|
Good morning! It’s Thursday and this is your early morning Esports and Gaming brief.
Two of the biggest streamers in the world, Félix “xQc” Lengyel, and Kaitlyn “Amouranth” Siragusa, have signed with Kick in the latest coup for the rising streaming platform. Kick, which is owned by the founders of cryptocurrency casino Stake, offered xQc a non-exclusive deal worth $70 million over two years, with a potential value of up to $100 million if he hits contract incentives. Details of Amouranth’s deal were not provided, but xQc revealed following the announcement that he received equity in Kick as part of the deal.
The former Twitch stars will still be present on the platform thanks to the non-exclusivity of their deals, but the majority of their time will be spent on Kick. According to The New York Times, which broke the xQc news, Kick CEO Ed Craven said he expects Kick to operate at a loss – and he must expect it to be a significant loss, too, with these mega deals and 95% of all streamer subscription revenue on Kick going back to its streamers.
The creator-friendly deals, both for big-time stars like Amouranth and xQc and newcomers, are a boon for the people in front of the screens. And the timing is auspicious for Kick, with Twitch struggling through a recent controversy around its advertising regulations that were quickly retracted and complaints about revenue splits on that platform thanks to better splits, like Kick and YouTube, being out there.
|
 COMPETITION AND GAMING NEWS
A demo version of Final Fantasy XVI has primed it for a release that’ll rival Diablo IV and Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The demo, which was a couple of hours long, showed off combat that takes the action role-playing game’s fast-paced fighting in Final Fantasy XV and brings it to a different level. Square Enix’s latest project releases today, amid a packed summer schedule that could have killed off hype for even one of the largest franchises in the world. However, it looks like players will have another marquee title to add to their lineup and, hopefully, get a good taste of before the next game we’re going to talk about.
The New York Subliners are your Call of Duty League champions following a hard-fought tournament that ended in a 5-0 sweep of the Toronto Ultra. New York took home $1 million of the nearly $2.4 million prize pool and Matthew “KiSMET” Tinsley taking home MVP honors. The Subliners took home two stage playoff titles this season, one in the first stage of the year and another in Stage 5, just ahead of Champs. New York didn’t have it easy for most of the tournament, including a 3-0 loss to Toronto in the winners bracket final before battling back for a dominant grand final performance.
Xbox has struggled so far this year, but an early look at Starfield helped dispel some concerns as the game publisher approaches what could be a make-or-break release for the current console generation. The space exploration role-playing game will feature hundreds of solar systems and around 1,000 planets for players to explore, along with many of the world-building staples that Bethesda titles are known for (albeit on a much, much bigger scale this time around). The game is expected to operate at 30 FPS on console, in part because of the scale of the game, though some gaming purists bristled at the idea of a title being below 60 FPS on a next-gen console. Starfield will land in September, which gives it some room to breathe compared to the hottest summer releases, but its success could have much bigger implications than any of these titles on the producing studio and its publisher.
The League of Legends Championship Series drew just over 100,000 peak viewers on opening weekend, according to data from Esports Charts, with the first match of the split picking up fewer than 100,000 peak viewers for the first time in LCS history. The North American league was coming off a two-week delay to the start of the season due to a player walkout, but the historically low numbers don’t seem to be a product of the since-resolved conflict. Only Team Liquid vs. 100 Thieves, which had 106K at its peak, drew six-digit viewership, with the opening game of the split bringing in just under 83,000. |
| SPONSORSHIP & ACTIVATION
Esports organization Gen.G will collaborate with soccer club Manchester City to bring together their audiences and create a new pathway for Man City to grow its esports footprint. Manchester City already sponsors Fortnite and FIFA pros, and the connection with Gen.G will give it a link to a South Korean powerhouse with Tier 1 teams in League of Legends, VALORANT, the Overwatch League and more. The “GEN CITY” partnership “??will further establish an opportunity for both organizations to activate and maximize the club’s presence in Asia,” according to a statement.
