The UK Esports Team Committee (UKETC), was launched last week as a means of ‘providing a voice’ for British esports teams across the country, whilst ESL partnered with Coinbase.
Breaking down last week’s biggest esports developments in the latest ESI Digest, Tom Daniels, Sub-Editor of Esports Insider, described the UK development as something which can ‘only be seen as a positive thing’ due to its potential to develop the sector as a whole.
Parties involved in the project include Endpoint, EXCEL ESPORTS, Fnatic, MNM Gaming, London Royal Ravens, London Spitfire and Vexed Gaming, which are all counted as ‘founding members’ of the organisation.
Prospective members will have to meet a specific list of criteria – namely, they must be UK-registered private limited companies, having a ‘respectable track record in esports competitions’ and being in existence for a minimum of three years.
Improving commercial opportunities for UK teams, establishing standards for British esports teams, UKETC will make a voice which can be involved in discussions with leading esports bodies.
However, although praising the positivity of the development, Daniels noted that there was an ‘elephant in the room’, adding: “Guild have not been either invited or have not accepted to go into the UKETC. Despite the fact they do not meet the requirement of having three years, you would think that they would be a valuable brand to have within this committee.
“However, I do hope to see a lot of initiatives come out of this and see where this goes. We’ve just got to see what these projects will be and what these activations will be, and how in the long term it will benefit UK esports. Will it benefit not just the teams involved but the up-and-coming teams which are working their way up as well?”
A second significant development saw tournament organiser ESL Gaming strike a partnership with Coinbase, the global cryptocurrency platform.
As a result of the agreement, Coinbase will become the official crypto exchange partner for ‘key ESL events’ for the remainder of 2021 and 2022.
In addition, the new partners will cooperate on producing ‘unique integrations’ appearing across social media and digital media, whilst Coinbase will support the ESL pro-tour circuits for a range of titles.
“I think it is very interesting to see Coinbase continue to integrate itself within the esports industry,” Daniels remarked. “In late 2020 to early 2021, we saw them partner with BLAST Premier, Evil Geniuses and the ESL.
“This is a huge partnership not just for ESL but for Coinbase as well, gaining that reputation within the esports industry, to promote their brand to this demographic.”
Other major stories of the week include the departure of DreamHack Chief Strategy Officer Tomas Lyckedal after 12 years of service, having first joined the company in 2009, whilst in comparison, former Evil Geniuses Director Greg Kim has been appointed Head of CGL.
Daniels noted that DreamHack has developed into ‘one of the biggest esports tournament organisations in the world’ during Lyckedal’s tenure. A 17-year industry veteran, Lyckedal will remain in the esports sector and has described the coming decade as ‘the most exciting chapter yet in esports and gaming’.
Meanwhile, in other esports news, Nerd Street, NACE, CSL Esports and Mainline launched a collegiate league, whilst Valve has relocated the Dota 2 The International 10 (TI10) tournament to Bucharest, Romania.
Source – Esports Insider YouTube Channel
