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Thursday July 20, 2023

Good morning! It’s Thursday and this is your early morning Esports and Gaming brief.

Riot Games first-person shooter VALORANT released in China on July 12 after lengthy hangups in the country’s approval process for the title. First released in June 2020, VALORANT quickly became a globally recognized esport thanks to the expertise and ecosystem-building of Riot, which also developed League of Legends and operates its esports presence.

Several China-based teams already had VALORANT teams prior to the country green-lighting the release, which will be facilitated by Riot parent company and Chinese gaming conglomerate Tencent. Now, those teams will be able to compete domestically, and the decision also opens the door for a larger VALORANT ecosystem in China.

That would be a boon for Riot, particularly if VALORANT viewership in the country aligned with that of China’s massive League of Legends audience, which conservatively estimates to be in the tens of millions. The VALORANT developer hopes to welcome China into its premier league, the VALORANT Champions Tour, in 2024.

COMPETITION AND GAMING NEWS

EA SPORTS FC 24 will release Sept. 29, marking a new beginning for the soccer franchise following the end of Electronic Arts’ and FIFA’s 30-year partnership. Erling Haaland of Manchester City will be the cover athlete for the first EA SPORTS FC release, with popular game modes such as Ultimate Team, the primary esports competition format, returning. Along with the release date, EA revealed some FC gameplay and new info such as the addition of women players to Ultimate Team.

DarkZero Esports claimed the Apex Legends Global Series Split 2 Playoffs title this weekend following four days of competition at London’s Copper Box Arena. DarkZero, the 2022 ALGS champions, finished 13th in the Split 1 Playoffs in February but bounced back going into last week’s competition to earn $300,000 of the event’s $1 million prize pool. The first-place finish also qualified DarkZero for the ALGS Year 3 Championship, which was revealed this weekend to take place from Sept. 6-10 in Birmingham, U.K.

The Riyadh Masters Dota 2 tournament is underway, with $15 million on the line for top teams competing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of the Gamers8 esports event. Twenty teams will take part in the tournament, with play-in matches that began Wednesday and the final scheduled for July 30 at 11 a.m. ET. The top finisher will earn $5 million as part of the country’s broader celebration of esports, which features a $42 million prize pool across multiple games from July 6-Aug. 27.

The GIRLGAMER Esports Festival has added Atlanta as a host city for the GIRLGAMER Esports Festival World Circuit, bringing the festival to the U.S. for the first time. Atlanta-based esports organization Ghost Gaming will be the host esports team for the competition, while Skillshot Media’s venue in the city will host the event and be the production partner for the Atlanta leg of the circuit. Mexico City (Mexico), Cape Town (South Africa), Daejeon (South Korea) and Dubai (United Arab Emirates) are also hosting GIRLGAMER World Circuit stops.

REV/XP PRESENTS

This week’s REV/XP Presents features one of mobile gaming’s top creators and industry leader Lance Frisbee. Lance is the CEO at Aftershock Media Group, a mobile focused agency working with brands and publishers on end-to-end marketing solutions.

SPONSORSHIP & ACTIVATION

G2 Esports is working with Ralph Lauren for a limited-time apparel activation kicked off by G2’s League of Legends EMEA Championship playoff appearance July 15. The apparel capsule collection will include a new combined crest with G2 and Ralph Lauren in the logo and gear including hats, hoodies, tracksuits and t-shirts, the companies said in a statement. “At G2, partnerships are all about creating better experiences and offerings for the consumer, bringing fans closer to the brand, and attracting new audiences,” G2 COO Sabrina Raith said. “This collaboration does all of that and more.”

Luminosity Gaming has brought on office furniture manufacturer Steelcase as its “official performance seating partner,” the companies announced Tuesday. As part of the partnership, Steelcase will work with Luminosity’s content creators and esports programs to highlight Steelcase’s ergonomic chairs. “Our creators and players spend countless hours at their setup on a daily basis, and Steelcase’s industry-leading design philosophy aligns perfectly with their needs,” Head of Luminosity Alex Gonzalez said in a statement.

