Immortals Gaming Club (IGC) has named The Esports Development League (ESDL) as the organisation’s official development league for its Immortals League of Legends team.
The partnership will include a bi-annual ‘Scouting Showcase’, where unsigned players have the chance to impress Immortals staff and players. ESDL is a gaming competition platform that matches players based on skill level. “This is about opportunity for all players,” stated Brett McDonald, CEO of ESDL, via a release.
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The partnership will also include Immortals League of Legends players collaborating with ESDL to create educational content for ESDL’s structured training programmes. Other Immortals staff, coaches and managers will also offer online sessions via ESDL, including Q&A sessions, gameplay reviews, and career panels.
Mike Schwartz, Director of Competitive Esports at IGC, said: “In League of Legends, Immortals is hyper-focused on identifying overlooked talent and developing that talent. We’ve seen the LCS community craving new players and seeing a re-established path to pro, with opportunities distributed to new and veteran players, and we look forward to working with ESDL to help bring that experience to life.
“Our ultimate goal is to change the landscape of talent development in North American League of Legends.”
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Last year, IGC acquired Infinite Esports & Entertainment, the parent company of legendary esports brand OpTic Gaming. Last week however it was confirmed that former OpTic owner Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez had reacquired the OpTic Gaming brand, subsequently rebranding the CDL franchise Chicago Huntsmen to OpTic Chicago. IGC subsidiaries include Immortals (League of Legends franchise), Overwatch League’s Los Angeles Valiant, Brazilian esports organisation MiBR, and Brazilian company Gamers Club.
Esports Insider says: Top League of Legends franchises in North America like Team Liquid and 100 Thieves have invested heavily in foreign talent over the last few years. However, with regards to homegrown domestic talent North America still lags behind other major regions in League of Legends. Calls for NA to invest more in the ecosystem at home has grown louder. Immortals has taken a necessary step towards that goal, and partnerships such as these will only benefit the region’s esports performance in the long run.