PSG Talon will work with AMD to promote the hardware provider’s latest processor, the partners announced late last week. As part of the deal, PSG Talon players will use Ryzen 9 7950X3D desktop processors in competition, and the brand will also create bespoke promotions of the AMD products and add the brand to its jersey.
Campeonato Brasileiro de League of Legends has partnered with Coca Cola, and the Brazilian Tier 1 League of Legends competition will promote a larger activation between Coca Cola and League of Legends overall. Riot Games and Coca Cola came together to produce a limited-time flavor for the soft drink brand, and CBLoL will play a role in driving awareness of the drink for its Brazilian audience through its broadcasts and social media platforms. |
|
STREAMHATCHET
The Creator Mental Health Report
Our team at Stream Hatchet has partnered with Healthy Gamer to produce “The Creator Mental Health Report,” which investigates the impact that mental health resources and support can have on digital creators’ productivity and well-being.
Read the report to learn more from Healthy Gamer and Stream Hatchet about the mental health challenges digital influencers and live-streaming creators face. As well as how a mental health and burnout coaching program for esports players, influencers, and other digital creators can lead to better productivity and higher quality content.
Download the full report here
|
| 2023 Tempest Awards
Entries closing in less than one month… have you entered yet?
Don’t miss your chance to rise to the top at our 2023 Tempest Awards, held in conjunction with the industry’s infamous Esports Gaming & Business Summit! Enter into categories such as Best New Event/League, Esports League of the Year, PC Esport of the Year, and more! To view the full list of categories and to enter…
VISIT THE SITE |
|
YOUGOV LIVING DATA INSIGHTS
Consideration for Bud Light show signs of recovery among gamers and esports fans
While the share of Americans considering buying from Bud Light when they are next in the market for a beer has remained depressed after the Dylan Mulvaney saga, recovery seems afoot among gamers and esports fans respectively. Consideration among gamers has rebounded from 9.9 at one stage to 15.0 as of June 13. Among esports fans, the score has recovered from a low of 12.9 to 19.1 on June 13.
|
 TEAMS
100 Thieves had to field its coach during the opening week of the LCS due to visa issues delaying highly touted South Korean mid lane prospect Lim “Quid” Hyeon-seung’s transition to North America. Quid missed all of Week 1, while coach and former pro mid laner Erlend “Nukeduck” Våtevik Holm took to Summoner’s Rift for his team. Nukeduck played professionally in Europe throughout his career before transitioning to a coaching role for 100 Thieves ahead of the 2023 season, where he’s grown from a position coach to an assistant and then head coach – though it appears to have gone full-circle for Nukeduck until this 19-year-old Gen.G prodigy makes his way overseas.
Sentinels has removed substitute player Hunter “SicK” Mims from its roster following months of controversy surrounding the player, including multiple arrests and concerns about his mental health. Mims was taken in by police on March 4 on the charge of criminal trespassing and on May 8 for the same charge. Sentinels CEO Rob Moore said the organization stuck by the player to try to help him work through mental health issues, including paying for Mims to begin therapy. Neither Mims nor Sentinels publicly addressed the roster change, which Dexerto reported following his removal from Riot Games’ Global Contract Database for VALORANT.
A Call of Duty League Challengers player was banned in the middle of Challengers Champs for allegedly cheating. Bryan “Jimbo” Sabman, a former Call of Duty League pro with the then-Paris Legion in 2022, was competing for Orbit during group play in the LAN event when he received his ban. Orbit was eventually disqualified from the tournament, and both Activision and administrators for the Challengers tournament confirmed to Esports Illustrated that the move was because Jimbo was hacking. OMiT, the team Orbit was playing against when Jimbo was kicked from the game, went on to win Challengers Champs.
