The leader of G2 Esports expands his business while other companies appear and grow

Carlos Rodríguez Santiago, 29, has built the most popular esports franchise in Europe over the last six years. Many of them are accessible on platforms like ggbet , available from various countries around the world. Over the past five years, player-turned-owner Rodriguez has rehabilitated a public image that was among the worst in League of Legends. Gamers2 after some pay scandals and harsh statements on social media.

Over the years, Rodríguez expanded his presence in Spain, then Germany, and then across the continent, building championship-winning franchises, most notably in League of Legends. Now he has access to a $165 million business. In November, G2 nearly completed the League of Legends Grand Slam, winning two national titles, a mid-season invitational title, and a League of Legends world championship, but finished as runner-up to FunPlus Phoenix at worlds in front of thousands. of his fans in Paris. Rodriguez now looks forward from that heartbreaking moment, focusing on the positives and the things that are currently under his control.

In December, Alibaba co-founder Joseph Tsai invested $10 million in G2 Esports. Rodriguez also called the city's other esports franchise, the New York Excelsior. When Rodríguez founded Gamers2 in February 2014, the team was very specifically targeting Spanish fans. But few fans now think of G2 as Spanish, apart from the times when they are very visibly remembered with Spanish flag-themed t-shirts. Rather, G2 are Europe. They are the most popular team on the continent, a title once held by Rodriguez's rival, Fnatic.

Expanding into New York and the US seems like the next logical step for G2. The team was one of four European League of Legends Championship Series teams to have once applied for franchise spots in North America (G2 went further than the other three in the application process, even receiving an interview with Riot Games in Los Angeles). They were ultimately rejected, but their desire to diversify continued. When the European LCS proposed a geolocated model, G2 landed in London. The company finally moved to Berlin from Madrid in May 2017.

In addition to the expansion of Rodriguez's "empire," there have been a few other moves in the esports market. US-based Agua Caliente Casino Cathedral City casino launched eSports After Dark, a weekly activation held in its sports bar where guests compete in esports tournaments. Agua Caliente Casino becomes the latest gaming institute to integrate electronic sports into its facilities. Perhaps the best-known case of esports and casinos coming together is the HyperX Esports Arena, which is located at the Luxor Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Esports technology and data company Abios has partnered with esports betting technology company Kambi to create a whitepaper focused on esports betting. According to the two companies, various viewpoints within esports betting will be discussed. This includes regulation, compliance, and trends in the gambling industry, as well as other similar topics. Kambi Group acquired Abios in 2021 in a deal worth up to £22m.

Indian esports startup FanClash has secured a $40 million (~£32 million) Series B funding round investment, led by Sequoia Capital, Falcon Edge, Info Edge India and Matic Network. The company plans to use the funds to scale and hire additional talent for its fantasy esports platform and esports tournament operations. Platform users can receive monetary rewards through their fantasy leagues, as well as through weekly and daily tournaments and challenges.

In addition to economic growth, there are still realistic chances that esports could be included in the Olympics. The organizing committee for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris was in talks with the various professional esports organizations to consider them for the event. Ultimately, the organizing committee determined it was premature to include esports in the 2024 Games as medal events, but did not rule out other esports-related activities during the Games.