For additional longer-form esports news plus jobs, a team directory, glossary, calendar and data, check out our new esports hub updated daily:
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Rio de Janeiro will be the first South American city to host a CS:GO Major.
ESL One Rio 2020 is slated to run Thursday, May 21 to Sunday, May 24 at the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro; tickets go on sale today, Dec. 12. Twenty-four teams will compete for a $1 million prize pool.
DreamHack announced its 2020 world tour schedule,
which will include 11 three-day, non-stop festivals in 10 major cities, including its US West coast debut in Anaheim (Feb. 21-23). The year kicks off with DreamHack Leipzig, Germany (Jan. 24-26); and continues in Dallas (May 22-24), DreamHack Summer and DreamHack Winter in Jönköping, Sweden (June 12-14 and Nov. 27-29 respectively), Valencia (July 3-5), Montreal (Sept. 11-13), Rotterdam (Oct. 16-18), Hyderabad, India (Oct. 30-Nov. 1), Atlanta (Nov. 13-15) and concludes in Sevilla, Spain on Dec. 11-13.
DreamHack also broke the news that it will host four tournaments for the game Magic: The Gathering Place
in 2020. First up will be DreamHack Anaheim – the first DreamHack event on the west coast – running February 21-23, 2020. Additional tournaments will be featured at DreamHack Dallas (May 22-24), DreamHack Atlanta (November 13-15) and DreamHack Winter (November 27-29).
PUBG esports is expanding with the introduction of the PUBG Global Series.
In 2020, PUBG will host four world class PUBG esports events hosted in major cities around the world in April, July, October, and November. Each event will feature 32 teams and larger prize pools supplemented by crowdfunding. The first three events will serve as both major live events unto themselves and qualification tournaments for the final event of the year, PUBG Global Championship.
Epic Games is in the sharing mood for the holidays
, announcing plans for the 2019 Fortnite Winter Duos tournament, spanning three days this month – Dec. 20, 21, and 22 with $15 million on the line. Each day’s rules will vary with each dangling $5 million to contenders.
PGL and The Coalition locked in on the two next Majors for Gears Esports
, unveiling the Mexico City Major and the Texas Major. The Mexico City Major will run March 6-8 at World Trade Center Mexico City, while the Texas Major spans May 8-10 out of Esports Stadium Arlington. The 2020 World Championship is set for July 2020.
Twitch is teaming up with the NFL Players Association and Epic Games
for the Twitch Rivals Streamer Bowl event series. The three-part series starts with NFL players and Twitch streamers showcasing their talents over four shows with Fortnite gameplay and interviews. This is followed by a draft event with Twitch streamers vying for top pick to draft NFL players as their tournament partner, and then a duos tournament with a $500,000 charity prize pool live from Miami during Super Bowl LIV week. All activities will be streamed from Twitch.tv/TwitchRivals and from every player’s personal Twitch channel.
The 2020 Pokkén Tournament Championship Series is ready to rumble
with three qualifying events leading into the World Championships in London. Overall, a total of 16 Masters Division and eight Senior Division players will qualify for the Pokkén Tournament World Championships, including two Masters and one Senior from the Oceania International Championships, four Masters and two Seniors from the Europe International Championships, and four Masters and two Seniors from the North America International Championships. The 2019 Pokkén Tournament World Champion Hiroki “Subutan” Ishida will automatically qualify for a spot in the Masters Championship Bracket. The remainder of the invitations will be awarded to players from Japan and via the Last Chance Qualifier. Competition kicks off in Melbourne from Feb. 21-23.
The NBA 2K League locked in its venue for its first-ever European Invitational
in London this week, with the two-day event set to be held at Gfinity Arena in London. Twenty of the best NBA 2K players from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, Turkey and the UK will compete over two days of gameplay and participate in interviews with league representatives and team managers. The double-elimination tournament on Dec. 14 will be livestreamed on the NBA 2K League’s Twitch and YouTube channels.
