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 within the sector, including Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois launching a new esports organisation named TC Esports.
The esports organisation will initially participate in the sim racing scene, though further details about the roster, the specific titles and future competitions have not yet been revealed.
TC Esports is directly linked to TC Racing, a real-life racing team founded by Courtois in 2023. This team competes in the F4 Spanish Championship and the Prodigy Racing League, a competition that combines real-life racing with simulation.
The Belgian goalkeeper is known for his love of esports, especially eracing titles. He has also ventured into the industry before as an investor in the Spanish organisation DUX Gaming.
Courtois will launch this organisation alongside Javier Guerra, Director of Marketing and Gaming at TC Racing. Guerra has experience in esports and racing, he previously led Williams Racing’s esports arm Williams Esports from 2018 until his departure earlier this year.
Courtois said: “I have two simulators at home that I use regularly when football allows me to. After participating in several sim racing competitions and events, esports began to attract even more attention.
“That is why I have always wanted to have my own esports team, since sim racing can also open doors in the world of motorsports and it is something that we also want to bet on at TC Racing.”
Football and esports have enjoyed a lot of crossover in recent years, from players participating and supporting teams, such as Neymar at the Esports World Cup, to some like Courtois creating their own.
Two players who have launched their own organisations, out of a long list, are former Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero, and Manchester United midfielder Casemiro.
Call of Duty: Warzone to feature at Esports World Cup 2025
The Esports World Cup has announced that Call of Duty: Warzone will be among the games played at next year’s competition.
Details surrounding the tournament format and prize pools have not been disclosed, despite the tournament confirming the game’s appearance at the event.
The Esports World Cup, created by the Esports World Cup Foundation, hosted its inaugural event last year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The 2024, edition of its Call of Duty: Warzone tournament featured 21 teams competing for a prize pool of £784,581.
In terms of viewing figures, Warzone recorded peak viewing figures of 135,281 – the most watched Warzone event of the year.
So far there have been three titles confirmed for next year’s competition, with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Honor of Kings announced earlier this year. Though there is no indication on how many titles will be revealed, 2024 had a total of 22.
The Esports World Cup caught the attention of not just the esports sector but also sports, technology and others looking to sponsor and partner with the competition. A key marketing aspect was the £47m total prize pool across all competitions – the largest the industry has ever seen.
This has all been made possible through the support of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which has focused on esports while also increasing its influence on other sports such as boxing.
Nate Schanker departs M80 to pursue new opportunity
Nate Schanker, Co-Founder of M80, has announced he will leave the company after two years.
Schanker co-founded the North American esports organisation with Marco Mereu. Since its launch, the team has competed in Rainbow Six: Siege, Counter-Strike, VALORANT and eNASCAR.
Prior to founding M80, Schanker co-founded the social media platform SWOT and held the role of Head of Social Media for the lifestyle and gaming brand XSET. In total, he has nearly a decade of experience in social media.
Though he has not revealed what plans will be after leaving the company, he has said that he is excited to pursue a new opportunity.
In a post on X, Schanker wrote: “It’s been an honour to help co-found and grow M80 into one of the fastest-growing esports organisations in North America.
“I’m grateful for the amazing team, players, and the experiences we’ve shared along. I’ve made the decision to pursue a new opportunity that I am very excited to announce soon. Extremely hyped and looking forward to what the future holds.”
Last year, M80 raised £2.43m in a seed investment round and announced tennis player Daniil Medvedev as Co-Owner, as reported by Esports Insider. This year the organisation has looked to build on that momentum with various partnerships including one with Exodus, a cryptocurrency software platform.
