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Good morning! It’s Thursday and this is your early morning Esports and Gaming brief.
The Overwatch League’s future might be in jeopardy following Activision-Blizzard reportedly significantly reducing its esports staff.
The Verge first reported the layoffs along with the news that Overwatch League franchises will vote at the end of the 2023 season on whether to continue the OWL under an “updated operating agreement.” “If the teams do not vote to continue under an updated operating agreement, a termination fee of $6 million will be payable to each participating team entity (total fee of approximately $114 million),” Activision-Blizzard said in its Q2 earnings report. “Total revenues from the Overwatch League comprise less than 1% of our consolidated net revenues.”
The earnings report does not mention the Call of Duty League, another franchised esports league that completed its 2022-23 season in mid-June. The Overwatch League will complete its 2023 season on Oct. 1. Amid concerns about the future of Overwatch esports, OWL commissioner Sean Miller told The Verge that “Overwatch remains committed to a competitive ecosystem in 2024 and beyond,” though competition might shift back to a third-party or grassroots model.
“We’re building toward a revitalized global scene that prioritizes players and fans,” Miller said.
GET INVOLVED IN TEMPEST
Looking to get involved in this year’s Tempest Esports & Gaming awards? We’re looking for professionals in the esports and gaming industry to join our judge’s panel. Email Carley Ashley by August 9th with a short blurb on why you would be a great judge. Know a company that deserves to be recognized? Submit your entry by visiting our website.
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 COMPETITION AND GAMING NEWS
Diablo IV is catching some heat from fans as the action role-playing game enters the first edition of its seasonal model. Blizzard’s latest release for the popular Diablo franchise drew rave reviews at launch in June, but Season 1 of its battle pass model came with tweaks to the game that made both the eternal and seasonal game realms frustratingly more difficult for casual and hardcore fans alike. Blizzard has been quick to hot-fix and provide solutions for players in the past, but a rocky start to the first wave of seasonal content for the game could make the playerbase shy away from future seasonal installments.
International Counter-Strike: Global Offensive event IEM Cologne kicked off Wednesday with 16 teams competing in the play-in stage of the $1 million CS:GO tournament. Group stage play will begin July 29, with the playoffs scheduled to run from Aug. 4-6. The winning team will get $400,000 of the IEM Cologne prize pool and automatically qualify for the IEM Katowice 2024 Major.
A new Nintendo title is atop the U.K. boxed sales charts this week: Pikmin 4. The quirky collection game, which is among Nintendo’s most beloved IPs but doesn’t have the star power of the Mario, Pokémon or Legend of Zelda franchises, has inched further and further into the mainstream over the course of its past few releases and made a splash this week in physical sales, though digital totals have yet to be reported by Nintendo. Box numbers still serve as a strong indicator of overall performance, however, with consumer interest in hard copies still drawing correlation to the digital marketplace for most titles.
The $15 million Riyadh Masters Dota 2 tournament wraps up this weekend, with upper bracket semifinals taking place today in the Gamers8 festival’s main event. The Saudi Arabian Gamers8 event features competition across a slew of games, with $45 million in prize money distributed across titles including Fortnite, Rocket League, Rainbow Six: Siege, CS:GO, Street Fighter VI, Tekken 7, and more. Riyadh Masters will close July 30, but Gamers8 competition in other esports will continue until the end of August. |
 SPONSORSHIP & ACTIVATION
Esports organization Pittsburgh Knights will host an offline VALORANT tournament through its Knights Arena business arm. The event, Knight’s Forge, will take place Sept. 21-24 in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania, with a $15,000 prize pool. Thirty-two teams will take part in the tournament, which will be the first LAN event for Knights Arena; it had previously supported VALORANT Champions Tour Challengers and VCT Game Changers competitions online. |
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STREAMHATCHET
Stream Hatchet Releases its Q2 2023 Live Streaming Trends Report
Stream Hatchet dives into live-streaming trends and insights from Q2 of this year with their latest free report. Live-streaming hours watched are still up 97% from Q2 2019 and have decreased just 9% from Q2 of last year.