Pro wrestler Tyson Smith, aka Kenny Omega, is onboard the 2019 Capcom Cup
as co-host. Omega will help keep things lively at the December 13-15 event, interviewing players and personalities as well as emceeing the top-32 and the grand finals. While it’s the first time Omega has hosted a Capcom-sponsored event, he’s no stranger to the company – he played Cody Travers in in the trailer for SVF.
The High School Esports League detailed its slate of HSEL Fall Majors
, where participants from across North America will compete against fellow students in eleven games, with the thirty ultimate champions across all titles winning scholarship prize ahead of the holidays. Fall titles include Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Fortnite, Hearthstone, Overwatch, Rainbow Six: Siege, Rocket League, Smite, Super Smash Bros: Ultimate, Madden 20, and NBA 2K20 and will be live-streamed on
twitch.tv/VarsityNetwork
starting Dec. 16.
The Call of Duty Endowment (C.O.D.E.) announced the first ever CODE Bowl
presented by U.S. Army Esports on December 13. The event will feature eight teams, each captained by a popular streamer playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare along with members of the U.S. Army esports team. Each team will be competing to become the CODE Bowl Champions by earning the most points in-game. The action begins at 10a PT on the Call of Duty Twitch Channel. Fans can also watch their favorite streamers via their individual channels, including: CouRageJD, Dr Disrespect, Dakotaz, Shroud, StoneMountain64, Summit1G, Syndicate, and TimTheTatman. Each streamer will also raise donations on their channels on behalf of the Call of Duty Endowment.
WorldGaming Network has partnered with the Montreal Canadiens
for the NHL 20 Esports Tournament. Starting Dec. 28, players will compete using WorldGaming Network’s tournament platform in the online qualifiers for the Canadiens esports NHL 20 tournament. Winners of the qualifier will go on to the Grand Finals and compete for the $15,000 grand prize.
Save the date and get in early to claim your spot!
Be a part of the 2020 Esports Upfront, taking place this year on April 21, 2020 at CNVS New York. Last year saw some participants score millions in new business as a result of presenting, so don’t miss your opportunity to lay out your plans in front of an invitation-only audience of leading brands and agencies. Contact
[email protected]
for details.
TRENDS
For more information about the 2019 League of Legends All Star Events, contact [email protected]
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Louis Vuitton announced its League of Legends capsule collection
in partnership with Riot Games. Designed by Nicolas Ghesquière, Louis Vuitton’s Artistic Director of Women’s Collections, the capsule features references true to the universes of League of Legends and Ghesquière’s personal inspirations, and follows the Prestige skins he previously created for Qiyana (already revealed) and for Senna (to be revealed in January 2020).The collection showcases a Monogram Louis Vuitton x League of Legends canvas, revisited across some of the House’s iconic and New Classics bags including the Neverfull, the Speedy or the Boite Chapeau Souple and a Bumbag among other styles.
International gaming seat brand Secretlab
booked a partnership with ONE Esports, the esports arm of global sports media property ONE Championship, to serve as the Official Chair Partner for ONE Esports’ upcoming Dota 2 World Pro Invitationals,
DreamSeat is pulling double duty.
The sports and gaming chair brand inked a deal with Allied Esports to become The Official Gaming Chair of its global flagship esports venue, HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas. The chair manufacturer will supply HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas with 140 Xpression Gaming chairs for player stations, production rooms and staff offices throughout the popular dedicated esports facility. The multiyear agreement between Allied Esports and DreamSeat includes a revenue share opportunity for partner use of the logo panels on an event-by-event basis. DreamSeat will also have a consumer retail presence at HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas that will allow visitors to purchase various products onsite and online.
Meanwhile, Envy Gaming also completed a deal with DreamSeat
and its affiliates, Zipchair and Zipchair Gaming. The partnership includes sponsorship of five Overwatch League weekend series hosted by the Dallas Fuel in 2020, two Call of Duty League competitive events hosted by the Dallas Empire, and ZipChair products used to outfit the new Envy Gaming training center and headquarters office located in Dallas’ Victory Park.
