Michael ‘ODEE’ O’Dell, Founder of Dignitas has departed the organisation.
The decision behind the change in personnel was made mutually, according to an announcement on social media.
Dignitas, which has moved operations from the United Kingdom to United States, is now searching for a new General Manager – the position that ODEE most recently held – that will be based in Los Angeles.
ODEE founded Dignitas, which was originally known as Team Dignitas, in 2003 and under his control, the organisation was established as one of the more recognisable brands in esports. His next move isn’t apparent at the time of writing but a tweet explains that he will continue to work in the industry moving forward.
I look forward to talking to a lot of people in the next couple of weeks. I will continue to help build esports as I have been doing for 20 years. I am free to work immediately and my drive to see it succeed is as strong now as it was in 1999.
Thank you for the kind words.
— Michael O'Dell (@ODEEisOG) July 4, 2019
Dignitas was acquired by NBA franchise Philadelphia 76ers in 2016 and was moved under a new holding company, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), in the following year. Since then, the company has bought out LCS franchise Clutch Gaming and plans to rebrand it to Dignitas from 2020.
Dignitas opened a training, content, and media facility in Newark, New Jersey just last month. The 3,000 square-foot space is located adjacent to the Prudential Center, a sports and entertainment arena that’s also owned by HBSE.
Esports Insider says: ODEE and Dignitas have practically been synonymous with each other for years – long before a lot of people even discovered esports – so this is a saddening occurrence. With the résumé that he has built up over the years at Dignitas, we have no doubt that ODEE will find his footing in no time.