watch or understand every game and scene we compete in, but regardless should still enjoy the content and support the team. Our creative approach to content and social enables that.

team looks at esports as an opportunity to evolve and push the standard of content.

ESJ: How are esports business conferences, such as ESI New York, important in your role as an org owner? Why did you choose to get involved in an ESI event?

S: Conferences actually helped me start Spacestation Gaming. I spoke everywhere I could as I built my personal brand, no speaking fee, just to get me in front of the right people.

Events are where you can meet best friends and your best contacts. This passion for events has actually led to

ESJ:Do you think esports is being fully utilised as a marketing tool by agencies and brands? We’re seeing more and more significant brands enter the space in some capacity.

S: Esports marketing has a long way to go. I have watched social media marketing evolve over the past six years and will continue to watch it evolve for the next 60 years.

Esports is at a very early stage with brands and marketing, and if a partnership is done correctly, esports can be a very engaged and supportive audience. On the other hand, if it’s done incorrectly, a brand will see no return and leave the partnership with a bad experience.

Unfortunately, in the two years I’ve been involved with esports I have seen many brands get burned from a non-reciprocal partnership and it hurts the esports industry as a whole.

ESJ: Spacestation Gaming has certainly carved out its own avenue when it comes to content, how does your background in creating video content help with both your creative input and management of the organisation?

S: The creative team at Spacestation Gaming carries years of experience in social strategy. Together we have built YouTube channels, run global social media campaigns, and helped launch several companies.

me being part owner in a social media conference called Vid Summit, so of course if given that opportunity to speak somewhere like ESI New York it’s a full send.

Brands should look for a long term partner that will tell their story in the gaming space through content and narratives being shared by their players.

ESJ: What are the key aspects of your organisation that you’ll be concentrating on in the next few years?

S: Spacestation Gaming will continue to focus all the important things we mentioned above while also looking for any small opportunity that could turn into a big one.

Small opportunities for an organisation like ours can be a new streamer, team, collaboration, partnership, or expansion in any direction that is unique.

When you really care about those small opportunities, that’s when they can become big ones, and that’s where the W is for SSG.

What we have learnt from these experiences has definitely helped mould Spacestation Gaming, and the

“We focus on telling the narrative of our teams through unique content”

“I think every organisation strives to have its own identity and voice, and the ones that can figure that out are the ones that find success”

“Brands should look for a long term partner that will tell their story in the gaming space through content and narratives being shared by their players”

Silvio Schembri

Putting Malta on the esports map Gaming Malta

AUTHOR

Ollie Ring  @olliering

Malta is well known for its natural beauty. The tenth smallest country in the world boasts a vibrant economy for a small space. The Maltese government sit at the forefront of ensuring that Malta continues to be a desirable destination for tourists and businesses alike. With the aim of becoming the ‘Home of Gaming

Excellence’ and funding committed to achieve it, the Maltese have lofty aspirations.

We spoke to Hon. Silvio Schembri, Junior Minister for Financial Services, Digital Economy & Innovation within the Maltese Government about their ambitious aims in the esports world.

About Hon. Silvio Schembri

Silvio Schembri is an elected Maltese politician and academic currently serving as a Junior Minister for Financial Services, Digital Economy & Innovation within the Maltese Government. An avid gamer Silvio is an experienced lecturer in Economics with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry. He is skilled in political communications, negotiations, sustainable development, political science, and analytical skills. He has a Master of Arts and a Bachelors Degree of Honours focused in Economics from the University of Malta. As a Junior Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Hon. Schembri forms part of Malta’s Cabinet of Ministers and is responsible for a wide portfolio including the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), The Malta Communications Authority (MCA), The Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA), The Malta Council for Science and Technology (MCST) and The Malta Information Technology Agency (MITA). He is also one of the driving forces behind for the implementation of Malta’s Blockchain Strategy, spearheading the revolutionary changes in making Malta the Blockchain island.

Located in the centre of the Mediterranean, between Europe and North Africa, Malta is the European Union’s smallest member state. Famous for its 7,000-year history and 300 days of sunshine, Malta has emerged as one of the most remarkable success stories in the Eurozone.

The Esports Journal: For such a small island, Malta does very well to attract a large amount of business activity. What’s the key to the island’s success? Silvio Schembri: It’s really a sum of all the parts. A government championing a pro-business attitude, support services by professionals with a ‘can do’ attitude, state-of-the-art telecommunications infrastructure and modest cost of doing business. It has become the go to country for growth-minded entrepreneurs and multinational companies.