The Pittsburgh Knights announced HyperX will remain the esports organization’s peripheral partner following a renewal of the organizations’ agreement. HyperX has been partnered with the Knights since 2019, two years after the esports org launched, and the companies will aim “to create engaging content, immersive gaming experiences, and community-driven initiatives” following this renewal, according to a statement.

U.K.-based esports organization Guild Esports is looking to optimize its programmatic revenue via a partnership with Pixels AI, an advertising solution that uses artificial intelligence to place video content with potential customers. Guild Esports CEO Jasmine Skee said in a statement that the company expects the deal will help Guild build additional ad revenue and “talk to gamers away from the traditional social and streaming platforms, which is vital for our growth.”

STREAMHATCHET

The Resurgence of Battlegrounds Mobile India

Battlegrounds Mobile India has shown dramatic growth on live-streaming platforms since it was unbanned in India at the end of May. From June 1 to July 18th of this year, the game’s hours watched across live-streaming platforms has increased 90% since the same timeframe before its ban in 2022.
The Indian mobile gaming landscape saw a dramatic upheaval in 2020 when the beloved PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) mobile game was banned by the government. The game had over 50 million downloads on Android and an average of 33 million active users before the ban. The ban was imposed due to national security concerns as the government perceived the game’s data handling processes as potential threats.

Read more on Stream Hatchet’s blog.

Cynopsis BIG TV Conference

Networking, anyone?

No matter where you sit in the media business, making the right connections is key. At this year’s BIG TV Conference, taking place September 27-28 in NYC, you’ll have the chance to hear from – and talk to – the wavemakers, game-changers and thought leaders who are transforming the industry.

REGISTER NOW

TEAMS

The best League of Legends player of all time is back from injury after a two-week scare and preparing for a return to the big stage. Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok of T1, whose team has struggled during his time away, has been playing the game as a return to play in League Champions Korea approaches for the mid laner. The timing for a full return is tight, however, as his team has limped through July without its lynchpin and will need Faker back to make a run in the Summer Playoffs and make the League of Legends World Championship.

Standout Apex Legends pro Jacob “HisWattson” McMillin has retired following his team’s exit from the ALGS Split 2 Playoffs last week. HisWattson, who played for Brazilian organization FURIA Esports, announced he is stepping away from pro play to focus on content creation, with former TSM player Mac “Albralelie” Beckwith taking his spot in the lineup. FURIA finished 37th out of 40 teams at the Split 2 Playoffs, and the ALGS 2022 World Championship runners-up will need to integrate Albralelie quickly to make it into this year’s championship via the ALGS Last-Chance Qualifier, which begins Friday.

Team Liquid donated $50,000 to Rainbow Railroad, an LGBTQ+ charitable organization, as part of its participation in the Riyadh Masters Dota 2 tournament. Teams have faced backlash for competing in the Saudi Arabian Gamers8 events, which have been seen as part of the country’s efforts to draw attention from Saudi Arabia’s human rights violations targeting women and LGBTQ+ people. Liquid, one of the few organizations that’s been vocal about the rationale for its participation in Saudi tournaments, released a video from CEO Victor Goossens explaining the company would face “all sorts of challenges” financially if it did not take part in the event. “The money that is flowing in from a prize pool perspective and participation perspective, is absolutely enormous,” Goossens said.

INDUSTRY

Microsoft and Activision-Blizzard agreed to extend the deadline for Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of ATVI to prevent a $3 billion payout from Microsoft and renegotiation of the deal. Following a victory against the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to prevent an injunction last week, the companies faced a deadline of July 18 to finalize the acquisition. With the United Kingdom still blocking the deal and potential regulatory challenges remaining in the USA, however, the companies mutually pushed the finalization date to Oct. 18 of this year, with the kill fee for the deal bumping to $4.5 billion.

