Category: Esports News

To boost adoption in the European esports market, a London-based billionaire has floated an investment arm to grow the industry. British billionaire Tej Kohli has allocated €50 million (56 million) to invest in the Esports market in the United Kingdom.

60-year old Tej Kohli, who runs Kohli Ventures, said his latest move into the esports market was inspired by his son, who spends his time watching the North American leagues and playing Fortnite and League of Legends.

Based on a news report, the new fund will be called Rewired GG, a subsidiary of Rewired, a venture backed by Kohli with investments in robotics and AI. The billionaire, who made his mark in the real estate and online software development industry, plans to use the funding to develop individual gamers and games in the esports business. In addition, he’s looking at developing his esports team with the investment.

While Esports has been hugely successful in America and Asia, the market is still largely nascent in Europe. Describing it as a “disruptive innovation” in the world of sports, Kholi went further to enthuse about the sport and how happy he was to drive its growth in Europe.

When asked about the impact Esports could have in the UK, Kohli stated:

“I have seen first-hand through my son the passion many young people have for the sport and the growing professionalism of the teams, players and commercial partnerships. I believe that with the right mentoring and investment, Europe will soon play host to the best players, teams and commercial opportunities in global esports.”

Tej Kohli Will Grow Esports in the UK

In the UK, investors have been dragging their heels where investments in Esports are concerned. Kohli believes the growing celebrity endorsements and the ever increasing number of young consumers will alert UK investors of the opportunity right under their nose.

Sam Cooke, Co-founder at Esports Insider, an industry news outlet that currently advises Rewired GG, hailed the investment from Kohli, noting that he was happy investments in the industry had started to:

“catch up with those already seen in America and across Asia… There is so much European potential in this developing sector, from individual players to whole teams, and the establishment of an investment arm like Rewired GG goes to show that there is now real confidence in this potential.”

Featured image from Flickr.

We all know a few people who like playing video games. We might even enjoy a spot of Fortnite here and there every once in a while. Luckily, not many people take things to the same extreme as Billy Brown, the British gaming fanatic who spent seven years in his robe and left the house no more than 10 times.

Highlighting the Culture of Isolation

According to the BBC, Brown left the house only to visit the doctor’s and dentist’s over the course of seven years. The rest of the time he spent sleeping and playing video games.

Finally, the young UK gamer has realized the harm his addiction was causing and is setting about helping others from following his fate of a life of isolation in a self-imposed prison. He said:

“I would never go outside to socialize or interact with other people. My entire existence was online.”

Billy Brown didn’t have the best of upbringings which perhaps explains his retreat into the world of gaming. His mother was repeatedly hospitalized for mental problems and Brown was taken into care several times, attending school just 13% of the time during his GCSE exams (around age 14-16).

He did go on to attend a community college but soon after dropped out and turned to gaming, residing in chat rooms and online forums, and reading up on politics. His world was taken over almost entirely by the online game “Echo chambers,” as Brown was attracted by its extremism and cybercrime.

Billy Brown Lost Touch with the World

Brown, now 24, said that over the years, he became increasingly “eccentric” and lost touch with reality:

“I can count the number of times I went out in a seven-year period on both of my hands… I wasn’t sure why I was alive, why I was here… I realized if I didn’t do something I wouldn’t be here in a year or two years.”

He finally made the decision to get help and joined the Real Ideas Organization’s (RIO) Game Changer program, designed for young people to overcome and face issues they have so that they can prepare for the real world in education, work, or training.

Today, Brown is actively helping other people to improve their lives as well through tabletop gaming.

Stilling an Avid Gamer but Doing It for Good

Brown has created a board game which he plans to develop into an app that helps young people build their social skills. While it sounds somewhat ironic that the video game addict is using gaming to help other addicts, this time around, participants are encouraged to meet up physically once a week to improve their social skills.

Let’s hope that his idea at least provides some solace to the gamers who may have their lives overcome by their addiction… but will at least step outside the house one in every seven days.

Featured image from the BBC.

Min-Liang Tan, CEO of gaming hardware maker and eSports pioneer Razer, invests heavily into eSports both in his native Singapore and in Malaysia.

Recently, Tan has had to defend a $3.3 million investment into Malaysian eSports, over criticism that the billionaire wasn’t doing enough for his own country of Singapore.

Malaysia’s Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng committed the equivalent to $3.3 million to the “Malaysian Digital Economy for eSports” in Malaysia’s 2019 budget speech. Razer, and Tan, followed by also promising $3.3 million to the Malaysian eSports industry.

