Over the past decade, the esports industry has seen video game publishers shoulder many of the overhead costs. In 2024, publishers have delegated more responsibilities to ESL/FACEIT Group and other league operatorsalready reaping the benefits.
Publisher ownership of leagues, once the dominant model, is in decline. Instead of operating their own events, publishers are hiring third-party vendors for this task. Among these operators, ESL/FACEIT Group (EFG), acquired by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund for $1.5 billion in 2022, stands out as the largest.
EFG has deepened its ties with game publishers, managing leagues and events for prominent companies such as Activision Blizzard and Riot Games. At DreamHack Dallas, a gaming convention owned by EFG, a major “Overwatch” tournament was held, part of the EFG Overwatch Champions Series.
Sean Miller, head of “Overwatch” esports at Activision Blizzard, praised EFG for its expertise in various aspects of esports, not only in event organization, but also in sales. This growth in EFG’s partnerships with publishers has benefited the entire esports industry, with Riot Games allowing the Esports World Cup to host tournaments for its “League of Legends” and “Teamfight Tactics” titles.
For “Teamfight Tactics,” Riot is looking to leverage the hype around the event to boost the game’s esports scene, already seeing positive returns with prominent organizations participating.
The positive effect of these associations is also reflected in EFG’s own events. DreamHack Dallas recorded 50,000 tiocket sales, surpassing the previous year’s recordwith a greater emphasis on esports contributing to this increase.
In addition to EFG, Other esports companies like Blast are also strengthening their connections with publishers, using co-production models to operate esports in collaboration with partners like Ubisoft and Epic Games..
Larry Settembrini, vice president of global brand partnerships at EFG, noted that the support of more publishers gives them more influence in the sector, allowing them to attract more brand partners who may not be familiar with EFG. This successful business model in 2024 validates the company’s long-term efforts to build a more sustainable esports ecosystem.