Rocket League coach Noah “Noah” Hinder and Sixteenth junior talent manager Jonny Davies have launched a players’ association for Rocket League esports competitors. The Rocket League Players Association, first reported on by Esports Insider, includes two other coaches and one player alongside the Moist Esports manager: G2 Esports coach Matthew “Satthew” Ackermann, Team Falcons coach Nicholas “Nick” Marrone and unsigned pro player Leonardo “Turinturo” Wilson. The RLPA has not communicated with Rocket League creator Psyonix, according to Esports Insider, and is working to build a base in the Rocket League Championship Series community before approaching the developer.

Bungie founder Alex Seropian has launched a new game studio known as Look North World, and its first title will lean on past expertise in the shooter genre. Seropian, who is credited with building the Halo franchise, is building the new title in Unreal Engine for Fortnite, which is quickly becoming a game-changing tool for both emerging talent in the game development industry and mainstays like Seropian and his new team.

Top Women in Media Awards Gala

SURPRISE! Final Deadline Extended…

We understand things come up and priorities change… So, we’ve extended the submissions deadline for Top Women in Media award entries until Wednesday, August 9 at 11:59PM EST. This is your chance, don’t miss it!

DON’T WAIT, ENTER NOW!

TRIVIA
What are the names of the two much-anticipated and much-memed-upon movies hitting theaters tomorrow? (Email [email protected] with your answer, and be sure to include your name, company and city).

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
When will EBS take place this year? Answer: October 22-24. Kudos: Too many to list, hope to see you all there!

Cynopsis Team

Lynn Leahey
Editorial Director
@Lynn_Leahey

Kerry Smith
Division President
Access Intelligence

Robbie Caploe
VP/Group Publisher
@robertacaploe

Executive Director of Sales
Jon Mcloughlin
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CynopsisJobs
Check out more jobs in Cynopsis Classifieds »

Job of the day

HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR >>
BIG FISH ENTERTAINMENT/NYC/NJ: Coordinating onboarding for all new hires.
Administering the benefits and payroll changes for employees accurately.
Maintaining an efficient filing system—paper and electronic, for employee and company records related to their job functions. Building a successful bridge between management and employees. 7 yrs entertainment exp. preferred. Full Info HERE

DIRECTOR, MEDIA SUPPLY CHAIN OPERATIONS >>
PBS DISTRIBUTION/ARLINGTON VA, Hybrid: Oversee media systems operations, including daily operations as well as development and implementation of overall media supply chain. Work with external vendors and internal stakeholders on design and implementation of hardware and software solutions for media systems. 7+ yrs of work exp. in the areas of television, media, or consumer products. Full info HERE

MANAGER, STREAMING GROWTH AND ENGAGEMENT >>
PBS DISTRIBUTION/ARLINGTON VA, Hybrid: Identify opportunities using content placements & promotions to drive usage, engagement, & subscriber retention. Create & maintain a comprehensive editorial calendar to track & leverage content & cyclical opportunities based on each channel’s needs. 5+ years’ experience in digital video distribution, streaming business, and content programming. Full info HERE

TV/VIDEO SPONSORSHIP-PRODUCT INTEGRATION SALES REPRESENTATIVE >>
GAME ON MEDIA SOLUTIONS/Remote: Game On Media Solutions is looking for an independent business development oriented sponsorship sales representative. Focus will be on TV/Streaming project opportunities for brands that include product integration and placement. This is an Independent Contractor performance compensated opening. Attractive fees can be earned for closed deals. Full info HERE

BRAND ASSISTANT >>
THE LEDE COMPANY/NYC: Full-service communication, strategy, and social impact consulting firm, specializing in corporate, brand, entertainment, and nonprofit sectors, is seeking a Brand Assistant to join the Brand team in our New York office. The Assistant will play an integral role in supporting accounts for a wide variety of Fashion, Beauty, CPG and Lifestyle clients. Full info HERE

