Each week, ESI Digest breaks down the weekly happenings in the esports industry, making sense of things so you don’t have to. As well as being housed on YouTube, ESI Digest is available on all major podcast platforms and is also available in written form below.
On this week’s ESI Digest we cover; Oxygen Esports merging with Boston Uprising, Riot announcing its EMEA esports plans, Gen.G promoting Arnold Hur to CEO, Quadrant entering Halo esports, plus Mobile Legends: Bang Bang’s Women’s Invitational.
Oxygen Esports merges with Boston Uprising, acquires CoD League slot
North American esports organisations Oxygen Esports and Boston Uprising have announced a merger that will see both entities acquire the 12th Call of Duty League franchise spot.
Filling a spot left vacant after OpTic Gaming’s merger with Envy Gaming, Oxygen Esports’ franchise team will be based in Boston. Information regarding the team’s name and branding has not been revealed.
Riot Games announces VCT EMEA plans, introduces VALORANT Regional Leagues
Game developer Riot Games has unveiled details surrounding VALORANT’s EMEA esports ecosystem, including the introduction of VALORANT Regional Leagues (VRLs).
Riot Games has also announced details surrounding EMEA’s 2022 VALORANT Champions Tour structure, brand new VALORANT Regional Circuits, as well as the future of VCT Game Changers EMEA.
Gen.G promotes Arnold Hur to CEO
Multinational esports organisation Gen.G has promoted its current Chief Operating Officer, Arnold Hur, to the position of Chief Executive Officer.
The decision comes after Chris Park, the organisation’s previous CEO, announced he would be moving into an advisory role.
Quadrant announces foray into Halo esports
Quadrant, a UK-based gaming and lifestyle brand launched by Formula One driver Lando Norris, has announced its first foray into esports by entering into Halo.
Having spent its first year focusing on building the brand through content creation, Quadrant has signed a roster that will compete at the Halo Championship Series: Kickoff Major in Raleigh which takes place on December 17th-19th.
MOONTON and ONE Esports announce Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Women’s Invitational
Game developer MOONTON Games and esports media company ONE Esports have announced that both entities will jointly produce the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Women’s Invitational (MWI), an all-female tournament.
According to a release, the tournament will feature up to 10 women-led Southeast Asia teams. The event will take place from January 27th – 30th and includes a combined prize pool of $15,000 (~£11,300).
ESI Digest is part of the ESI Podcast Network, a collection of podcasts encompassing the esports industry. For deep dives into the major areas of esports with subject matter experts, check out ESI Focus. For conversations with key personnel and major stakeholders in esports, ESI Insight is the series for you.