With a highly skilled, educated and multilingual gaming workforce and labour market, we have a burgeoning choice of established support industries including financial services,

GamingMalta Foundation we started to make inroads in this regard. Our message is very clear – we are open for business and want to position Malta as a place where gamers can find a welcoming home here. Game on!

ESJ: What can Malta bring to the esports scene?

management consultancy, data centres and telecoms.

Couple that with year round sun, sea, culture and a fun and friendly atmosphere, Malta is the perfect place to live, learn and work. Quite simply you come, you settle, you succeed.

ESJ: When did Malta look to esports and start to try and attract both to tournaments and local businesses to the area?

SC: On the gaming front, we set a clear north star of being ‘Home of Gaming Excellence’ and Esports is a vital component to this objective. A year ago we started to look at a strategy to make this happen and through the

SC: Malta already has a growing esports ecosystem. Suffice to note that Malta already has a number of recognised esports athletes together with having esports tournament organisers which are looking to scale up their operations. Malta not only offers the same top notch infrastructure associated with a European country but a unique historical landscape which can serve as extraordinary alternative venues for esports events. Additionally, we are talking about more than just esports competitions, but also expos, thought leadership and a new type of tourists ex. students seeking to learn English combined with esports boot camps - ultimately creating a new ecosystem around the sector.

What’s the ultimate goal for Malta? What’s the dream?

SC: Our goal is the creation of a sustainable esports ecosystem in Malta for the upcoming years in which we create added value to existing initiatives and ecosystems.

Being gamer-centric is key. So creating an environment where local heroes make it to international global competitions is what ideally success will look like together with hosting prestigious international events.

About Gaming Malta

GamingMalta is an independent non-profit foundation set up by the Government of Malta and the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA). Tasked with the remit of promoting Malta as a centre of excellence in the digital and remote gaming sector globally, it is also responsible for liaising with the local relevant authorities to improve Malta’s attractiveness as a jurisdiction and enhance the ecosystem surrounding the gaming industry.

Where would you go if you want to experience a BYOC LAN, world-class esports, cosplay, live music, films, an expo area, hackathons, panel discussions, tabletop games, and more - all at the same event?

Where else but DreamHack. The Swedish based company has, over the last 25 years, developed into a staple of the gaming event industry at the same time as being one of the world’s largest esports production companies, and in 2019DreamHack is going bigger than ever.

During 2018, DreamHack festivals welcomed over 310,000 visitors attending the different festivals and other DH events in person; an impressive 24% increase from the year prior. This year, DreamHack isn’t slowing down, as they organize a total of 15 events spread across 8 countries in 3 different continents.

DreamHack Rio opens its doors for a three-day festival in April. At the end of May, DreamHack presents another first as the festival heads over to Dallas, Texas, for the biggest DreamHack event to date on U.S. soil. DreamHack Dallas

will be accompanied by CORSAIR DreamHack Masters Dallas, a top-tier tournament featuring the best CS:GO teams in the world.

25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

DreamHack was founded back in 1994, meaning that the company has entered its 25th year of operation. It all started with a group of friends in a cafeteria with no internet connection and that has now bloomed into a global community of gaming, tech, and esports enthusiasts that come together over the course of a weekend to celebrate everything that makes gaming culture unique and diverse.

The DreamHack festival is a one-of-a-kind experience for all types of gamers and digital enthusiasts. The core of the festivals is the bring your own computer LAN parties. Open 24 hours a day during DreamHack, thousands of DreamHack community members travel to the festival specifically to play games, make new friends and re-connect with old in the LAN area.

The DreamHack festival is an experience designed for and built by the digital generation. With a heavy focus on gaming, esports, and

interactive activities, DreamHack knows that their community loves their events because they help them plan and build them. Everything from the exhibitors brought in, to the tournaments run in the BYOC LAN, to the personalities placed in the Fan Zone are, in part, determined by the DreamHack community. DreamHack takes pride in creating the most engaging in-person events possible.

In 2015, the company was acquired by Modern Times Group, a Swedish media company, with the vision to make DreamHack the number one festival for an entire generation of gamers.

WORLD CLASS ESPORTS

As a tournament organizer, DreamHack pride themselves in hosting esports competitions in the most popular esports titles of today, while also keeping our eye out for the next big title of tomorrow.

It’s one thing to watch esports online, it’s another thing to experience them in person. That’s why all DreamHack events feature esports tournaments that bring in the best of the best, from around the globe, to compete for the prize money and the bragging rights to be crowned a DreamHack champion.

DREAMHACK CAPTURES THE MILLENNIAL AUDIENCE

DreamHack isn’t only a great place for the visitors, it is also the perfect spot to capture the attention of the ever elusive millennials.