FaZe Clan will exclusively release three new collaborations:
FaZe x Champion Winter Collection; Female Fortnite Star Soleil “Ewok” Wheeler line; and rapper Offset line, available in-store at FaZe Arcade in Los Angeles and online this month. The FaZe x Champion Winter Collection will feature limited edition beanie, hockey jersey, tees and “GHOST” & “BLACK OPS” hoodies and will be available on Wednesday, Dec. 11. The “BLACK OPS” hoodie is the most sought-after piece yet to be released by FaZe Clan, with the logo amalgamation in a tonal reflective nylon, a tech fabric in its first use by Champion.
This year’s League of Legends official charity fundraiser will be Dawnbringer Karma
, the first charity skin for the Riot Social Impact Fund. All proceeds from this skin and associated digital items will go to the Riot Social Impact Fund, which was formed as a separate entity earlier this year and has already donated $4M on players’ behalf to promote equality in education, opportunity, and global citizenship. In Q1 2020, League of Legends players will be able to vote on which charitable causes are most important to them, and a majority of the money raised from Dawnbringer Karma will be allocated to those causes through the Fund. The skin and associated items will be on sale through January 13.
Turtle Beach announced a new partnership with FIFA champion gamer Mossad Aldossary,
aka MSdossary. The Saudi Arabian FIFA pro won the 2018 FIFA eWorld Cup final and was named 2018 Esports Player of the Year. “Mossad is a prolific FIFA player and long-time Turtle Beach advocate and we’re thrilled to have him join our collective of top gamers and influencers,” said Juergen Stark, CEO, Turtle Beach. “He’s one of the most followed and watched players in the world and this is just the beginning of his FIFA career, and we are looking forward to helping him achieve even greater success.”
Twitch is going long with three of its key players
, announcing exclusive multi-year content deals with professional gaming streamers Benjamin “DrLupo” Lupo, Saqib “LIRIK” Zahid and Timothy “TimTheTatman” Betar. All three deals were facilitated by Loaded, with the trio representing nearly 550 million combined views. “We’re really excited that DrLupo, LIRIK, and TimTheTatman will keep calling Twitch home.” said Mike Aragon, SVP Content & Partnerships at Twitch. “They’re incredible players and partners and each bring a unique style to their streams that really resonates with their communities. They’ve achieved a lot to date, and we’re thrilled to be able to partner with and invest in them so they can continue to build on that success in the future.”
Meanwhile, heavyweight Twitch streamer Dr Disrespect is taking his act to TV,
inking a deal with Skybound Entertainment to develop a television series based on his character, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “There are lots of incredibly talented streamers, but there’s something special about what [Dr Disrespect] has done in creating this character,” Skybound co-founder and president David Alpert said in the story. “We really believe there’s a unique world around the doctor.” He will continue to stream on Twitch.
ELEAGUE will surround the upcoming Season 8 Rocket League Championship Series
World Championship with two shows offering fans a primer on teams and players, as well as a recap of high-stakes moments. ELEAGUE Presents the Season 8 Rocket League World Championship premieres Friday, December 13 at 11p, with a look at RLCS teams including Vitality and Pittsburgh Knights, and concludes with a highlights show on Friday, December 20 at 11p.
Joseph Tsai, billionaire owner of the Brooklyn Nets, invested $10 million to become a minority owner of G2 Esports
, which will look to open a New York-based office in 2020. “New York is an under-leveraged and under-represented market in esports, which is odd because it in particular is where so many impactful subcultures have been born in the U.S.,” Jens Hilgers, one of G2’s founding owners, told Forbes. “This is an opportunity for G2 to capitalize on playing to the East Coast.”
Team Renegades announced plans to partner
with the first collegiate esports team in Michigan, Oakland University, which is becoming the first Division-1 university in the state to formally announce the addition of a varsity esports team to its athletics program. The team will begin competition in the fall of 2020. To date, Oakland University has had active club esports teams organized the Office of Student Involvement, participating in competitions for games such as League of Legends, Overwatch and Super Smash Bros. Jonas Jerebko, pro basketball player and owner of Team Renegades, said he hopes OU’s launch into esports will help spread the excitement and camaraderie of gaming throughout the region.