Team Liquid’s Counter-Strike roster is in flux as the team reportedly looks to sell Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski and reorient itself as a European roster. Counter-Strike news organization Dust2.us reported this week could be a decisive moment for Team Liquid and decide its future as either a North American or European Counter-Strike organization, with the planned signings of European players Aleks “Rainwaker” Petrov and Robert “Patsi” Isyanov a crucial piece of the puzzle. The in-the-works regional transition comes as Counter-Strike pros and teams prepare to transition from competing in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive to Counter-Strike 2 in the coming months. |
 INDUSTRY
The U.S. games and esports market grew 2.4% year-over-year to $54.1 billion in revenue, according to a report from PwC, the lowest growth rate for the industry in the past five years. The esports market in the U.S. accounted for $455 million overall figure, and PwC expects competitive gaming will grow to $622 million in 2027. Interestingly, PwC’s projection likely sees league operators shifting to a more traditional model of event broadcasting, with media rights becoming the primary driver of revenue in the esports industry by 2027.
Newzoo’s latest Global Gamer Study indicates nearly 80% of gamers play on mobile and nearly half of players consume games on multiple platforms. While the majority of gamers (52%) still stick to one way of gaming, overlap is trending toward becoming the norm in the industry, particularly as cloud gaming becomes more commonplace. Mobile remains by far the most widely used medium, with 79% of gamers using mobile platforms and 35% of the 74,000 respondents only playing on mobile. Newzoo also identified how highly engaged this audience is beyond being increasingly multi-platform; 54% of respondents said they consume gaming content beyond their own gameplay.
An AI video game development tool has raised $1.74 million in pre-seed funding to move forward with what could be a consumer-focused game dev platform, according to a report from GamesIndustry.biz. The new venture, Versed, is looking at “creating a new medium for storytelling that puts the creative direction of role-playing games in the hands of those who play them.” The tool, backed by funding round leader Gradient Ventures, plans to take creator prompts on combat, dialogue and other world-building information to create the user-generated titles. |
| Esports Gaming & Business Summit
Discover the secrets of the industry from the drivers calling the shots
Esports Gaming & Business Summit is an event you simply can’t miss. Join us as the biggest players of the industry convene for three days of networking, education, and fun (including our Tempest Awards)! Purchase your pass today to unlock access to learning at a whole new level.
ENTER TODAY |
TRIVIA
The NBA’s Phoenix Suns made some blockbuster moves this week as it aims to make a 2024 title run. Which players make up the team’s new Big 3? (Email [email protected] with your answer, and be sure to include your name, company and city). (Email [email protected] with your answer, and be sure to include your name, company and city).Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
The Denver Nuggets took down the Miami Heat on Monday to win the NBA title. How many championships had the Nuggets won prior to this one? Answer: Zero. Kudos: Travis Wacker | ESPN Chicago/Good Karma Brands, Chicago; Creed Heilskov | ImOn Communications, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Tom Moore | Kalt Productions, Los Angeles; David Westberg | SAG•AFTRA Federal Credit Union, Burbank, California; Jim Himmel | TCB Media, San Clemente, California; Michael Goodman | Radio One Atlanta, Atlanta; David Hauptman | Denver; Rob Casalaina | ITN, New York; Dory Petsrillo | CoxReps, Dallas; Lorrie Shilling | El Segundo, California |
BRAND ASSISTANT >>
THE LEDE COMPANY/NYC: Full-service communication, strategy, and social impact consulting firm, specializing in corporate, brand, entertainment, and nonprofit sectors, is seeking a Brand Assistant to join the Brand team in our New York office. The Assistant will play an integral role in supporting accounts for a wide variety of Fashion, Beauty, CPG and Lifestyle clients. Full info HERETALENT ASSISTANT >>
THE LEDE COMPANY/LA: Full-service strategy, communications and social impact consulting firm, specializing in corporate, entertainment and nonprofit sectors. We are looking for a Talent Assistant to a Talent Publicist in Los Angeles. We are seeking enthusiastic candidates who can work in a fast-paced environment, are driven & have strong communication and writing skills. Full info HERE