84% of the visitors at DreamHack’s U.S. events during 2018 were under the age of 30, with the largest group being 18 to 24-year-olds. This hard to reach audience are often big fans of ad blockers, but herein DreamHack offers a solution in the form of a delivery guarantee with ads that aren’t technically possible to block. But ads are just one small portion of what DreamHack has to offer their partners. In-game

logotypes, graphical overlays, social media promotion and interaction, stage presence, and on-site activations are just a few examples. Another exciting addition is the DreamHack app, with the many possibilities that comes with it.

What do you get in return? According to Nielsen, measuring during CORSAIR DreamHack Masters Stockholm in August 2018, the ROI landed on 600%, with the average brand exposure coming at 18 hours for main partners and the media value created totaling at €3.5 million. It seems obvious that DreamHack, with its festivals and arena events, has something precious to offer partners.

PROFESSIONAL BROADCAST PRODUCTIONS

DreamHack has pioneered many different aspects of what has become known as atypical to the esports broadcast – from statistics and overlays to introducing new content segments and sponsorship/advertising opportunities.  DreamHack broadcasts are known for their high-quality production value, and for their lack of technical interruptions which are all too common in the esports world.

EVEN MORE DREAMHACK IN THE FUTURE

DreamHack plan to bring their festivals to more countries in the future, adhering to the highest production standards possible, and building a strong, stable and sustainable event franchise that can bring the unique DreamHack experience not only to gamers across the globe.

All of this at the same time as maintaining the inclusive and welcoming feeling that truly is one of the most unique selling points of any DreamHack festival.

Esports platform GRID aims to improve esports data

esports GmbH CEO & FOUNDER

Moritz Maurer

GRID

RID esports launched in September 2018, partnering with FACEIT for the London CS:GO Major, showcasing and distributing both product and data across the tournament. The launch was a success, with GRID extracting and distributing data to multiple clients, whilst also launching their innovative “Live Insights” service – the harvesting of live data to create statistical insights in real time to drive viewer engagement across the tournament.

Data in esports has always been a quandary, with the masses of data available weighed against its quality, in comparison to traditional sports, having yet to reach either it’s analytical or commercial potential. Moritz and his team, based out of Berlin, Germany, intend to disrupt this by making in-game data accessible and engaging. Within months GRID has already partnered with several Tier 1 rights holders in the space, whilst also extending their service from CS:GO to Dota2.

After kicking off with one of CSGO’s two flagship events, GRID partnered with RFRSH to collect and distribute data for BLAST Pro Copenhagen, Istanbul, and Lisbon. In addition, GRID partnered with Unikrn and their uniquely placed league based tournament, the United Masters League spanning 10 weeks with coverage of over 400 maps. For the UML, GRID developed a custom Map Draft tool that serves data to players and production simultaneously.

To close an incredibly exciting launch period through the back end of 2018, GRID landed the data rights to the WESG 2018/19 season hosted by Alisports. A massive multi-game tournament which spans across multiple months and features national competitions to participate in regional qualifiers culminated by Global Grand Finals in March 2019. GRID provided insights and a social stats service for CSGO in English and Mandarin.

GRID’s drive and understanding of the current data landscape has driven this early success. GRID specialises in technological innovation that bridges the gap between esports rights holders and the commercial sphere. Through the consolidation of data assets in all relevant esports titles, GRID is well positioned to serve as one-stop-shop for esports data solutions. Since the aggregation of content occurs on the proprietary platform, GRID solves challenges around consistency of data formats in a heavily fragmented space through the following pillars: Data Extraction Technology, Data Organisation & Externalisation, Data Processing, Modelling & Contextualisation, and Product Development & Design.

Strategically, the platform is positioned to function as conduit between data rights holders, e.g. game publishers and league operators, and commercial stakeholders in esports across media, sponsorship and betting verticals. The GRID refers to the underlying data framework and collection of technological components which it then services. These white-label products can be skinned and manipulated by the client to produce brand specific look and feel.

Moritz Maurer has more than seven years of experience working in the esports space, more specifically in esports better, building GGwins - the first UK-licenced betting operator. He sold the company to Genius sports in 2015, launching the industry’s first in-play betting product which is now recognized as a market-leading solution in the regulating sports betting industry. Having left his position as Head of Esports at Genius, Moritz is now embracing new challenges at the intersection of data and esports.