Twitch is still the major player in the live-streaming market, gaining 3 percentage points from Q2 last year, while YouTube Gaming gained 2 points. Kick has emerged as a new player, coming in as the 5th most-watched platform, but only capturing 2% of the market.
In the report, we dive deeper into Kick stats, look at creator leaderboards, and outline some case studies including the top game launches of Q2.
Get the free Q2 Report from Stream Hatchet.
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| 2023 Esports & Gaming Business Summit
Don’t pass up this can’t-miss moment
The Esports Gaming & Business Summit, taking place October 22-24 in Las Vegas, draws the industry’s biggest players and gamechangers, including Verizon and DoorDash, to share their take on where esports is now and where it’s headed. Purchase a pass today to gain access to the fun that’s sure to unfold.
REGISTER NOW |
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YOUGOV LIVING DATA INSIGHTS
How has excitement for metaverse changed since last year among esports fans?
According to results of a fresh YouGov survey, excitement for the metaverse has grown among American esports fans on the whole. A fourth of all American esports fans say they are much more or somewhat more excited about the metaverse than they were last year (25%) compared to just 6% of all US adults who say the same. On the other hand, 11% of esports fans say they are less excited about the concept now (vs 17%).
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 TEAMS
Liverpool F.C. forward Diogo Jota has invested in esports organization Galaxy Racer, with the standout Premier League forward bringing his personal esports team, Diogo Jota Esports, under the Galaxy Racer banner. Jota’s team will be rebranded as Luna Galaxy and will compete in FIFA (or presumably EA SPORTS FC moving forward), Dota 2 and Rocket League, the company said in a statement. As part of the deal, Jota picked up shares in Galaxy Racer and will help shape his team’s and the organization’s esports strategy.
FaZe Clan is reportedly fielding acquisition offers, with the Sports Business Journal reporting conglomerates GameSquare and Enthusiast Gaming have shown interest in purchasing the gaming lifestyle organization. While Enthusiast Gaming CEO Nick Brien denied his organization’s involvement, saying EG has not submitted an acquisition offer and doesn’t anticipate doing so, the news speaks to a desire from FaZe for a parachute amid financial woes and an upcoming reverse-stock split to bring the company back in compliance with Nasdaq regulations. Both GameSquare and EG are also publicly traded.
In other GameSquare news, Complexity’s parent company has a new board chairman, with former board member and GameSquare president Lou Schwartz stepping into the lead role for the gaming entertainment company. Schwartz stepped into the chairman role on July 7, GameSquare announced this week, in place of Tom Rogers, who will take a spot on the company’s board. Rogers was the executive chairman of Engine Gaming & Media prior to it being merged into GameSquare in late 2022.
Version1 and the Minnesota RØKKR have laid off several staff members as the esports organization and its Call of Duty League affiliate continue to maneuver for a potential sale or merger. Version1 + Minnesota RØKKR is owned by the Wilf family, which also owns the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, as well as investor Gary Vaynerchuk. The organization operates teams in Rocket League and VALORANT as Version1, with the RØKKR most recently going 0-2 at the CDL Championship in June. |
 INDUSTRY
The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077 game developer CD Projekt Red plans to lay off 100 employees, CEO Adam Kici?ski announced, as CDPR focuses on “refining the shape of our teams” to suit project needs. The layoffs affect 9% of CDPR’s workforce, Kici?ski said, and he expects the cuts to run as late as Q1 2024.
White label production, data, and marketing solutions company Vindex has laid off 65 employees across its Vindex and Esports Engine business units as the organization seeks to “strategically align the business with our partners’ needs,” according to a statement from parent company ESL FACEIT Group. Vindex and Esports Engine were acquired by EFG earlier this year, but it appears publisher cuts on esports spending, like that of Activision-Blizzard, might have had a noticeable impact on the white label side of the industry. “While this decision was difficult, we believe the changes to the business units will allow us to better serve our publisher partners and quickly adapt to the needs of the rapidly changing global esports industry,” an EFG spokesperson told Esports Insider.
