North American esports tournament operator Unified has announced the acquisition of amateur esports platform Challengers Uprising.
Founded on June 1st, 2020, Challengers Uprising has become a breakout tournament organiser within the League of Legends North American amateur scene.
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Financial details regarding the acquisition were not revealed.
The platform currently collaborates with Riot Games to have its tournaments integrated into the publisher’s qualification system for LCS Proving Ground, the publisher’s premier academy and amateur League of Legends event in NA.
Ramsey Jamoul, Unified’s Chief Executive Officer, commented: “I am very excited to add the Challengers Uprising team with Chris Harris, Jordan Trabue, Glenn Chin (Challengers Uprising’s Co-founders), and everyone else who’s supported and brought so much amazing content to the stage to Unified.
“We’re welcoming you guys in with open arms as we continue to build out the amateur space.”
According to the release, the acquisition aligns with both entities’ goal of ‘expanding esports opportunities for all’ and also providing North American players with ‘more avenues to compete or spectate online and in person’.
Challengers Uprising and Unified’s first physical esports event of 2021 will take place on July 9th and 10th in Kansas City, Kansas. The tournament will include a $1,000 (~£709) League of Legends tournament, with other titles set to also be featured.
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Glenn Chin, Co-Founder, President and Chief Brand Officer, Challengers Uprising, added: “We couldn’t be more thrilled to be joining Ramsey and the Unified team. Our goal in creating Challengers Uprising has always been creating a true ‘Path to Pro’ for esports competitors, casters, producers, broadcasting, and front office talent.
“Unified has a similar mission, and by joining forces, we can better serve esports talent, teams, and sponsors.”
Esports Insider says: Challengers Uprising has played a significant part in Riot Games’s recent restructuring of its League of Legends NA academy/amateur system. With Unified onboard, North American League of Legends has received further investment. It’ll be interesting to see if Challengers Uprising will remain title-specific or if the firm will branch out into other games following the acquisition.