In a tweet on Friday, November 2, 2018, Tan described the Malaysian budget as progressive, saying he was also committed to bringing eSports to the next level. The next day on Facebook Tan said:

“After my commitment to invest MYR10M into Malaysian esports in 2019, I got a slew of abusive messages saying we don’t do anything for esports in Singapore.”

In his defense, Tan pointed out that Razer sponsors eSports contests in Singapore like Hyperplay, the SEA Majors, and the PVP eSports Championships.

Razer has also sponsored individual athletes like professional Street Fighter player Ho Kun Xian and employs hundreds of staff in Singapore focused on the eSports market. Tan wrote:

“My investment in Malaysian eSports is a good thing for the entire community, and Singaporeans should be happy that the entire region is going to grow in eSports.”

Tan believes that instead of criticism:

“We should be celebrating the fact that we will be seeing the growth of esports in the region and we, at Razer, are committed to spearheading it.”

Asia made up half of the global gaming market by the end of 2017 according to researcher Newzoo.

Min-Liang Tan and Razer

Tan, an entrepreneur from Singapore and colleague Robert Krakoff founded Razer in 2005, now one of the leading brands in gaming device and accessory manufacturing.

Razer went public on the Hong Kong Stock exchange in November 2017. As it did so, Tan became an instant billionaire at the age of 40 with a net worth of $1.6 billion. He also became the youngest self-made Singaporean billionaire.

Tan still oversees the design and development of all Razer products, despite being a lawyer before getting into gaming. In 2015 Tan was named one of the “Top 10 Most Influential Leaders in Tech,” by Juniper Research. He’s also been ranked one of the most powerful people in gaming by Kotaku.

Ex-competitive gamer Tan, speaking to Bloomberg in October 2018, described the growth of eSports as “explosive” and “exponential” in both American and Asian markets.

The top ten eSports teams are worth a combined $1.5 billion and the eSports market as a whole should reach revenue of over $900 billion in 2018.

Featured image from Twitter.

When Blizzard Entertainment announced that fans would receive news regarding the upcoming Diablo project in BlizzCon 2018, everyone expected them to debut Diablo 4. However, Blizzard revealed Diablo Immortal on Friday, the first day of the convention, instead.

BlizzCon 2018 – Day One

Diablo, a role-playing game (RPG) where players fight demons led by Lord of Terror Diablo, was first released in 1996. Its sequel, Diablo 2, was launched in 2000, followed by Diablo 3 in 2012.

Diablo Immortal is specifically built for mobile devices–the story will take place between Diablo 2 and Diablo 3. It will unveil the events that happened after archangel Tyrael broke the Worldstone in order to save humanity. Pre-registration for the game is currently live.

Players will be able to play in eight unique zones, with the chance to fight alongside other demon-slayers. Some of the demons available in the game include Herald of Terror, Skarn, and Vile Mothers.

Fans Express Disappointment on Social Media

Diablo fans were extremely upset with the news announced on the first day of BlizzCon. Some users said that no gamer would want to play a video game on their mobile while others pointed out that Blizzard should have known that this decision was completely distasteful.

I preffer to play video games on my cellular device instead of on my computer.

Said no gamer ever.

— Shipwreck (@shipwreckjoness) November 2, 2018

After waiting for a new game for six years, some users have stated that Blizzard should have canceled the game series instead of introducing Diablo Immortal.

The official cinematic trailer of Diablo Immortal had received 216,000 dislikes and only 7,200 likes in the last 24 hours. A Reddit user also pointed out that Blizzard has been deleting negative comments on YouTube. As a result, fans have been encouraging each other to downvote, dislike, and comment on the posts again.

A video has also surfaced on Twitter which shows a fan asking Diablo Immortal developers in the Q/A session whether the game is an April fools’ joke.

My god, the savagery. The absolute savagery. #diabloimmortal #Diablo #diablo @LaymenGaming pic.twitter.com/Jvt4XzswzS

— Skill Up (@SkillUpYT) November 2, 2018

Blizzard Dismissed Diablo 4 Rumors in October

Some fans have come forward to support Diablo developers by explaining that Blizzard had already mentioned they wouldn’t be releasing Diablo 4 in BlizzCon 2018.

‘We can only say that “good things come to those who wait,” but evil things often take longer’

which indirectly means that Diablo 4 was never planned to be released in this event. Meanwhile, Blizzard also revealed trailers for Heroes of the Storm, World of Warcraft and Overwatch yesterday.

Featured image from 9to5Mac.

