From sponsorships to industry-wide announcements, Insider Sport has you covered when it comes to the world of esports.
This week’s edition highlights the latest developments in the esports sector, including Paris Saint Germain’s esports division partnering with Talon, resulting in a rebrand of the latter’s Rainbow Six Siege (R6) team.
Talon R6 gets PSG rebranding boost
Paris Saint Germain’s esports division has partnered with Talon, resulting in a rebrand of the latter’s Rainbow Six Siege (R6) team to PSG Talon R6.
This strategic rebranding comes ahead of the 2024 season, which is set to commence on 14 March. The team will make its debut in the South Korea League under its new name with an all-Korean roster.
Sean Zhang, CEO at TALON, commented: “Our ambition is to make a significant impact in the competitive landscape of Rainbow 6. This marks a bold stride towards our vision of achieving further greatness on a global scale.”
Additionally, the team will be joined by European icons, Fabian and Pengu, joining the team as Head Coach and Content Creator, respectively.
Fabien Allègre, Chief Brand Officer of PSG, remarked: “We’re delighted to extend our partnership with Talon Esports, with whom we have been partnering for several years on League of Legends.
“After the recent opening of our store in Seoul and a football academy that has been running since 2021, the launch of this team on Rainbow 6 reflects the passion of South Korean fans for Paris Saint-Germain.
FACEIT Watch: ESL FACEIT Group announces innovative viewing platform
Viewing platform, FACEIT Watchhas been unveiled at Counter-Strike’s prestigious IEM Katowice 2024. ‘
The company is attempting to innovate the broadcasting space, giving users the choice to choose the point of view from which they follow the competition between those of all participating athletes.
This feature differs from traditional broadcasting, in which the producer chooses the perspective.
In an interview with Esports Insider, Michal ‘Carmac’ Blicharz, VP of Product Development at ESL FACEIT Group, said: “FACEIT Watch is the product of a reasoning we made in relation to the rise of co-streams.”
Co-streams, where an influencer broadcasts an esports event on their own channel. He added: “They (co-steams) weaken our signal because there is no longer a direct relationship between us and the public but a situation is created whereby there is an intermediary between us and the spectators.”
Additionally, this new feature also enables fans to pause and rewind, with access to killcams and live-generated replays of key moments also granting the viewer the ability to adjust the volume of caster and multi-perspective sounds, as well as disable spoilers.
Warren Leigh, SVP of product and digital platform at FACEIT, told Esports Insider: “FACEIT Watch is currently supporting Counter-Strike and Apex Legends.
“First-person shooters are consistently the most-watched genre amongst livestreams, generating 4.7 billion hours watched in 2023, and they are the FACEIT community’s bread and butter so it made sense for us to start here. In the future, we want to have FACEIT Watch available for many more games.”
Overwatch 2 added to Esports World Cup
Overwatch 2 has been named as a featured title for the upcoming Esports World Cup this summer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The main driving force behind Overwatch 2’s inclusion in the event is its popularity across the world as well as the large number of renowned esports brands that have taken part in the Overwatch League in the past.
The Esports World Cup will take place over the summer in Saudi Arabia and will feature a large roster of games. Other games include Rainbow Six Siege, PUBG, PUBG MOBILE and Garena Free Fire also being included in the tournament.
Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, commented: “First-person and tactical shooters are a cornerstone of gaming and esports and played by billions internationally.
“We’re bringing together all the best games, including these titles and the rest of our competitions, to connect an unprecedented variety of global communities. We’re excited to have them be a part of this first-of-its-kind event.”
Saudi Arabia infuses esports and gaming with $120m investment funds
Saudi Arabia’s National Development Fund (NDF) has announced the establishment of two venture funds in collaboration with the country’s Social Development Bank (SDB).
The signing was announced last week during the LEAP 2024 technology conference in Riyadh, with the funds valued at $120m. The investments are part of the Gaming and Esports Financing Programme and will provide funds for gaming and esports companies through equity investments.
The first investment fund, to be managed by Merak Capital, will focus on creating a gaming accelerator backed by venture investment in order to position Saudi companies as leaders in the esports sector.
The second fund will be managed by consulting firm IMPACT46 and look to stimulate private sector investment in the local gaming and esports industry, aiming to attract firms and studios to help them establish a bigger presence in the country.
Dr. Stephen Grove, Governor of NDF, commented: “The gaming and Esports industry has seen exponential growth globally, generating substantial revenue and job opportunities.
“With Saudi Arabia’s young demographic and other attractive investment components, NDF and our partners are prioritising innovative financing solutions for this industry. We aim to ensure its financial sustainability and contribute to the Kingdom’s economic diversification and job creation efforts.”