About GRID

GRID consists of a group of experienced individuals with a successful track record in esports and other technology verticals. Chris King, CTO, left his role at eBay in conjunction with the Major launch, to ensure product stability and flexibility throughout the tournament. King has a wealth of experience in software development and is gracefully combining it with his passion for esports. Tom Warburton, COO, joined from Genius Sports to reconcile with Maurer where both had met and worked together to launch the first B2C esports betting service at Genius. Warburton headed the delivery of the successful launch of Genius’ sportsbook platform before making the move from London to Berlin in November.

Both the Berlin and Polandbased development teams have grown rapidly in addition to producing the Rapid product set. Rapid products focus on accurate, reliable data serviced via numerous data visualisations and direct data integrations to the client. 2019 has seen the development and integration of their agnostic API across both CSGO and Dota2.

The modular, API-driven commercial approach is designed to seamlessly expand the service range as the data portfolio grows without requiring additional integrations. This is critical in enabling adaptation to the ever-changing nature of specific esports titles and the continuous evolution of the ecosystem. Maurer and his team have made big strides in little time, and are enjoying a data rich 2019.

Esports data is on the GRID.

What does it take to be successful in a constantly evolving esports marketplace? A relatively new company, WIN, intends to answer that question by looking directly to what the market’s consumers are most interested in

Jared Wynne Editor-in-Chief

WIN aims to service esports consumers through a variety of means. The company boasts three separate platforms, each of which exists as an independent product.

The first of these is WIN.GG, an editorial platform that seeks to provide comprehensive information to fans of the biggest games in esports. This starts with the website’s editorial coverage, ranging from briefs on news

of the day to more in-depth pieces exploring game analysis and general topics of interest in the esports community.

From there, the website boasts a thorough statistical database covering years of matches and tournaments played in such games as League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Dota 2. Combined with live updating scores and tournament tracking, the platform’s goal is to inclusively meet the information needs of any esports fan.

The website also features a function through which registered users are able to select their favorite teams and players to follow. This allows fans to access content that is customized uniquely to their individual preferences. The next of WIN’s products is WINNERS League, a competition run through popular tournament organizer FACEIT. After a debut season featuring free play, WINNERS League officials boasted an approximate 40% conversion rate of free users to paid subscribers for the second season. This next season

Serge Vardanyan CEO & Founder

also featured an expansion from the league’s beginnings in Europe to newly include North American players and teams, as well as the welcoming of some of the world’s biggest and most noteworthy esports organizations to its competition.

The league has thus far run with a focus on competition for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, with future plans to continue expanding league play into other regions across the world. Finally, there is Winners.bet, a sports betting service geared specifically towards esports users. Sports betting has become an increasingly popular past time, and this very much includes the world of esports. Total esports wagers have already reached over $7 billion globally and are expected to nearly double by 2020.

In spite of this tremendous growth, few betting platforms cater directly to esports users. WIN seeks to change this by building Winners.bet from scratch specifically for use by esports fans, with its very form and function meant to best align with the esports marketplace and its unique needs.

One of the burning questions for any such operation is what separates its business from the rest of the pack. It’s a question that WIN’s management, bringing with it significant experience at other ventures in the industry, is eager to address.

WIN co-founder and CEO Serge Vardanyan attributes the company’s success to date, and its bright future prospects, to the passion the team feels for the space in which they work. “We all, each and every one of us, are esports fans. It’s one of the first things we look for when bringing someone new to the team,” Vardanyan said. “I truly believe that having a real passion for, and native understanding of, the esports

industry is what separates the market’s most successful ventures.”

There is, of course, more to it than that. And the WIN team does bring a wealth of experience from across a variety of other industries as well, including data analytics, digital media, gambling, tech, and more.

Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief

Jared Wynne spoke to the team’s rigorous approach to each decision it makes and to the accountability that every member of the team is held to. And it again

comes back to what seems like a very real passion for esports.

“We’ve all come together not only to make this venture a success, but also to better contribute to the esports industry. And we really believe that we’re doing exactly that,” Wynne said. And there’s more yet coming. The company is deep into the development of an AI that it intends to use for a variety of purposes. The objective

about which the company is most forthcoming is the use of advanced data analytics to empower a proprietary predictive service that will be used both to bolster its sportsbook offering and as a subscriptive offering for fans and bettors alike who want a unique insight into potential competitive results.

As it builds upon its existing products and invests in new and complementary developments, WIN’s goal remains the same. The company’s primary interest in is answering the needs of the esports marketplace’s consumers. And as the marketplace continues to solidify and its consumers continue to make known their desires, companies like WIN stand only to benefit.