Free mobile application Taunt lets users play, win, and interact with friends while watching their favorite eSports competitions.

The Taunt application launched officially on Friday on iOS and Android in the US and Canada. It’s designed to enhance the eSports viewing experience for fans, in a market that’s growing exponentially.

Like similar applications for traditional sports, it allows fans to interact socially and make predictions about game-play and outcomes. Jon David, CEO at Taunt says:

“For too long, it’s only been traditional sports fans that have been able to enjoy rich, engaging social interactions while viewing their favorite sports. At Taunt, we believe esports fans deserve exactly the same.”

The fan engagement application is targeted at League of Legends fans, to begin with, and has been released ahead of this weekend’s World Championships. The application streams eSports matches while users interact with and “taunt” other users with challenges and even “flashbulbs” to distract peers. David says:

“Fans are looking for a new way to enhance their gameday experience, and that’s exactly what Taunt delivers.”

Taunt users compete with each other during live eSports matches by supporting their favorite players. Taunt players have their own scoreboards and if the player they back do well the Taunt player earns points. More points are available for challenges and power-ups.

https://twitter.com/PlayTaunt/status/1037031175116615680

Up to now, Taunt was only in closed beta while it gained feedback and made improvements. Now Taunt is ready for anyone to use, beginning with League of Legends matches, and rolling out to other popular eSports games later.

Seattle-based Taunt already has a team of 15 and has raised investment of $3 million, including capital from technology investors Foundry Group.

Foundry Group, led by American entrepreneur Brad Feld, was an early investor in Fitbit and recently raised $750 million itself to invest in early-stage technology startups like Taunt.

eSports is predicted to have an audience 437 million strong by 2019 and an overall industry value of an estimated $906 billion for 2018.

As the industry grows, it’s taking on more and more of the features of traditional sports, with fan engagement applications like the new Taunt, million-dollar teams, and even creating new careers for young eSports coaches.

Featured image from Playtaunt.com

Emerging industries create new career options. eSports and games like Fortnite are creating opportunities for the youngest gaming generation. One gamer, Troy Hanson, has become a Fortnite coach to pay for his education.

Hanson, aka “UnknownAvix,” attends college in California, studying Liberal Arts and to become an Elementary teacher. He provides Fortnite coaching to players of all levels through video links and the Gamer Sensei website.

Hanson is a semi-professional player of games like Fortnite and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), at 20, he boasts over ten years of gaming experience and three years and 3000 hours of play for Fortnite.

Yes, despite playing what could have been an average of 20 hours of Fortnite per week for the last three years, it looks like Hanson’s education is going well and he has career prospects.

eSports is booming and the similarities between traditional sports and new screen-based competing are narrowing. The eSports industry is worth billions, big brand sponsorships are on the rise and now gaming coaching is an absolutely real thing.

MIT Technology Review tried out a session with Hanson, the correlation with learning traditional sports was clear, it’s not just about strategy, Hanson taught, but also muscle memory. The coaching recipient Alex Anthony said:

“I found myself reminded of the time a batting coach assigned me to square up to an imaginary home plate and take 100 practice swings a day.”

Creating Careers for a Gaming Generation

Hanson’s now coaching Fortnite for 50 to 60 hours per week, often with students 12 or younger, many of whom’s parents view video games as valid hobbies. Hanson said:

“Four or five years ago, gaming was the nerdiest thing you could do. But now it’s cooler, and that’s yielding a larger audience of people looking to get better.”

Some of the top Fortnite players have earned hundreds of thousands in just prizes alone this year. Others are making millions from playing and streaming on YouTube and Twitch. eSports team owners are valued in the millions. eSports playing, and coaching has, in a few short years, become a career.

Even colleges in the U.S have their own teams and coaches and budding players can earn their college scholarships by playing games like Fortnite.

In the U.S state of Oregan, Northwest Christian University (NCU) became the first recently in the state to fully fund its own eSports team. Gamer Michael Hoffman said:

“I never thought that I would come to college to play esports, something that I love.”

Gamers are no longer nerds giving ground to football playing college athletes. They are athletes themselves. NCU eSports coach Taylor Lind says:

“Statistics and predictions say that by 2020 that the most watched activity, besides football, will be esports.”

Hoffman says, like football, eSports is hard work and competitive. Lind points out the importance to the gaming generation:

“Really it’s an opportunity for a lot of these guys – to get a scholarship and do something that they love – and compete against schools across the country.”