Chinese gaming conglomerate Tencent has purchased a majority holding in Techland, the developers of the Dying Light game series. Technald CEO Pawel Marchewka announced Tencent as Techland’s new majority shareholder on Monday, with Techland retaining ownership of its IP and Marchewka staying on as CEO. The company will also “maintain creative freedom, and continue to operate the way we believe is right,” Marchewka said, and use the additional capital from Tencent to “move full speed ahead with the execution of the vision for our games.” Techland joins Riot Games, Supercell, Epic Games, Krafton, and several other AAA studios as part of Tencent’s investment portfolio.
The latest venture in the game-to-TV trend might surprise you: Twisted Metal, a demolition derby video game series where drivers fought to be the last car standing, launches on Peacock today. The most recent Twisted Metal game launched in 2012, but Sony Pictures Television is banking on the success of films such as The Super Mario Bros. Movie and TV adaptations like The Last of Us as a sign that fans are looking for new ways to engage with older franchises. |
| 2023 Tempest Esports & Gaming Awards
ATTN: We have a new 2023 Luminary!
Steve Spohn, AbleGamers Charity’s senior director of development, is our second Luminary for the upcoming Tempest Awards, taking place October 23 in Las Vegas. Living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Steve is a champion of inclusivity and accessibility in the gaming industry. Thanks for all you do, and congratulations, Steve!
READ MORE HERE |
TRIVIA
According to X’s style guidelines, what is the new name for what was previously known as a tweet? (Email [email protected] with your answer, and be sure to include your name, company and city).Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
What are the names of the two much-anticipated and much-memed-upon movies hitting theaters tomorrow? Answer: Barbie and Oppenheimer. Kudos: Benjamin (B.J.) Robinson | D50 Media, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts; Jim Himmel | TCB Media, San Clemente, California; Lorrie Shilling | El Segundo, California; Barb Throm | Stealth Media, St. Louis, Missouri; Dom Pasquarella | Mediassociates, Sandy Hook, Connecticut; Michelle Bergmann | Mediassociates, Sandy Hook, Connecticut; Kevin McIntyre | EsportsU, Boston; Jim Snider | jVISION, Toronto; Tom Moore | Kalt Productions, Los Angeles; David Westberg | SAG•AFTRA Federal Credit Union, Burbank, California |
SENIOR MANAGER, AD SALES MARKETING
NEXSTAR MEDIA GROUP, INC.
NYC
Manage the pre-sale client facing pitch process and post-sale activation of cross-platform television, streaming, digital & social media integrated marketing programs. Write & create compelling sales presentations, one-sheets & cross-platform sponsorship opportunities. 5+ yrs exp. with ad sales marketing, integrated marketing, brand advertising. Full info HEREDIRECTOR, MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
NEXSTAR MEDIA GROUP, INC.
NYC or LOS ANGELES
Manage messaging, vision and strategy in the marketplace and internally. Responsible for helping to build, execute and enhance ad sales brand reputation and to raise awareness of the organization both internally and externally. 10+ years’ related media experience and experience with an ad sales organization. Full info HERE
HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR >>
BIG FISH ENTERTAINMENT/NYC/NJ: Coordinating onboarding for all new hires.
Administering the benefits and payroll changes for employees accurately.