Italian football club Juventus struck an accord with Astralis Group
to take on operations of the club’s esports initiatives. “Astralis Group is a pioneer in esports and our approach to performance optimization on all levels has influenced the entire industry,” said Anders Hørsholt, Co-CEO of Astralis Group. “We already demonstrated our ability to create long term results, and it’s a natural development of our business to enter collaborations like this. We’re very pleased to be a part of Juventus’ esports initiative.”
Call of Duty: Mobile scored around 172 million downloads in its first two months,
reeling in $87 million in global player spending, according to mobile analyst
Sensor Tower Intelligence
, per GamesIndustry. “While spending in the game has declined from its post-launch highs, it is consistently ranked in the top 25 grossing titles in its key markets,” the report said. “With new features and content beginning to roll out at a faster pace, we’ll likely see more peaks in spending over the coming months. As it stands, Call of Duty: Mobile continues to represent one of the most successful examples of translating a major console and PC property to mobile.”
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced a new Sports Emmy category,
Outstanding Esports Coverage. The award will “recognize the craft behind the delivery of coverage and presentation of competitive, organized video gaming to the viewer during a championship or final event.” The awards committee for the Academy made the unanimous decision to recognize esports journalism in an effort to “expand the Emmy universe,” said Justine Gubar, executive director of Sports Emmy Awards Administration.
Riot Games will work with third-party developers as part of a new publishing venture
titled Riot Forge. The venture is designed to create new games that take place within the League of Legends universe in a move to “focus on creating fresh and compelling gaming experiences for players around the world while also complementing already existing titles with the aim of unleashing their full potential.” The company already has multiple titles in development and will unveil game experiences that “have yet to be seen, complementing the multiple new titles debuted by Riot Games during its 10-Year Anniversary Edition Riot Pls.”
GameStop CEO George Sherman stated during a Q3 2019 earnings call that the chain would be pulling the plug
on operations in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden by late 2020. The move comes as part of an effort to “optimize our global store fleet” and updated its projection that 250-300 stores overall would be shut down by the end of the year.
FanAI is tapping the services of Jeff Katz
, who previously served as VP of strategy and strategic partnerships at GumGum Sports, and will now serve as the company’s new chief product officer. Katz had also previously served as Director of Mobile Business Development at Verizon.
Beasley Media Group promoted AJ Lurie
to the newly created position of Director of Local Market Integrated Partnershipsat Beasley XP, the company’s recently created esports division. He
most recently served as the
as Vice President and Market Manager of BMG’s Wilmington, Delaware radio cluster.
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ON THIS DAY in 2006
Far Cry Vengeance is released.
Trivia
This game, pictured above, revolutionized the arcade when it first debuted in 1998. What is the name of the game? (Email
[email protected]
with your answer and be sure to include your name, company and city.)
Answer to Our Last Esports Trivia Question
Handsome Jack is a primary villain in which game franchise? Answer: Borderlands. Kudos: Julie Schell/Sydney; Chris Davies-Virgin/London; Alexandra Bacharach-Daddi Brand Communications/NY; Joey Olson-Lowes/DC; Glen Ross/Richmond; John McHugh-Dollar General/Myrtle Beach; Andy Pittman-TAMU/College Station; Jason Morrow-Toyota/Houston; Daniel Hanson/Vail; Julie Thompson-SBV Talent/LA; David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank; Tom Moore-
Kalt Productions/LA;
Reed Zabel-WME/LA
Later ~ Chris
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RESEARCH DIRECTOR
Meredith Corporation
Phoenix