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER FOR NATIONAL POLITICAL SHOW >>
BAHAKEL COMMUNICATIONS/CHARLOTTE NC: Develop and oversee the production of a daily or weekly national political show that covers the most important political news and events of the day. Develop and execute strategies to increase the show’s audience and engagement. At least 5 years of experience as an executive producer for a political show or similar program. Full info HERE
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF NEWS/ENTERTAINMENT >>
BAHAKEL COMMUNICATIONS/CHARLOTTE NC: Oversee all editorial and entertainment content, news production and presentation. Responsible for day-to-day operations of the show: producing, writing, and guiding creative. Develop content for the News @ TEN, plan, assign and create production schedules. 7 years of experience as executive producer or show producer. Network experience preferred. Full info HERE
SR. DIRECTOR, PRODUCT MANAGEMENT >>
SHOUT! FACTORY/LOS ANGELES: P&L responsibility, ownership over all aspects of a project, standalone releases or a licensed library of titles. Works w/production, publicity, creative services, distribution/sales, digital, finance, legal, acquisitions & licensors to best position the project for success. 7+ yrs of exp. in marketing, business development, or product management. Full info HERE
SALES OPERATIONS MANAGER >>
SHOUT! FACTORY/LOS ANGELES: Prepare accurate reports using data from internal & external sources for sales planning & analysis. Communicate w/our distributor on a regular basis with an understanding of their systems & deadlines. Announce release date, pricing confirmation & metadata for staff & distributor. 3+Yrs exp. in Sales Planning & Analysis/Finance Administration. Full info HERE
SENIOR CONTENT PRODUCER
INTERACTIVE ONE
NYC
Oversee video/creative production team thru ideation, production planning, crew/talent hiring, & budget/project management. Shepherd campaigns from development, pre-production, & production thru editing & delivery. Help w/shoots as well as postproduction team. 5+ yrs exp. spanning editorial, design, advertising agency, film, branded entertainment. Full info HERE
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
INTERACTIVE ONE
NYC
Respond to both RFPs and direct-to-client assignments from brands and agencies. Examine client brief and lead ideation or adapt pre-existing creative. Identify innovative storytelling and emerging video formats. Minimum of 7 yrs exp. producing compelling video, television and digital media content across multiple channels and platforms. Full info HERE
AD SALES PLANNER >>
SINCLAIR BROADCASTING GROUP/NYC, Hybrid: Responsible for creating, analyzing & communicating sales proposals to the Sales team for presentation to advertising agencies and/or clients. Collaborate w/all media platforms & departments to create proposals, execute campaigns, manage stewardship & pacing of linear & digital deals. Point of contact post sale & provide excellent client services. Full info HERE
DIRECTOR, PRODUCTION LIFETIME/LMN MARKETING PRODUCTION OPERATIONS
A+E NETWORKS
Remote
Lead campaign planning & production oversight, ensuring best-in-class creative. Direct Campaign Planning rollouts & ensure production readiness of marketing initiatives. Oversee production on high-end graphics/design/editorial projects. 7+ yrs working in a fast-paced, highly collaborative team, with relevant work exp. in production management. Full info HERE
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER >>
NEWSMAX MEDIA INC/NYC: Determine best news stories for the program and create daily rundown. Work with show host in program preparation and execution. Identify compelling news stories. Delegate responsibilities as appropriate to producers, associate producers, and casting producers. 3+ years executive producing experience or overseeing newscast production. Full info HERE
STAGE MANAGER >>
NEWSMAX MEDIA INC/WASHINGTON DC: Works with Production management to maintains cast and crew lists and manages local rehearsal and show calendar. Oversee daily technical run-throughs directly prior to shows. Willing and able to work shifts between 12noon to 11pm and occasional Weekends and some longer hours during election and special events. Full info HERE
BROADCAST ENGINEER >>
NEWSMAX MEDIA INC/WASHINGTON DC: Troubleshooting, repair, and preventative maintenance of television broadcast equipment, computers, and broadcast computer networks in a 24x7x365 environment. Serve as E.I.C. during live and taped shows. Electrical Engineering, or other technical degree preferred. 5+ yrs as broadcast engineer, or equivalent knowledge. 5+ yrs in live TV production. Full info HERE
