Esprouts Weekly: For a grown man to still be playing video games, it's a bit concerning
A charming mix of wit and hard-hitting opinion on the week's biggest stories.
Good day to one and all.
I’ve been a little quiet on here - not through lack of things to talk about, but more not having the time to sit down and jot long-form pieces intertwined with dazzling wit on every topic in esports.
I’m still on the hunt for a full-time gig, or any freelance or consultancy work floating about so feel free to email me on oliver.adam.ring[at]gmail.com
The format of the new weekly is going to probably change, but for this very first edition I’ve effectively gone with the following:
Headshot: The Copenhagen Major: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Dual Lane: Partnerships
More Than Just a Lootbox: Esports x Gambling
Eco Round: Esports, the numbers
Ganked: Esports in the Mainstream
Ronnie: An update
Please also be aware there are plenty of things that aren’t included in this - purely because I would write a book and bore the life out of you. But given the aim is frequent, top-tier content, it’ll get covered. Even if it’s just seven days later.
If you like what you read, free free to subscribe and share. And I’ll see you next Tuesday.
Given I’m on the hunt for a new role, any contributions are appreciated. Like what you read? For the price of a coffee, you can help me put kibble in the dog bowl.
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Headshot: The Copenhagen Major: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
The Good
Counter-Strike 2’s first Major announced the title’s arrival on the esports scene with a boom. Per Esports Charts’ initial calculations, the grand final attracted over 1.85 million peak concurrent viewers putting it third in the all-time CS viewership hall of fame.
New game, who dis? It may be a new title, but a CS Major again delivered some of the most compelling esports competition around. The final went to a third map, and Counter-Strike continues to deliver the most compelling of esports competition.
There’s something about the FPS title that can grip the masses like no other.
The Bad
“PGL, also known as “Production Generally Lacking”, is a C-Tier Counter Strike broadcaster whose achievements include hiring vision-impaired observers, incinerating viewer ears and playing hide-and-seek with the HUD......”
Admittedly I didn’t watch every moment of the major, but no esports competition would be complete without a plethora of complaints from the community about the quality of broadcast.
Tinny audio, “drowning commentators” and roll-off-your-tongue copy-pastas all featured as PGL came up short of the community’s exacting standards.
Given the 58 million minutes of competition watched across broadcast platforms cost the audience a grand total of £0, the chutzpah of perennial whiners continues to astound. That said, one of Counter-Strike’s biggest tournaments should be run with top-tier production.
That’s what the community pay for….!
If only the ESL FACEIT Group had a Savvy way of raising capital and ensuring faultless production when their time comes…
The Ugly
Skin casino CSGOEmpire reared its ugly head in the most dramatic of fashions, halting the entire Major with a ‘stage invasion’.
The protest was against G2’s “promotion of underage casino”, referencing a partnership signed in May 2023 with competitor CSGORoll. The Belize-based company announced a partnership with the esports behemoth only to rightly be met with considerable community backlash. There’s no need to delve into why the partnership was braindead, as it’s already well documented.
G2 now has no reference to the casino anywhere to be seen, but issued no public statement about the apparent cessation of the aforementioned partnership.
CSGOEmpire, and CEO ‘Monarch’ are still very angry, and think encouraging people with monetary incentives to invade a stage at a global esports event, and endangering players is an acceptable thing to do.
While CSGORoll undoubtedly is a complete shambles, CSGOEmpire’s self-appointed position as the moral arbiter of gambling in Counter-Strike is all the more fun given they hold a Curacao license and have KYC about as good as my local chippy.
CSGOEmpire’s previously announced $50,000 tournament now is organiser and producer-less, has had six casters withdraw and most teams are distancing themselves from working with the brand.
Quite frankly, it’s gone down like a shit in a paddling pool.
Dual Lane: Partnerships
A selection of recent partnership news
Image credit: OpTic Gaming
Just for the OpTics:
OpTic Gaming has partnered with Juventus to ‘bridge the gap between traditional sports and esports’. Full story here.