Responsible for providing Sales mngmnt & Acct Executives w/detailed research information from NSI, Scarborough, NLTV, Rhiza and Kantar that can be used by sales staff to increase revenue for the assigned station(s). Min 5 yrs exp at TV broadcast ntwk
Full info
HERE
ASSOCIATE SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
>>
GLOW/NYC
: Develop campaign direction, live event coverage, voice & tone, community management recommendations for high-profile media/entrtnmt clients. 2-3 years social media & digital, Stellar writing. Full Info/Apply
HERE
(1/4)
SALES ASSOCIATE
>>
Crackle Plus/NYC:
Work w/ Sr Acct Execs & Acct Execs to translate approved ad sales strategies into recommendations for assigned accounts & agencies. 3-5 yrs exp in media planning at an agency or account mngmnt at a media company. Full info
HERE (
1/4)
SYNDICATION SALES REP
>>
Trifecta Entertainment/NYC:
Talented/motivated individual with U.S. syndication sales experience to assist our dynamic U.S. Distribution team. 3+ yrs exp sales or similar role; 3+ of entertainment exp & knowledge, TV industry pref’d. Full info
HERE
(1/4)
RESEARCH DIRECTOR >>
Meredith Corporation/Phoenix:
Responsible for providing Sales mngmnt & Acct Executives w/detailed research information from NSI, Scarborough, NLTV, Rhiza and Kantar that can be used by sales staff to increase revenue for the assigned station(s). Min 5 yrs exp at TV broadcast ntwk. Full info
HERE
(12/3)
MGR, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS >>
Univision/NYC: Liaise w/business units across enterprise to dvlp, mng/execute external communications. Min 5 yrs exp in corp communications, journalism and/or a related field. Exp at a media company & strong media relationships across trade & business outlets desired. Full info HERE (12/21)
MGR, VIACOM DIGITAL STUDIOS RESEARCH >>
ViacomCBS/NYC: Support analytics & insights functions as they pertain to the Viacom Digital Studios for our various brands. Contribute in-depth analysis of performance/trends on social platforms, competitive intelligence & more. 4+ yrs rsch, aud dvlpmnt, or analytics roles at media co or agency. Full info HERE (12/21)
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE >>
Tennis Channel/Santa Monica: Maintains existing and forges new relationships with agencies and clients to maximize revenue for the network. Minimum 5-7 yrs advertising sales experience, preferably in the cable or sports television arena. Full info HERE (12/21)
VP, HR OPS & COMPLIANCE >>
A+E/NY: Dvlp/execute HR initiatives in the areas of: Reporting & Systems, with a heavy emphasis on optimizing the use of Workday; Employee Relations & Investigations; Compliance; Policies & Training. YOU NEED: Min 7 yrs relevant HR exp, proficiency in Workday with proven success, strong plng & orgnztnl skills, strong comm & relationship building skills w/ability to pursue accurate data. Apply HERE (12/21)
SR DIRECTOR, CONSUMER MARKETING >>
INSP/Charlotte NC: Support VP & EVP w/dvlpmnt of strategic positioning for new & returning series and films: determine the target audience, and establish marketing objectives and strategies. 7-10 yrs exp entertainment, brand mktg, advertising cable/streaming. Full info HERE (12/20)
PRODUCTION MGR, LIVE SPORTS >>
WarnerMedia-Turner Studios/ATL: Connect dots & tend closely to details in order to ensure that our live sports content (NBA, NCAA, UEFA, ELEAGUE and more), both in studio & location, are executed successfully. Tech savvy, high EQ & great org skills. 6+ yrs live studio TV prod management exp. Full info HERE (12/20)
PRODUCTION MGR, ENTERTAINMENT BRANDS >>
WarnerMedia-Turner Studios/ATL: Jack of all trades to mng all details in order to ensure that our entertainment, corp & non-brdcst productions, both in studio and on location, are executed successfully. Must have great attention to detail & org skills. 6+ yrs live studio TV prod mngmnt exp. Full info HERE (12/20)
PRODUCTION CREW MGR (2 NEEDED) >>
WarnerMedia-Turner Studios/ATL: Lead charge in cultivating a strong culture that inspires and motivates our team of 50+ staff and 200+ temporary below-the-line crew members. Dvlp & administer talent assessments. 6-8+ yrs mngmnt/leadership dvlpmnt exp, pref in media or a comparable creative industry. Full info HERE (12/19)
AD SALES PLANNER >>