There have been plenty of reports covering the explosive growth of esports, but none have ever really taken a look into what this means for the industry’s employment opportunities. With significant new investment coming into esports every day, companies are hunting for the best talent in every corner of the globe to help them bring their grand ideas to life.

In short, it’s never been easier for talented people to work in the industry we all love!

At HitmarkerJobs.com, the largest esportsspecific jobs website online today, we’re in a unique position to observe employment trends in the industry. We post hundreds of legitimate esports careers every month. All sectors and skills are catered for, with opportunities ranging from customer service to engineering, from hospitality to human resources, from business development and software

engineering and beyond! Yes, we can very confidently say that the esports ecosystem is now capable of successfully supporting professionals from every walk of life.

But don’t just take our word for it. Take the data’s word...

A few weeks ago we crunched the numbers from the jobs we posted in Q1 of 2019 - all 2,084 of them - and produced the infographic you see before you. We’re sure you’ll agree that it tells the story of the industry’s hiring scene more clearly than we ever could with words alone!

If you haven’t been following the esports jobs scene lately, it may surprise you to see that over half of everything posted this year has come from the USA. While it’s true that esports jobs exist all over the world - in 40 countries to date in 2019, to be exact - the United States definitely boasts the lion’s share and this doesn’t look like changing anytime soon.

What perhaps is even more staggering is that 62% of all esports jobs in the USA are based in California, meaning that California itself accounts for more esports jobs than the rest of the 49 US states combined AND more than any other individual country on the planet too! As such, we think it’s fair to say that the US west coast has a massive monopoly on esports job opportunities... Looking at the most actively-hiring companies helps to explain this trend. The top three hiring companies in esports account for 17.18% of all jobs posted this year and are all headquartered in either San Francisco or Los Angeles.

Another piece of data we collect from every job we post is the sector we categorise it in. This has given us extensive information that determines which kind of jobs are the most common in esports. Marketing takes the lead on this front, though it’s only narrowly ahead of software engineering, with both combined accounting for around 22% of everything we’ve posted. This paints a pretty accurate picture of what many companies in the space are prioritising right now: people who can build digital products, and people who can effectively market them to esports’ massive audience.

A myth that we’re always keen to dispel is that most jobs in esports are unpaid. This is something we hear quite frequently, even though unpaid positions made up just 16.96% of our postings in the first three months of this

year. Volunteer positions for juniors looking to pick up some starter experience in the scene made up 14.34% of these, with the remainder coming from unpaid internships at established companies, where the currency on offer is an invaluable experience placement. Naturally, that means that well over 80% of all of our listings this year have been paid ones, with the vast majority of them coming in the form of full-time positions (72.92%, to be precise). Part-time jobs in esports remain surprisingly rare, with only 3.24% of all jobs so far in 2019 offering lower time commitment contracts. However, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised, esports is known as the 24/7/365 industry!

Something that definitely won’t surprise is that the majority of people looking for esports jobs are male, with females making up just 11.15% of the HitmarkerJobs.com audience between January and March of this year. We saw female participation in the esports hiring scene trend upwards significantly in 2018, and we’re hoping that pattern continues during the remainder of 2019 too.

Given that we’ve only just finished Q1 and there have already been over 2,000 jobs on our website, we think it’s safe to say that this year is looking like the biggest one yet for esports careers. Indeed, with announcements for new headquarters, arenas, funding rounds and companies popping up on Esports Insider multiple times a day, it seems there are only going to be more opportunities for people to get involved in this burgeoning industry!

The gaming and esports market in the Asia-Pacific region is the biggest in the world, generating about 52% of global game revenues with over $66.2 billion in 2018. With a total gaming population reaching over 1.2 billion last year, Newzoo expects even higher numbers for the region in 2019.

Asignificant part of that is due to Southeast Asia, one of its most active regions in esports where it’s popularity has exploded in recent years, leaving local and international companies seeking ways to tap into the market.

According to research by Newzoo, Southeast Asia is the esport’s fastestgrowing region, with nearly 19 million esports enthusiasts, and will experience a surge in growth in the next years driven by its constantly growing audience (over 31.9 million in 2019), as well as the addition of new leagues and tournaments.

Part of the gaming boom comes from last year’s announcement that esports

would become a competitive sport at the 2022 Asian games, and the inclusion as a medal event in the 2019 SEA Games, which will be held in the Philippines starting in November.

Revenue from PC games alone was projected to reach $1.1 billion by the end of last year, and then surpass $2 billion in 2021, while revenue from mobile games already surpassed that of PC games this year and is projected to grow exponentially.

Southeast Asia’s jump into the global esports market can likewise be ascribed to the region’s familiarity with English, where it’s already an official language in countries such as the Philippines or Singapore.

