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 Naz Aletaha’s major Riot Games promotion, Rivalry entering the TSX Venture Exchange, Galaxy Racer expanding into Pakistan, Immortals’s Nitto Tire partnership, plus GN Store Nord’s DKK 8bn acquisition of SteelSeries.
Riot Games promotes Naz Aletaha to Global Head of League of Legends Esports
Game publisher Riot Games has promoted Naz Aletaha to the role of Global Head of League of Legends Esports.
In her new role, Aletaha will be responsible for creating and executing League of Legends esports’ vision, strategy, and roadmap. This includes overseeing the title’s 12 regional leagues and three international events.
Rivalry becomes publicly listed on TSX Venture Exchange
Esports betting operator Rivalry has officially been listed on the TSX Venture Exchange.
In June, Rivalry announced its intention to take the company public through a direct listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange by October. The company will commence trading from October 5th under the ticker symbol ‘RVLY’.
Galaxy Racer expands to Pakistan following Fakhr-e-Alam partnership
Dubai-based organisation Galaxy Racer has announced a partnership with entrepreneur Fakhr-e-Alam.
As a result of the deal, the two parties will collaborate to create Galaxy Racer Pakistan, which is part of the organisation’s global expansion. Fakhr-e-Alam will lead the organisation’s expansion into Pakistan to increase its ‘footprint’ in South Asia.
Immortals signs multi-year deal with Nitto Tire
North American esports organisation Immortals has announced a multi-year deal with off-road and street performance tires manufacturer Nitto Tire.
As Immortals’s official tire for 2022, the two entities will co-develop a customised content series and engage with gaming influencers across the organisation’s League of Legends LCS franchise and VALORANT competitive teams.
Axcel agrees to sell SteelSeries to GN Store Nord for DKK 8bn
Axcel has agreed to sell its gaming hardware company SteelSeries to GN Store Nord, a manufacturer of hearing aids and headsets.
GN Store Nord will pay 8bn Danish Krone (~£915.18m) for SteelSeries, with the acquisition expected to close at the beginning of 2022. As of this writing, the transaction is still subject to approval.
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.