Katz Networks (Bounce, Laff, Grit, Court TV Mystery)/NYC: Strategic & analytical thinker needed to dvlp sales plans & packages for clients, working w/TV Ad Sales team, agency contacts, as well as mult internal depts. 2+ yrs industry related adv exp; Detail-oriented, disciplined team player. Knwldg of Wide Orbit +. Full info HERE (12/19)
RESEARCH MANAGER, RATINGS & MEASUREMENT >>
ABC NEWS/NYC: Deliver ratings and insights for ABC News programs and competitors. 5+ years related exp. NPower/NNTV experience a must as well as strong interpersonal skills. Full info HERE (12/19)
MGR, DIGITAL INSIGHTS & ANALYTICS >>
beIN MEDIA GROUP/Miami: Responsible for maintaining measurement across beIN Digital Platforms and creating materials that position beIN SPORTS positively for Ad Sales across the competitive sports landscape. Full info HERE (12/18)
ANALYST, GLOBAL CONSUMER INSIGHTS >>
Viacom International Media Networks/NYC: Resp for dvlpng a deep understanding of Viacom audiences around the world, then disseminating those findings within the co. & beyond. 2-3 yrs exp in primary rsrch. Working knowledge of graphics design & video editing software. Full info HERE (12/18) |
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OTHER JOBS OF INTEREST
Shepherd an externally developed game to launch and live operation, coordinating between internal and external technical resources.
Lead Software Engineer
NCSoft
Bellevue WA
https://us.ncsoft.com/careers
Design and implement new and exciting content and systems for Guild Wars 2.
Senior Game Designer
NCSoft
Bellevue WA
https://us.ncsoft.com/careers
Create robust, low-latency, scalable systems that support Niantic’s products.
Software Engineer, Server Infrastructure
Niantic
Sunnyvale CA
https://nianticlabs.com/jobs/
Lead the full life-cycle of research projects from study design to data reporting to following up with teams on how they are acting on the insights.
Senior User Researcher – Glu Sports
Glu Mobile
San Mateo CA
https://www.glu.com/careers/
Implement, debug and optimize major systems in C/C++ and other languages in the context of a large cross platform codebase.
Gameplay Engineer
Treyarch
Santa Monica CA
https://careers.treyarch.com/
Design, write, debug and refine UI systems and underlying architecture.
Senior Associate UI Engineer
Treyarch
Santa Monica CA
https://careers.treyarch.com/
Deliver projects to a high standard, demonstrating creativity, quality and consistency.
Motion Graphics and Video Editor
Glu Mobile
San Francisco CA
https://www.glu.com/careers/
Translate the vision into level design standards that can be used by everyone to build all of the levels in the game.
Senior Level Designer
Ubisoft
San Francisco CA
https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/careers/experience.aspx
Design and implementation of high quality AAA Visual Effects to support story, art direction and gameplay objectives.
Senior VFX Artist
Ubisoft
San Francisco CA
https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/careers/experience.aspx
Design and code innovative, scalable, and robust features.
Senior Software Engineer
Pocket Gems
San Francisco CA
https://pocketgems.com/jobs/
Spearhead the concept and development of functional UX designs for game features.
Lead UX Designer
Niantic
Los Angeles CA
https://nianticlabs.com/jobs/
Work with a Creative Lead to cultivate and lead an outstanding creative team.
Art Led – Esports
Riot Games
Los Angeles CA
https://www.riotgames.com/en/work-with-us/jobs
Inform decisions across Riot and ensure that we make good on our mission to become the most player-focused game company in the world. |
Senior Analyst – Esports
Riot Games
Los Angeles CA
https://www.riotgames.com/en/work-with-us/jobs
You also have an understanding of game development practices that helps enhances the players’ connection with the character they are playing.
Senior Character Artist (Star Wars Team)
Respawn Entertainment
Los Angeles CA
https://www.ea.com/careers/careers-overview/worldwide-studios/respawn
Embrace our philosophy and share his/her hard earned expertise to create an incredible Star Wars™ experience for our players.
Senior Software Engineer (Star Wars Team)
Respawn Entertainment
Los Angeles CA
https://www.ea.com/careers/careers-overview/worldwide-studios/respawn
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