PRODUCER >>
NEWSMAX MEDIA INC/NEW YORK: Generate story ideas through research of news reports, social media, websites & contacts. Strong understanding of Newsmax brand & talent. Identify impactful news stories that result in provocative, compelling television. Delegate responsibilities as appropriate to associate producers, assignment editors & video editors. Bachelor’s degree preferred. Full info HERE
DIRECTOR, GENERAL AUDIENCE PUBLICITY >>
PBS/ARLINGTON VA, Hybrid: Leads the strategy, development & implementation of external communications to support PBS’s general audience content & provide support for PBS’s reputation & executive visibility. Manage relationships w/notable on-camera talent, producers – including partner agencies, managers, or agents supporting their programs. 8+ yrs of public relations exp. Full info HERE
AD SALES COORDINATOR, DIRECT RESPONSE
TV ONE
NYC, Hybrid, Remote
Work with account executives & sales planners utilizing internal computer system to fulfill sales orders through the execution of client schedules. Serve as the primary point of contact for ad agencies & TV One to resolve discrepancies, confirm schedule changes & distribute post & pre-logs. Bachelor’s degree or 2 yrs of exp. in advertising sales. Full info HERE
MANAGER OF ENTERPRISE CONTENT, WTKR
SCRIPPS NETWORKS
NORFOLK, VA
Collaborates w/other newsroom managers to leverage the Scripps content strategy as the foundation for market-specific local content strategy. Leading a team of people to regularly & reliably produce targeted enterprise & investigative stories of impact & importance to our community. 3 yrs of exp. in digital media, journalism, broadcast preferred. Full info HERE
SR. DIRECTOR, DIGITAL PLATFORMS AND PARTNERSHIPS
TV ONE
SILVER SPRING MD, NYC, Hybrid Remote
Develop, cultivate, and socialize vision, mission, and strategy for Digital Business, Programming Visibility, Content Creation and Content Partnerships & Data Governance. Lead and facilitate cross-functional and cross-company project teams. 12 yrs in the media & emerging platform landscape with building digital platforms and vMVPD growth strategy. Full info HERE
VP OF BROADCAST ENGINEERING >>
NEWSMAX MEDIA, INC./NYC, NEW YORK: Oversee the planning, management, installation & maintenance of the networks technical infrastructure: studios, transmitters, digital production platforms & automated systems. Ability to deploy in the field to coordinate special events. 8+ yrs of broadcast troubleshooting in a television network environment, preferably in a network News environment. Full info HERE
MEDIA RESEARCH MANAGER
CIRCLE MEDIA
NASHVILLE, TN
Evaluate programming for our linear and FAST channel schedules to provide insights for content strategy and audience growth. Analyze & interpret media research for programming, ad sales, marketing, and affiliate sales. Research, & preferably Nielsen background is a strongly preferred. Media Research with linear, or similar platforms, is required. Full info HERE
SCHEDULING ASSISTANT- PROGRAMMING DEPARTMENT
CIRCLE MEDIA
NASHVILLE, TN
Partner with the Programming Director to perform scheduling tasks for our Linear and FAST Channels. This includes data entry and distributing weekly schedules. Strong attention to detail and love for data entry/meta data is a plus. This role is ideal for someone looking to break into the media world. Full info HERE
TRAFFIC ASSISTANT- AD SALES METADATA ENTRY
CIRCLE MEDIA
NASHVILLE, TN
Performing a variety of administrative tasks to provide support to the Traffic Department. The majority of this role will focus on metadata entry and must have strong attention to detail. This role will also assist team members with projects and serve as an idea source during team meetings. Full info HERE
VIDEO EDITOR- MOTION GRAPHICS
CIRCLE MEDIA
NASHVILLE, TN
Responsible for editing a variety of content, including but not limited to: network promos, show promos, sponsor ads and graphics. The ideal candidate is highly skilled in the Adobe editing suite and is highly motivated and organized. After Effects/Motion graphics skills are needed and coding is preferred, but not required. Full info HERE
VICE PRESIDENT, COMPENSATION
A+E NETWORKS
NYC, Hybrid, Remote
Review current compensation programs to identify changes needed for a true best in class compensation approach. Develop simple tools that can be used by recruiters, candidates, & employees to effectively communicate all aspects of a compensation package. Minimum of 10 + years of experience in compensation. Full info HERE |
|
| OTHER JOBS OF INTEREST
Prevents downtime, increases system availability, creates capacity plans, monitors performance, manages data and/or ensures data integrity.