TALENT ASSISTANT >>
THE LEDE COMPANY/LA: Full-service strategy, communications and social impact consulting firm, specializing in corporate, entertainment and nonprofit sectors. We are looking for a Talent Assistant to a Talent Publicist in Los Angeles. We are seeking enthusiastic candidates who can work in a fast-paced environment, are driven & have strong communication and writing skills. Full info HERE

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER FOR NATIONAL POLITICAL SHOW >>
BAHAKEL COMMUNICATIONS/CHARLOTTE NC: Develop and oversee the production of a daily or weekly national political show that covers the most important political news and events of the day. Develop and execute strategies to increase the show’s audience and engagement. At least 5 years of experience as an executive producer for a political show or similar program. Full info HERE

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF NEWS/ENTERTAINMENT >>
BAHAKEL COMMUNICATIONS/CHARLOTTE NC: Oversee all editorial and entertainment content, news production and presentation. Responsible for day-to-day operations of the show: producing, writing, and guiding creative. Develop content for the News @ TEN, plan, assign and create production schedules. 7 years of experience as executive producer or show producer. Network experience preferred. Full info HERE

SR. DIRECTOR, PRODUCT MANAGEMENT >>
SHOUT! FACTORY/LOS ANGELES: P&L responsibility, ownership over all aspects of a project, standalone releases or a licensed library of titles. Works w/production, publicity, creative services, distribution/sales, digital, finance, legal, acquisitions & licensors to best position the project for success. 7+ yrs of exp. in marketing, business development, or product management. Full info HERE

SALES OPERATIONS MANAGER >>
SHOUT! FACTORY/LOS ANGELES: Prepare accurate reports using data from internal & external sources for sales planning & analysis. Communicate w/our distributor on a regular basis with an understanding of their systems & deadlines. Announce release date, pricing confirmation & metadata for staff & distributor. 3+Yrs exp. in Sales Planning & Analysis/Finance Administration. Full info HERE

SENIOR CONTENT PRODUCER
INTERACTIVE ONE
NYC
Oversee video/creative production team thru ideation, production planning, crew/talent hiring, & budget/project management. Shepherd campaigns from development, pre-production, & production thru editing & delivery. Help w/shoots as well as postproduction team. 5+ yrs exp. spanning editorial, design, advertising agency, film, branded entertainment. Full info HERE

CREATIVE DIRECTOR
INTERACTIVE ONE
NYC
Respond to both RFPs and direct-to-client assignments from brands and agencies. Examine client brief and lead ideation or adapt pre-existing creative. Identify innovative storytelling and emerging video formats. Minimum of 7 yrs exp. producing compelling video, television and digital media content across multiple channels and platforms. Full info HERE

AD SALES PLANNER >>
SINCLAIR BROADCASTING GROUP/NYC, Hybrid: Responsible for creating, analyzing & communicating sales proposals to the Sales team for presentation to advertising agencies and/or clients. Collaborate w/all media platforms & departments to create proposals, execute campaigns, manage stewardship & pacing of linear & digital deals. Point of contact post sale & provide excellent client services. Full info HERE

DIRECTOR, PRODUCTION LIFETIME/LMN MARKETING PRODUCTION OPERATIONS
A+E NETWORKS
Remote
Lead campaign planning & production oversight, ensuring best-in-class creative. Direct Campaign Planning rollouts & ensure production readiness of marketing initiatives. Oversee production on high-end graphics/design/editorial projects. 7+ yrs working in a fast-paced, highly collaborative team, with relevant work exp. in production management. Full info HERE

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER >>
NEWSMAX MEDIA INC/NYC: Determine best news stories for the program and create daily rundown. Work with show host in program preparation and execution. Identify compelling news stories. Delegate responsibilities as appropriate to producers, associate producers, and casting producers. 3+ years executive producing experience or overseeing newscast production. Full info HERE

