Morten Holst, Senior Director of Strategy and Solutions at ESL FACEIT Group, has departed the company to become the Director of Games Growth at the Esports World Cup Foundation.
The decision ends Holst’s eight-year tenure at ESL FACEIT Group, previously ESL Gaming. He also previously held positions such as Director of Game Partnerships and Senior Publisher Relations Manager.
In his role at ESL FACEIT Group Holst worked with almost every game publisher with a competitive gaming title. In his new role at the Esports World Cup Foundation, he will also be working with publishers to help grow and develop partnerships for games that are being played at the Esports World Cup. This includes what happens inside the arenas and on the live broadcast.
In an excerpt from the post on LinkedIn he stated: “On a professional level, this is an opportunity where I will be able to work in an area that I am most passionate about, where my skills can flourish and last but not least I am joining the beginning of the incredible journey that the Esports World Cup Foundation has ventured on with the Esports World Cup.
“We are only in year 1 and I am extremely excited about the future and what the team can accomplish in close collaboration with all of our partners.”
In 2016 Holst joined ESL Gaming as a Project Manager and was a part of the company as the Director of Publisher Relations when ESL merged with FACEIT after being bought out by Saudi-backed company Savvy Gaming Group in 2022. He continued on at ESL FACEIT Group as the Director of Games Partnerships before becoming the Senior Director of Strategy and Solutions in 2023.
The Esports World Cup Foundation, the organisers of the Esports World Cup, are backed by the Saudi Arabian government. As such, the multi-title event has faced criticism from teams and the community over Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.