Network Engineer III
MediaMath
Remote
https://www.mediamath.com/careers/open-positions/
Design, develop, document, test, and debug new and existing software systems and/or applications.
Senior Software Engineer
MediaMath
Remote
https://www.mediamath.com/careers/open-positions/
Lead creation and execution of Pokémon TCG products and experiences in the core/hobby channel, from the end to end:
Lead Game Designer
The Pokemon Company
Bellevue WA
https://boards.greenhouse.io/pokemoncareers
Lead creation and communication of high level strategies behind products and experiences.
Lead Game Designer
The Pokemon Company
Bellevue WA
https://boards.greenhouse.io/pokemoncareers
Helps the team evolve by working beyond assigned systems to enhance the engineering and delivery experience across the project.
Software Engineer II
Take-Two Interactive
Seattle WA
https://careers.take2games.com/
Work closely with the Art Director, 3D artists, and Engineers to provide tools and asset pipeline assistance.
Senior Technical Artist
Take-Two Interactive
Seattle WA
https://careers.take2games.com/
Communicate information and requests to other technical artists, engineers and designers to achieve the requirements of the project.
Lead VFX Artist
PopCap Games
Seattle WA
https://www.ea.com/ea-studios/popcap/careers
Collaborate and guide the development of tools and best practices for level scripting and the gameplay experience.
Senior Mission Designer
PopCap Games
Seattle WA
https://www.ea.com/ea-studios/popcap/careers
Identify and leverage opportunities to partner and collaborate with other brands and games within and outside our portfolio.
Senior Brand Manager, GUNDAM
Bandai Namco
Irvine CA
https://www.bandainamcoent.com/careers#join
Analyze and report on content performance to advise internal collaborators and use real-time findings to adjust & optimize social plans as needed.
Senior Manager, Social Marketing
Bandai Namco
Irvine CA
https://www.bandainamcoent.com/careers#join
Advocate for opportunities that coincide with individual’s growth and development.
Senior Manager, Game Design
Santa Monica Studios
Santa Monica CA
https://sms.playstation.com/careers
Own and communicate the high-level vision and creative goals for UI/UX.
Lead UI/UX Design
Santa Monica Studios
Santa Monica CA
https://sms.playstation.com/careers
Research and solve difficult engineering problems.
Combat Engineer
Ready at Dawn
Irvine CA
http://www.readyatdawn.com/careers.html
Responsible for expanding customer volume, establishing customer relationships, and maintaining customer sand table.
Senior Technical Product Manager
Tencent Games
Los Angeles CA
https://careers.tencent.com/
Build trust, collaborate, and augment both internal teams and portfolio companies as a GaaS specialist.
Senior Producer – GaaS Expert
Tencent Games
Los Angeles CA
https://careers.tencent.com/ |
|