Southeast Asia

This is probably the main reason behind why the ASEAN market could be easier to penetrate contrasted with countries like China for example, representing a huge opportunity for local and international companies.

However, each country’s different culture, regulations, spending behaviours and gamer preferences means that there is no single approach for the entire region, and that each esports strategy must be carefully considered and wisely prepared.

The esports world’s fastest growing region.

Gaming Population in Southeast Asia.

Mineski Corporation

The premier Southeast Asian Esports ecosystem.

Being the premier esports organization in Southeast Asia, Mineski Corporation, as a whole, is committed to bring innovation and encourage the growth and quality of esports since more than a decade.

Sensing the potential of esports as a sustainable industry in the region and armed with its high knowledge and experience, Mineski looks to lead the charge towards elevating esports from all possible angles, be it through competition, infrastructure, or fan support. This it does via example, from event production and coverage, tournament support, cybercafe operations, and professional gaming management.

The Mineski Group is present in 7 countries in Asia with 1,500 employees across esports, internet café, high-end production and run several hundred events per year from small gathering to Arena events, for official events and organizers all across the globe (Valve, Riot, Blizzard...) and is currently focusing in several business units:

MET Events (major esports organizer in Asia, AAA esports production company)

Mineski Infinity (more than 150 cybercafe branches in SEA)

Mineski Professional Team

(Total prize money earned: $1,491,684.72)

MET Entertainment (Mineski TV, Mineski Studio, Talent management)

MET (Mineski Events Team)

A world-class esports organizer !

The events branch of Mineski, MET, South-East Asia’s only AAA esports production company, provides some of the best and the biggest gaming events in the esports industry, developing a new era of entertainment for a savvy, digitally focused millennial audience throughout the whole of Asia in order to raise the bar of the esports industry.

MET creates and promotes gaming experiences the same way world’s biggest sports leagues create and promote their games, helping to grow the esport industry all over Asia being able to fully manage them from scratch and through all possible angles : Esports strategies - Event Management - League Operations - MarketingProduction Services - Post-Production services – Medias – PR - Social Media Promotions - Talent Management…

With more than 300 employees around Asia and four “AAA” production teams (Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand) with the most senior esports executive in each country, MET is able to operate throughout the majority of Asian territories be it through owns and partners office (Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Myanmar, Cambodia, India…). Being one of the preferred partner of various game developers and international brands in SEA such as Valve, Blizzard, Riot, Asus, Singtel, GO-JEK, etc, MET has organized more than three hundred (300) events all across Asia, from small gathering to major arena events such as The Manila Masters 2017 (40 million views – audience peak : 3,7 Million viewers), Vainglory World Finals 2017, The MPGL Asian Championship, Garuda Cup by Tokopedia, PUBG SEA Finals…, with the majority of mega events and national championships broadcasted on TV.

Preparing $2 million (IDR 30 Billion) investment in Indonesia for 2019, Mineski is committed to bring esports industry in Southeast Asia to the next level through all possible angles. Proving its commitment, MET has planned to conduct its own massive

The Manila Masters 2017 MET Events

$250,000 USD prize pool

40 million views

Overall reach of 750 million

events in Indonesia, such as Garuda Cup, Indonesia Professional Gaming League (IPGL), and The Masters Series

The Masters Series was adopted from the successful Manila Masters 2017 ($250,000 USD prize pool) in the

Philippines, staggering a total of 40 million views and an overall reach of 750 million and more than 15 000 visitors on site over 3 days, securing a spot among Dota 2’s flagship tournaments, on the same level of spectacles as the Valve Majors.

The Masters Series was adopted from the successful Manila Masters 2017 ($250,000 USD prize pool) in the Philippines, staggering a total of 40 million views and an overall reach of 750 million and more than 15 000 visitors on site over 3 days, securing a spot among Dota 2’s flagship tournaments, on the same level of spectacles as the Valve Majors.

In 2019, MET is planning to run The Masters Series in two countries, the first being the Jakarta Masters in Indonesia, where Mineski has built strong partnerships to create unlimited esports ecosystem, including Telkomsel, GO-JEK, and Tokopedia to present the best experience for gamers and esports enthusiasts across the country.