STAGE MANAGER >>
NEWSMAX MEDIA INC/WASHINGTON DC: Works with Production management to maintains cast and crew lists and manages local rehearsal and show calendar. Oversee daily technical run-throughs directly prior to shows. Willing and able to work shifts between 12noon to 11pm and occasional Weekends and some longer hours during election and special events. Full info HERE

BROADCAST ENGINEER >>
NEWSMAX MEDIA INC/WASHINGTON DC: Troubleshooting, repair, and preventative maintenance of television broadcast equipment, computers, and broadcast computer networks in a 24x7x365 environment. Serve as E.I.C. during live and taped shows. Electrical Engineering, or other technical degree preferred. 5+ yrs as broadcast engineer, or equivalent knowledge. 5+ yrs in live TV production. Full info HERE

PRODUCER >>
NEWSMAX MEDIA INC/NEW YORK: Generate story ideas through research of news reports, social media, websites & contacts. Strong understanding of Newsmax brand & talent. Identify impactful news stories that result in provocative, compelling television. Delegate responsibilities as appropriate to associate producers, assignment editors & video editors. Bachelor’s degree preferred. Full info HERE

DIRECTOR, GENERAL AUDIENCE PUBLICITY >>
PBS/ARLINGTON VA, Hybrid: Leads the strategy, development & implementation of external communications to support PBS’s general audience content & provide support for PBS’s reputation & executive visibility. Manage relationships w/notable on-camera talent, producers – including partner agencies, managers, or agents supporting their programs. 8+ yrs of public relations exp. Full info HERE

AD SALES COORDINATOR, DIRECT RESPONSE
TV ONE
NYC, Hybrid, Remote
Work with account executives & sales planners utilizing internal computer system to fulfill sales orders through the execution of client schedules. Serve as the primary point of contact for ad agencies & TV One to resolve discrepancies, confirm schedule changes & distribute post & pre-logs. Bachelor’s degree or 2 yrs of exp. in advertising sales. Full info HERE

MANAGER OF ENTERPRISE CONTENT, WTKR
SCRIPPS NETWORKS
NORFOLK, VA
Collaborates w/other newsroom managers to leverage the Scripps content strategy as the foundation for market-specific local content strategy. Leading a team of people to regularly & reliably produce targeted enterprise & investigative stories of impact & importance to our community. 3 yrs of exp. in digital media, journalism, broadcast preferred. Full info HERE

SR. DIRECTOR, DIGITAL PLATFORMS AND PARTNERSHIPS
TV ONE
SILVER SPRING MD, NYC, Hybrid Remote
Develop, cultivate, and socialize vision, mission, and strategy for Digital Business, Programming Visibility, Content Creation and Content Partnerships & Data Governance. Lead and facilitate cross-functional and cross-company project teams. 12 yrs in the media & emerging platform landscape with building digital platforms and vMVPD growth strategy. Full info HERE

VP OF BROADCAST ENGINEERING >>
NEWSMAX MEDIA, INC./NYC, NEW YORK: Oversee the planning, management, installation & maintenance of the networks technical infrastructure: studios, transmitters, digital production platforms & automated systems. Ability to deploy in the field to coordinate special events. 8+ yrs of broadcast troubleshooting in a television network environment, preferably in a network News environment. Full info HERE

MEDIA RESEARCH MANAGER
CIRCLE MEDIA
NASHVILLE, TN
Evaluate programming for our linear and FAST channel schedules to provide insights for content strategy and audience growth. Analyze & interpret media research for programming, ad sales, marketing, and affiliate sales. Research, & preferably Nielsen background is a strongly preferred. Media Research with linear, or similar platforms, is required. Full info HERE

SCHEDULING ASSISTANT- PROGRAMMING DEPARTMENT
CIRCLE MEDIA
NASHVILLE, TN
Partner with the Programming Director to perform scheduling tasks for our Linear and FAST Channels. This includes data entry and distributing weekly schedules. Strong attention to detail and love for data entry/meta data is a plus. This role is ideal for someone looking to break into the media world. Full info HERE

