Esports tournament organiser StarLadder has been acquired by esports and gaming company NODWIN Gaming for an initial consideration of $5.5m (~£4.4m).
It has been announced that Roman Romantsov, the Founder of StarLadder, will continue to run the business and has become a shareholder of NODWIN Gaming.
Founded in 2011, StarLadder made headlines last year by announcing the return of its famous Counter-Strike brand StarSeries to the esports calendar. However, on January 25th, 2025 the tournament organiser announced that its Spring season in May has been cancelled due to scheduling conflicts.
As a result, the series’ re-debut will be September’s StarLadder StarSeries Fall event. Alongside hosting various notable Counter-Strike events in the past, the organiser has previously run Dota 2 competitions.
According to NODWIN Gaming, the 100% acquisition aims to unlock new opportunities for StarLadder’s exciting partners. The purchase also looks to help the tournament organiser enter new markets to strengthen its global presence.
“We live in an era of globalization, where the synergy of resources, expertise, and potential drives success and paves the way for future growth,” said Romantsov.
“We are thrilled to have found partners and like-minded individuals who share our vision and ambition. Together with NODWIN Gaming, StarLadder is committed to creating extraordinary experiences for fans, delivering unforgettable events across multiple games and regions. Stay tuned for what’s to come!”
Last year, NODWIN Gaming added various notable esports companies to its investment portfolio. This includes acquiring the likes of esports marketing agency Freaks 4U Gaming, Indian esports media firm AFK Gaming and gaming agency Trinity Gaming.
Also in 2024, NODWIN Gaming secured £5.9m in investment from its parent company Nazara Technologies Limited.
The esports company noted that StarLadder’s acquisition marks ‘a significant step’ in the company’s ambition to ‘enhance AAA content and event offerings on a global level’.
Alongside the initial fee, additional consideration is also payable by NODWIN Gaming on meeting earn-out targets.