”We are very pleased build partnership with Mineski in Indonesia whose vision

is in line with Telkomsel’s to support and advance the gaming industry in the country, or specifically in accordance with our commitment to building a digital lifestyle entertainment ecosystem for the people of Indonesia(…)” said Auliya Ilman Fadli, General Manager Games and Apps Telkomsel

Directly reaching 200 million gamers in 2018, with an average monthly reach of 5,000,000+ unique throughout websites, social media, and streaming

properties across Asia and due to its trackable successes and experience, its huge network and relationship with brands, game developers/publishers, media agencies, professional teams and communities in Asia, but also its priceless experience in working with government and ministries in different countries in Asia, MET is without any doubt the best way to penetrate the most promising but very specific Asian esports market

It’s time for Latin America

Esports are no longer something new for the region and tournaments gather more people every time and also non endemic brands.

With Asia, Europe and United States already having established ecosystems when it comes to esports, you may be forgiven for overlooking Latin America. But you’d also be a fool.

When it comes to organizations, competitions, fandom and sponsorships, LATAM is growing everyday. It’s time for Latin America.

From world class teams, to amazing tournaments with passionate (and loud..) fans, long-term partnerships and the involvement of ‘non endemic brands’, all this suggests one thing; the growth of the Latin American esports market. In short Latin America should be a region of interest for all those companies that wanting to excel and make a name for themselves in esports.

Riot Games took the first step in LatAm with the regional qualifiers for League of Legends World Championships. In 2019, the North and South regions were unified to give birth to Copa Latinoamérica with region’s top 8 teams. This decision launched national competitions also, as part of the wayto-LLA tournaments.

Let’s not forget either, the CounterStrike: Global Offensive scene is huge in Latin America. With Brazil as a mirror,

other countries of the region now have established organizations and stronger teams. The same thing happens with the tournaments in which LatAm teams participate, such as DreamHack, BLAST Pro Series and ESL, amongst others.

LoL’s Copa Latinoamerica moves its Finals from city to city and in 2019 Bogota, Colombia, will host the event. As far as CS:GO is concerned, Brazil has hosted several events: ESL One was

held in Belo Horizonte in 2018, BLAST Pro Series finished in Sao Paulo in late March 2019 and Rio de Janeiro will soon play host to a DreamHack festival.

If you’re in the mood for some homegrown LATAM teams, then look no further than the likes of Kaos Latin Gamers and All Knights from Chile, Rainbow7 in Mexico, Infinity Esports from Costa Rica, the Argentine Isurus Gaming and Furious Gaming, to name but a few. Brazil though is blazing the trail in the

region when it comes to establishing its teams abroad. INTZ eSports, Team One and FURIA Esports have their CS:GO teams competing in North America. The Argentine team Isurus Gaming has taken a first step in that direction, moving its CS:GO team to Brazil, where they already are the best in the country.

“Our main goal is to become global and reach N° 1 spot in the world” said Facundo Calabró, CEO of Isurus Gaming. A finalist at LoL’s Copa Latinoamerica and with a CS:GO team at the top in Brazil and having qualified for DreamHack Masters in Dallas, Calabró assured The Esports Journal that “the target is to compete abroad and professionalize our athletes and structure, gathering a team of professionals that can help our sports teams within the organization”

Sponsorships are typically the biggest source of income for esports teams right now, and that is unsurprisingly the case too in Latin America. Gonzalo Garcia, CEO of Furious Gaming, another Argentine org explained how they were able to adapt and strengthen their contracts and partnerships with the likes of Lenovo and Logitech: “At the beginning, we would have agreements for free, but then we started to sign contracts receiving products in exchange for branding. Now, we receive investments from our partners and we are very proud of that!”

For Isurus, the reality is similar. “Our partners not only help us with investment, but also give us international exposure. This happens with HyperX, with who we’ve been working for 7 years and nowadays they also help us to organize boot-camps in South Korea and the United States”, noted Calabró. The org also have deals in place with the likes of Omen and AMD.

Latin America is opening the doors to more non-endemic brands. For the past few years, Coca-Cola has been actively participating in two of the most important gaming events in the region; Festigame in Chile and the Argentina Game Show. Argentine sports TV channel TyC Sports had a twoyears contract with IVECO –the Italian truck manufacturer owned by Fiat- for

their EA Sports FIFA tournaments. In addition, FIbertel –one of the main internet service providers in Argentinais the headline sponsor of the local League of Legends tournament. The music festival Personal Fest meanwhile hosted a whole gaming area together with Twitch.

Latin America no longer looks at esports as something new. From League, to CS:GO, DOTA, Rainbow Six, Fortnite, Apex, Hearthstone, FIFA, Overwatch, and many more - the competitive landscape is shaping up across LATAM, and more and more brands are waking up and realising the opportunities too. With all this, the region is reaching its boiling point and, we stress again, when it comes to esports it’s time for Latin America.

