This latest news roundup is just another reminder that, as anchored in technology as eSports may be, it ultimately involves many of the same issues faced by more established industries. Whether in regard to funding, corporate and franchising structures, employment contracts, real estate investment, cybersecurity concerns, or the challenge of embedding brand awareness deeper into the public consciousness, the business of eSports is just that—business.
- What responsibilities do companies like Blizzard have when they commit to fund a tournament prize pool through crowdfunding? (Max Miceli)
- Popular Twitch streamer Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek follows Fortnite streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins to Microsoft’s live streaming service, Mixer. (Austen Goslin, Polygon)
- With its new Call of Duty league, Activision revamps the structure of its eSports leagues. (Dean Takahashi, VentureBeat)
- The Army uses eSports as a recruitment tool. (Mike Glenn, The Washington Times)
- It turns out that, much like the Army, schools see the industry as an attractive recruiting tool, as well. (Lindsay McKenzie, Inside Higher Education)
- ESports saturation into the popular consciousness takes a page (and an actor) from Big Bang Theory and takes that important next step—development of a comedy series on NBC. (Denise Petski, Deadline)
- In a reminder that eSports can involve significant real estate investments, new arenas are coming to Nashville and Kansas City. (David Hollingsworth)
- New gaming platform eFuse announces a $1.4 million seed round. (PRNewswire)
- The most valuable companies in eSports continue to grow. (Christina Settimi, Forbes)
- With a value of $170 million, Envy Gaming is named the eighth most valuable eSports organization in the world by Forbes. (CBSDFW.com)
- Team USA defeats defending champion South Korea to claim the gold at the Overwatch World Cup. (Jacob Wolf, ESPN.com)