Our lifestyle, work, and play is changing. In this technological era, concerns grow about opportunities for the young and the need to educate in science and technology subjects from an early age. As older generations who govern and legislate mull this over, the youngest generation, born technologists, are carving out opportunities for themselves.

Featured image from Shutterstock.

Red Dead Redemption 2 (RDR2) made a record-breaking $750 million in its opening weekend and is being touted as one of the best video games of all-time.

The buzz surrounding the game has been off the charts, and rightly so. If you’ve not already jumped in the saddle to become Arthur Morgan and the ragtag Dutch Van Der Linde Gang, what are you waiting for?

Record-Breaking Figures for Red Dead Redemption 2

Rockstar Games’ epic wild west open-world cowboy extravaganza was launched on October 26 to a chorus of ‘yeehaws’ and gunfire. It seems the commotion and hype are well deserved.

In the first three days of its weekend launch, Red Dead Redemption 2 has already made a record-breaking $725 million in worldwide sales and is a runaway horse-drawn carriage that is out of control. The sales are the largest ever in the opening weekend in the history of the entertainment industry.

The previous highest earning game during an opening weekend was earlier this year as ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ made a massive $640 million. Red Dead Redemption 2 has careered by that figure.

However, RDR2 is not the highest-grossing entertainment launch ever. That title goes to Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V that amassed over $1 billion in sales in their first three days. The GTA V game was released on a Tuesday so its opening weekend was not as successful as RDR2.

From Street Crime to the Wild West

Rockstar Games has taken the best elements from their Grand Theft Auto (GTA) series,
and evolved them into a fully-immersive wild west world on the final frontier set in the late-1800s.

Gunslinger extraordinaire and all-around tough guy Arthur Morgan is the main character of the game. He is currently on the run with the Dutch Van Der Linde Gang after a bodged robbery attempt in Blackwater. The gang are looking for a place to make a new home in the West but need to keep a low-profile until the heat goes subsides.

Alongside a story mode that is over 65 hours long, you can enjoy all manner of cowboy activities such as robbing a train, playing poker and dominoes, getting drunk and fighting in a local saloon, gun-drawing contests, prison breaks, bank robbing and much more.

You can catch grizzly bears, set up camp in the middle of nowhere, bond with your horse, and hunt for a vast array of creatures which you can then skin and eat. The activities are endless.

The game has only been available for a week and is already receiving much critical acclaim from the gaming world.

As sales of Red Dead Redemption 2 continue to soar, it’s time to strap on your holster, spit out the chewing tobacco and to round up a posse of cutthroats and ruffians. Sounds like a normal night out in Northern England!

Featured image from Windows Central.

Fortnite Save the World is now half-price until November 6, 2018–and balloons have been added to Battle Royale!

After rumors that Fortnite’s original player versus environment Save the World version could become free to play by the end of 2018, sadly, it won’t be. But, Epic Games has compensated somewhat by reducing the original price of Save the World by half on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

There are four paid editions of Save the World and they are all half price and available on the Fortnite website. Standard Edition is $19.99, Deluxe $29.99, Super Deluxe $44.99, and the Limited Edition is now $74.99. The half price offer will run until November 6, 2018.

Fortnite’s Deluxe Pack, for example, comes with the Save the World campaign, a Rare Starter Weapon Pack, a Starter Hero pack, 33 Pinata Packs, 50 extra vault inventory slots, and 10 in-game banner icons.

Some players have been taking advantage of the ability to earn V-Bucks in Save the World, knowing they are able to spend them in any version of the game for the chance to pick up some of the latest, super cool skins or even buy a Battle Pass. Epic Games confirms in its FAQ:

“Any V-Bucks earned/bought in Save the World or Battle Royale can be spent in the other game modes.”

Save the World does give a daily V-Buck reward just for logging in, then more can be earned in individual quests like Storm Shield Defense quests at 100 V-Bucks a pop. Daily quests start from around 50 V-Bucks each. Leveling up the Collection Book is also a good source of free V-Bucks.

Balloons Are Coming to Fortnite

The update for Fortnite is likely to include a new item, balloon rumors have also been circulating for a while with news this week that Fortnite is ready to add them to Battle Royale.

Details on how balloons will work, be found, or be equipped are thin on the ground with some speculating they could be a replacement mobility item for grappler hooks and jetpacks.

Fortnite YouTuber “Hollow” speculates they could be another way for Fortnite to speed up in-game transit. Especially following the recent upgrade to the battle bus which cut down traveling time, making it faster to get into the real gameplay. Hollow says:

“Fast gameplay is what people enjoy.”