About the Author

Pablo Monti is a journalist specialized in esports and gaming with 20 years experience and 6 around gaming and esports. He works at TyC Sports in Argentina as Chief of Gaming and Esports Content.

Challengermode

Empowering

Website: www.challengermode.com

Contact: partner@challengermode.com

Robel Efrem CEO & Co-Founder

The crowd of people claiming that esports is not a “real” sport seems to get smaller by the year. As more and more impressive events are hosted, as the prize money and viewership is surpassing that of traditional sports, and as professional gamers start to look more and more like athletes in traditional sports, most people have realized that esports is a cultural force to be reckoned with. And yet esports is still a very young industry growing so quickly that almost no one seems to be able to keep up. The challenges and problems the industry is facing are growing as fast as the opportunities it enables.

Esports today vs. esports tomorrow

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. Let’s get back to basics: It’s worth remembering that esports are not one thing. Many games that are played competitively as esports are night and day from each other and new genres will continue to emerge. Because of this, there’s a lack of standards and reliability. Some even question the applicability of the word esports itself. But consider for a moment a sport like Snooker compared to Snowboarding, they have very little in common with each other but are both sports nonetheless. When you have people competing in an activity and watching it, why not call it a sport? Granted, esports may evolve to look very different in the future, as will computer games (VR anyone?), yet we can be quite sure that people will continue playing competitive games (for fun or profit) and developers will keep creating digital games for many different platforms and technologies, some of which we can’t even imagine today. The point is that regardless of which kind of games make it as esports in the future, or what technology we use to play them, a few basic things are always going to be needed – and are needed – for them to thrive as (e)sports and for players to be able to compete and invest in them, reliably and easily. We believe the following aspects are vital:

1. Esport as a societal phenomenon must get widespread acceptance among the

public and among governments on a national/regional level.

2. Esports needs solid competitive infrastructure, built for hundreds of millions of players - not just a few thousand - that enables:

a. Any organizer or company to easily create, host and scale up esports competitions at every level and in a standardized way, especially online.

b. Current and future game developers to make their games easily accessible as an esport to not just gamers, but also organizers, brands, broadcasters, and audiences for the games to reach their full potential as esports.

3. Competitive gamers and aspiring esport athletes need a reliable and accessible way to take their hobby to the next level. To those that are willing and able, there must be a clear path to the top. Gamers must have the ability to turn into Athletes.

4. Esports as an ecosystem must enable its constituent stakeholders to monetize each other and external stakeholders in a non-zero sum way, which in turn grows the ecosystem as a whole, sustainably.

Challengermode’s project as a company is to solve for 2, 3 and 4. 1 will be accomplished as a result, and from generational shifts. This is why we have built one of the most scalable and automated competitive gaming platforms to date. The platform and its apps are solutions to the

challenges of running large-scale esports competitions and for gamers and organizers to participate in and/ or organize around esports. Through this (and many other projects), it’s our mission to structure the esports scene from the ground up.

Making esports truly accessible

We started Challengermode to provide a more accessible competitive gaming experience to regular gamers. As we’ve grown alongside the industry in recent years several new challenges and opportunities have emerged. In particular, we are intent on empowering non-organizers to become organizers with little to no effort, and regular gamers to compete at a skill level that is appropriate to them. By bridging the gap between the non-professional and professional esports worlds on the one hand, and traditional PC-based esports and mobile/console based esports, on the other hand, we want to bring digital esports infrastructure into the 21st century.

Built for game developers, brands and tournament organizers, the Challengermode esports platform - available across multiple devices - is connecting a disjointed esports ecosystem from the bottom up. To this end, we’re inviting anyone who wants to scale up their esports efforts to join us on this journey of making esports truly accessible, paving the way for the next generation of esports competitions, games and athletes.

Acting as an agency, media house, translator and mentorship group, the ESI Connect will evaluate what you seek to do, propose the best fit, initiate the right contacts and support you in the delivery of your plans.

It’s a non-exclusive, commission based service aimed at helping to facilitate and nurture the right business deals and partnerships globally across the industry.

Finding the right information, people and opportunities inside and outside the esports space has now become much easier.

Bringing together esports and other industry thought leadership so that you don’t have to do it yourself.

The ESI Connect sits in between current esports rights holders and companies seeking to do business the right way, without all the hassle.

Acting as a media house, translator and mentorship group, the ESI Connect will evaluate what you seek to do, propose the best fit, initiate the right contacts and support you in the delivery of your plans.

For more information on how to apply, speak to a member of the ESI team, email info@esportsinsider.com or visit www.esportsinsider.com