TRAFFIC ASSISTANT- AD SALES METADATA ENTRY
CIRCLE MEDIA
NASHVILLE, TN
Performing a variety of administrative tasks to provide support to the Traffic Department. The majority of this role will focus on metadata entry and must have strong attention to detail. This role will also assist team members with projects and serve as an idea source during team meetings. Full info HERE

VIDEO EDITOR- MOTION GRAPHICS
CIRCLE MEDIA
NASHVILLE, TN
Responsible for editing a variety of content, including but not limited to: network promos, show promos, sponsor ads and graphics. The ideal candidate is highly skilled in the Adobe editing suite and is highly motivated and organized. After Effects/Motion graphics skills are needed and coding is preferred, but not required. Full info HERE

VICE PRESIDENT, COMPENSATION
A+E NETWORKS
NYC, Hybrid, Remote
Review current compensation programs to identify changes needed for a true best in class compensation approach. Develop simple tools that can be used by recruiters, candidates, & employees to effectively communicate all aspects of a compensation package. Minimum of 10 + years of experience in compensation. Full info HERE

OTHER JOBS OF INTEREST

Proactively identify issues and fix difficult problems as an individual contributor.
Principal Engineer
Wizards of the Coast
Remote
https://company.wizards.com/en/careers

Help to set the direction for extensible combat systems and player mastery.
Principal Designer, Combat
Wizards of the Coast
Remote
https://company.wizards.com/en/careers

Diagnose, troubleshoot, and communicate issues to the development team.
Build and Tools Engineer
Laguna Games
Remote
https://laguna.games/team/#

Work with game teams and other engineers to identify systems in need of maintenance, optimization, or refactoring.
Senior Rendering Engineer
Ubisoft
Remote
https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/company/careers

Design, implement, and balance multiplayer gameplay systems such as game modes, progression systems, player abilities, and weapons.
Senior Multiplayer Game Designer
Ubisoft
Remote
https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/company/careers

The Manufacturing Engineer will support the efficiency and improvement of processes within the facility.
Manufacturing Engineer – CAD, Solidworks
CyberCoders
Salem OH
https://www.cybercoders.com/careers/

Develop high-quality firmware using industry best practices, such as unit testing, and implementing agile program management.
Embedded Software Engineer – Hybrid
CyberCoders
Madison WI
https://www.cybercoders.com/careers/

Provide art direction to outsource teams, including reviews and feedback on 3D models, while helping with art direction on concept work.
Lead Character Artist
Wildcard Games
Redmond WA
http://www.studiowildcard.com/jobs

Collaborate with cross discipline team members to develop key systems on multiple platforms.
Senior Engine Programmer
Wildcard Games
Redmond WA
http://www.studiowildcard.com/jobs

Responsible for the day to day running of Technology & Distribution Department in support of the game title technology plans in partnership with Technical leadership.
Technical Director – PlanetSide 2
Daybreak Games
San Diego CA
https://www.daybreakgames.com/careers

Manage the integration and tuning of design, art, animation and story.
Creative Director – Rogue Planet Games
Daybreak Games
San Diego CA
https://www.daybreakgames.com/careers

Architect, design, and integrate system level policies and features to optimize product performance and power under different use cases.
Senior Systems Performance and Power Engineer
Nvidia
Santa Clara CA
https://nvidia.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/NVIDIAExternalCareerSite

Work in conjunction with senior engineers to prototype features on existing silicon and analyze benefits of the feature.
Senior ASIC Engineer – Speed Characterization
Nvidia
Santa Clara CA
https://nvidia.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/NVIDIAExternalCareerSite

Collaborate with sales teams and clients to understand their business objectives, target audience, and specific needs.
Creative Solution Architect, Unreal Engine Project – XLA
Xsolla
Los Angeles CA
https://xsolla.com/careers/vacancies

Lead a team of 4-6 developers to manage continuous product enhancements.
Head of Xsolla Pay
Xsolla
Los Angeles CA
https://xsolla.com/careers/vacancies

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