He also ruminates whether balloons, as a way of gaining altitude and mobility in-game, could be to be shot down by other players. Balloon users will need to watch out for damage when they unexpectedly hit the ground. The in-game announcement says:

“Inflate balloons to defy gravity! Add balloons to increase your altitude!”

Epic Games certainly isn’t holding back with its additions and upgrades to Fortnite to keep its massive fan base entertained and retain its most-popular position. Announced last week, Epic has also raised $1.25 billion in funding from new partnerships to continue to build on its success.

Featured image from Epic Games.

NBA icon Michael Jordan is delving into eSports, as he invests in aXiomatic, Team Liquid’s parent company. His foray into the emerging eSports industry should bring more clout into professional gaming which currently generates over US$325 million worth of revenue.

The six-time NBA champion regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time is the principal owner and chairman of the league’s Charlotte Hornets.

The entertainment and sports management company aXiomatic on Thursday announced the entrant of Michael Jordan and Declaration Capital; the family office of the Executive Chairman of The Carlyle Group, David Rubenstein.

The entrant of these two big players helped aXiomatic in raising $26 million in a Series C funding round according to Forbes.

Michaell Jordan remarked:

“I’m excited to expand my sports equity portfolio through my investment in aXiomatic, eSports is a fast growing, international industry and I’m glad to partner with this great group of investors.”

Team Liquid sold a chunk of its controlling interest to investors under the ownership group aXiomatic in 2016. Profound among these investors is the NBA Hall of Famer and co-owner of the Dodgers, Magic Johnson.

Other hoops stars who have staked investment in esports franchises include Rick Fox, Shaquille O’Neal, and Jonas Jerebko.

An enthusiastic Leonsis told ESPN in a statement:

“The next generation of sports fans are esports fans… Esports is the fastest-growing sector in sports and entertainment, and aXiomatic is at the forefront of the growth.”

Victor “Nazgul” Goossens founded the multi-regional professional esports enterprise, Team Liquid, in 2000 in Utrecht, the Netherlands. It premiered the multi-genre management in 2012 after it recruited a North American Dota2 team.

Its merger with Team Curse in 2015 under the helm of Liquid banner further reinforced its staff strength with the likes of Steve Arhancet, former Curse League of Legends, Street Fighter and Super Smash Bros teams.

The team currently thrives in a number of divisions including Clash Royale, Fortnite, Brawl Stars, Dota 2, and PUBG to mention a few.

Featured image from Sportsnet.ca.

If you pre-ordered Rockstar Games’ eagerly-awaited Red Dead Redemption 2, you’re probably pre-loading it right now. The launch of the open world cowboy shoot ’em up is big news in the gaming world and could become Rockstar’s second biggest game ever after GTA 5.

When Rockstar Games first launched GTA 5 they changed the gaming landscape forever. This time, it’s dangerous saloons, rocky mountain outcrops, and developing dusty cowboy towns in the middle of the desert.

Early Response to Red Dead Redemption 2

If you already have your copy of Red Dead Redemption 2, you can go live at 12 AM EST on October 26. The game has a lot to live up to as early reviews have highly touted the game as one of the biggest and best releases in 2018.

The game is being released on both PS4 and Xbox ONE and is being lauded for its gritty realness and its authentic soiree back into the chaotic times of the wild west.

The graphics and attention to detail are apparently incredible. But what do you expect from a gaming company that gave the GTA franchise to the world?

It seems that Rockstar has lived up to the hype once again.

The game’s leading protagonists are Arthur Morgan and his Dutch van der Linde gang, which includes the star of the original Red Dead Redemption game, John Marston. We follow the trials and tribulations of the gang through thick and thin, through one spectacular scene after another.

Positive Reviews from Critics

Rockstar Games is very similar to Dr. Dre as they only put their name to a very small number of projects. And when they do, it’s usually something spectacular and groundbreaking that nudges the needle of popular culture.

Approximately 2,000 people were involved in the creation of Red Dead Redemption 2, making it a landmark game for the industry. At this moment, the reviews from critics are extremely favorable. While reviewing the game, Keza MacDonald from The Guardian newspaper said:

“There can be no doubt that this is a landmark game. It is a new high water-mark for lifelike video game worlds, certainly, but that world is also home to a narrative portrait of the wild west that is unexpectedly sombre and not afraid to take its time.”

The general consensus is that Red Dead Redemption 2 is about to take the gaming world hostage with a pistol in one hand, a bottle of whiskey in the other, and a stick of dynamite between its teeth. Happy gun-slinging!

Featured image by Rockstar Games.