Each week, ESI Digest breaks down the weekly happenings in the esports industry, making sense of things so you don’t have to. As well as being housed on YouTube, ESI Digest is available on all major podcast platforms and is also available in written form below.
On this week’s ESI Digest we cover, RLCS‘s return with new format, prize pool and regions; GGPredict raising $1m for US and Scandinavian expansion; Mineski Global raising $10.6m in Series A funding round; Fnatic unveiling a £11m partnership with Crypto.com; and Mobile Premier League being valued at $2.3bn after funding round.
RLCS returns with new format, prize pool and regions
The Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) is returning for the 2021-22 season with its largest expansion to date.
The upcoming season will three new regions added to the RLCS – Middle East & North Africa, Asia-Pacific North and Asia-Pacific South – alongside a $6 million (~£4.3 million) prize pool, a host of format changes, and an upgrade to the in-game esports shop.
GGPredict raises $1m for US and Scandinavian expansion
Warsaw-based analytics firm GGPredict has announced it has raised $1m (∼£721,758) in a recent funding round.
The investment will allow GGPredict to further develop its analytical and training CS:GO platform and expand into foreign markets, particularly the North American and Scandinavian markets. ffVC Tech & Gaming and TDJ Pitango Ventures were among the firms that participated in the funding round.
Mineski Global raises $10.6m in Series A funding round
In more fundraising news, Southeast Asian-based esports & gaming company Mineski Global has announced a $10.6m (~£7.66m) Series A raise.
The round was led by Exacta Capital Partners, with participation from New York-based Endeavor Catalyst, and the deal was advised by Rocket Equities, a Southeast Asia focused M&A advisory firm.
Fnatic unveil £11m partnership with Crypto.com
London-based esports organisation Fnatic has announced a 5-year deal with cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com worth $15 million (~£10.8 million).
The ‘historic’ partnership will see the cryptocurrency site become Fnatic’s inaugural Global Cryptocurrency Partner and will involve a number of activations, including limited edition NFTs, crypto ‘education opportunities’ and collaborative storytelling with content creators & partners.
Mobile Premier League valued at $2.3bn after funding round
Mobile esports platform Mobile Premier League (MPL) has reached a pre-money valuation of $2.3bn (~£1.7bn) after a Series E funding round led by Legatum Capital.
The latest funding achievement for the Indian gaming and esports company grants it unicorn status – a privately held startup worth over $1bn – becoming the second Indian gaming startup to do so. Financial details were not released, but the company is reported to have raised $150 million (~£110m).