Maintaining an efficient filing system—paper and electronic, for employee and company records related to their job functions. Building a successful bridge between management and employees. 7 yrs entertainment exp. preferred. Full Info HERE
DIRECTOR, MEDIA SUPPLY CHAIN OPERATIONS >>
PBS DISTRIBUTION/ARLINGTON VA, Hybrid: Oversee media systems operations, including daily operations as well as development and implementation of overall media supply chain. Work with external vendors and internal stakeholders on design and implementation of hardware and software solutions for media systems. 7+ yrs of work exp. in the areas of television, media, or consumer products. Full info HERE
MANAGER, STREAMING GROWTH AND ENGAGEMENT >>
PBS DISTRIBUTION/ARLINGTON VA, Hybrid: Identify opportunities using content placements & promotions to drive usage, engagement, & subscriber retention. Create & maintain a comprehensive editorial calendar to track & leverage content & cyclical opportunities based on each channel’s needs. 5+ years’ experience in digital video distribution, streaming business, and content programming. Full info HERE
TV/VIDEO SPONSORSHIP-PRODUCT INTEGRATION SALES REPRESENTATIVE >>
GAME ON MEDIA SOLUTIONS/Remote: Game On Media Solutions is looking for an independent business development oriented sponsorship sales representative. Focus will be on TV/Streaming project opportunities for brands that include product integration and placement. This is an Independent Contractor performance compensated opening. Attractive fees can be earned for closed deals. Full info HERE
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 HERE
TALENT 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
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 |
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| OTHER JOBS OF INTEREST
Create written and visual feedback (redlines, paint-overs) to guide the art team on quality and maintain the game vision.
Senior 2D Artist
Jam City
Remote
https://www.jamcity.com/job-openings/job-openings/
Respond to service, change or event requests and escalating or assisting as required.
Senior Systems Engineer (Perforce)
ZeniMax Media
Rockville MD
https://jobs.zenimax.com/jobs
Work with a global team to maintain and secure our Microsoft 365 (M365) environment.
Senior Application Engineer
ZeniMax Media
Rockville MD
https://jobs.zenimax.com/jobs
You will be the technical voice of the game ecosystem back to Apple and help to inform future features and projects.
Metal Game Ecosystem Engineer
Apple Arcade
Austin TX
https://www.apple.com/careers/us/
Reporting to the Lead Level Designer, you will manage the creative and technical implementation of levels created both internal and with co-dev partners.
Senior Level Designer
Pop Cap Games
Seattle WA
https://www.ea.com/ea-studios/popcap/careers
You’ll work within the team to help define a positive technical culture and ship great developer APIs creating engaging gaming experiences.
Senior Software Engineer – Game Center Frameworks
Apple Arcade
Seattle WA
https://www.apple.com/careers/us/
Lead a team of Language Leads; Define their priorities, establish and supervise individual and team goals, manage their performance.
Director, Creative Control
Blizzard Entertainment
Irvine CA
https://careers.blizzard.com/global/en
Contribute to the overall capacity planning, footprint expansion and architecture of the Backbone network.
Senior Network Engineer
Blizzard Entertainment
Irvine CA
https://careers.blizzard.com/global/en
Identify essential problems and prevent them from reoccurring by root cause analysis and automation.
Senior Software Engineer – Continuous Deployment Platform
Roblox
San Mateo CA
https://careers.roblox.com/
Lead complex analytics projects applying mathematical approaches such as Multivariable Regression, Clustering, Time Series Forecast, etc.
Lead Data Analyst
Jam City
Carlsbad CA
https://www.jamcity.com/job-openings/job-openings/
Configure, test, and maintain LAN/WAN/Edge network equipment and related services across multiple geographies.
Senior Network Engineer
Rockstar
San Diego CA
https://www.rockstargames.com/careers
We create a creative, supportive, and safe working environment for the staff at Rockstar.
Senior Workplace Manager
Rockstar
San Diego CA
https://www.rockstargames.com/careers
You’ll manage writing unit and integration tests.
Principal Software Engineer (Backend) – User Behavior
Roblox
San Francisco CA
https://careers.roblox.com/
You’ll be leading a team of level designers and will have management responsibilities.
Lead Level Designer (Apex Legends)
Respawn Entertainment
Los Angeles CA
https://www.respawn.com/careers
Work closely with Environments, VFX, Lighting, Rendering, and other content teams to build new tools and pipelines.
Lead Technical Artist (Star Wars FPS)
Pop Cap
Los Angeles CA
https://www.ea.com/ea-studios/popcap/careers |
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