Esprouts says: A similar partnership to Evil Geniuses and Wolverhampton Wanderers. The difference here is that people actually want to support OpTic and Juventus, so perhaps there’ll be some traction. Who on earth ever bought an EG x Wolves jersey? You rarely adorn a team jersey that has not one shit team’s logo, but two.
I’d rather wear a Celtic x Rangers half-and-half scarf.
We’re yet to see one of these champagne partnerships provide anything of note. The best football x esports content I can remember was actually done by Betway, who sponsored both NiP and West Ham. Michael Antonio vs GetRight at CS:GO was actually quite entertaining. Other than that it’s “bang a logo on a jersey and say we’re in esports”.
These partnerships are nothing more than commercial, and that’s fine. Football clubs in the UK could be using gaming and esports to empower younger people and increase youth attendance at football. Sheffield Wednesday’s setup is cracking, and that’s because it’s not just an overhyped shirt sponsorship. Instead, it’s far more than just ‘get an eSoccer player’ and claim ‘we’re in esports’.
Who are you Qiddyaing?:
ESL FACEIT Group has secured a five-year partnership with Qiddya City. Full story here.
Esprouts says: Let’s FACEIT this is a phenomenally Savvy partnership from Qiddya and ESL FACEIT. The five-year deal will see the two groups work together to ‘develop experiences’.
I honestly pity PIF-y the PR that had to write the press release. I’d also like to announce that my ankle has signed a five-year deal with my knee to develop experiences for my neck. Bloody nonsense.
More than just a lootbox: Esports x Gambling
Integri-what?: Riot Games has indefinitely suspended competition in League of Legends’ Vietnam Championship Series following competitive integrity concerns.
All match results from March 14th have been revoked, and 32 individuals have been temporarily suspended pending investigation
The list of individuals spans all eight teams competing in the VCS
This is the most significant integrity breach in top-tier League of Legends in recent memory, should foul play or match-fixing be discovered
A Genius move: SIS and Genius Sports have extended their partnership, allowing the Genius Sports’ US Sportsbook network to access the SIS’ Competitive Gaming suite.
The margin-driving product continues to go from strength to strength despite the emergence of several competing products
SIS will look to add to existing launches in Kentucky, Colorado and New Jersey
On the Radar: Oddin.gg and Sportradar have partnered, which will see Oddin.gg’s data rights and audiovisual content distributed through Radar’s integrated streaming product.
Sportradar’s existing esports involvement comes through an Oddin competitor, Bayes Esports, which it created as a joint venture with DOJO Madness
Esprouts says: A few more B2B gambling moves that largely won’t make a macro-impact on the scene. SIS’ product is a cracker, but you’d struggle to call it esports - it’s like a premium virtual product.
I’d imagine given the state of esports and betting that anyone on the books of Radar or Genius is hardly ploughing resources into the category, and as such will continue to pay through the ear for a product that they then don’t bother to take to market properly.
Then they assess the ‘esports margin’, see a lack of wagers, claim the industry is small and cut any funding in the category.
As Elton John once sang: “It’s the circle, the circle of life”
And it moves us all.
I won’t even bother typing low CPA, high potential LTV, or high cross-sell potential because I’m tired of doing so…
Eco Round: Esports, the numbers
💸$250,000 💸
Guild Esports has announced an unsecured convertible loan agreement, borrowing $250,000 from UAE-based Compassare Holdings over a one-year term. The loan carries interest of 8%. Would Guild have needed a loan if Sean Carr didn’t leave?
💀 5 years 💀
Kinguin has announced the closure of the Esports Performance Center in Warsaw after five years of operation. No more private chefs for the boys.
📈CA$423.2 million📈
Rivalry’s betting handle for FY23, up 82% year-over-year. The company eclipsed 2 million player sign-ups in FY23. Stop bucking the circle of life….!
Ganked: Esports in the mainstream
For a grown man to be posting on the Daily Mail forums under the nickname Professor Pusskins, it’s a bit concerning.
Guess he’s looking for his ideal ‘AI’ generated partner to impress with his…. forum skills.
Ronnie Update: Put your hands up for Qiddya; I love this city
