Leslie Fitzsimmons’ Post

What does the future of esports look like? Here are 3 things currently on my mind: 1️⃣ Increased focus on competitive entertainment As the dust settles from the past years, strategic refinement is a must across the sector. The core business of esports is performance. Winning trophies and showcasing it to the world in a compelling content format. Many innovative models have been tried in order to increase viewership and eyeballs, but at the end of the day the athletic achievements are what matters, rather than content creators amplifying a vague message. Esports will focus on that, and I predict that at least 80% of teams in the world top 10 are fully driven by academy promotion setups and high performance lifestyles within 5 years. While the Olympics might only just be getting started and the Esports World Cup Foundation is hosting their tournament for the fist time, it is definitely and underlining that competition is at the core of what we do. 2️⃣ The rise of mobile esports PC has always been the dominant genre across the biggest tournaments, but over the past years the secret rise of mobile gaming is now longer a secret: it's huge. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang made sure of that in 2023. But there's more; PUBG Mobile, Free Fire and Arena of Valor - and more coming. Their engagement numbers are huge. Many of the top teams have diversified their rosters into mobile, but it's hard. It's an entirely different ecosytem. New mobile-only teams might spawn, and there's no denying that this is a thing of the future. 3️⃣ The end user is the king - the fans All roads lead to rome, and for esports - it's the fans. Without fans, there is no industry, and without an industry - we are all unemployed. Don't get me wrong, fans are the core focus for most stakeholders monetizing on the eyeballs, but it got somewhat lost in translation over the past years of everyone fighting for survival. Ultimately, the goal is figuring out how we make fans pay for a product that we gave away for free for decades, rather than relying on affiliate or sponsorship dollars as our primary income. Personally, I think every casual fan out there is willing to spend money on esports, given how much they spend on other gaming adjacent things. It's just a matter of how we deliver the message and value proposition. Esports need to figure this one out, and they will, over the next years. What do you think is going to happen over the next years of esports? #esports #gaming #leadership #entrepreneurship #growth

Jonas Gundersen, we couldn’t agree more - the essence of esports lies in the pursuit of peak performance and athletic excellence. At FITGMR, we focus on comprehensive training and high-performance lifestyles for athletes. It is the athletic achievements and the relentless drive to win that truly resonate and inspire. As the industry continues to evolve, we firmly believe that the emphasis on rigorous academy programs and dedicated performance training will shape the future of esports. This approach not only aligns with the competitive spirit of traditional sports but also underscores the incredible potential of esports athletes to excel on global stages, such as the Olympics and the Esports World Cup. The future of esports is bright, and it is performance that will lead the way

Looking to get into to our lovely world of esports? Well, here are three things to consider before you do: 1️⃣ Don't come for the money. Ever. While it may sound from the outside that this amazing and hyped industry is going to be your new cash cow, it most likely isn't. Firstly because esports is in a maturity phase, where it's about building sensible business growth, rather than unlimited spending. There's tons of opportunity, revenues and risk willing capital coming back into the space, but that risk doesn't translate into a frenzy of bad decisions - it's about smart spending, and keeping the P&L in check is a major component for any esports entity. And secondly, you'll fail if you only focus on getting good money for yourself. Esports is built from grassroots, community and passion - you need to have true grit and ambition to come and make a long lasting difference to get something out of it, and salaries are much lower than in other hyped industries. 2️⃣ We don't need more advice - we need people who execute. There's a million exciting things to do in esports, and we are lovely interconnected ecosystem of various stakeholders and nuanced mechanics. It's easy to come from the outside and think you've seen the holy grail, but 99% of the time it ends up being a generic idea to a problem that needs to be solved over time, through strategic partnerships and smart collaborative development - and people that don't know how to actually get there, will only cause more work for the people already trying to fix the problems. Don't get me wrong, it's great with outside perspective to try new approaches, but it's a real case of show, don't tell. Boots on the ground leadership is a real commodity in this space. 3️⃣ Truly engage with the industry - don't just pretend Goto an event - feel the excitement of the arena. Understand why League of Legends is different than Counter-Strike, why Roblox isn't just one game and how an actual competitive esports circuit works. Understand the publishers behind the games, the money flow, the people, the teams and the history. Capable people from other industries coming in, and truly taking note of wanting to learn what this is and how it keeps evolving, will severely leapfrog others trying to make a career happen in esports. Seek advice, goto conferences and figure out the sweet spot in where you can apply your specific skillset in a way that can apply the maximum value. We're on a constant growth journey, and the more we develop the more people we will need - and I promise it's going to be worth your while if you stick around. I love esports and I love where it's all heading, and I have never been in a more vivid and engaging industry with this many fun opportunities and smart people from all over the world where ever you may go. Truly a playground for the dreamers out there. Let's get to work! 🚀 #esports #gaming #people #recruitment #entrepreneurship

Opinion: the Olympics need esports, not the other way round. 👇Here are my thoughts + POV for marketers Over the past 20 years, we have witnessed a major change in the mainstream opinion on games. Esports players started to be invited to prime-time TV. Games IP scaled as the biggest, high-budget TV series. And the overall image of gaming shifted from a niche hobby to just normal entertainment. 🏆 Impressive growth: gaming vs. Olympics stats: The gaming industry grew 115% between 2015 and 2022, while esports - professional game competition - grew by 458% from 2016 to 2023 with major events like League of Legends World Championship amassing over 5.1 million peak viewers in 2022. You know what fell? Olympics viewership. During this time, Olympics viewership fell from 26.7 million (2012 London) to 15.1 million (2021 Tokyo). The average age of Olympic viewers rose from 45 in 2000 to 50 years old in 2016. The Olympics need younger viewers, and esports might be the only way to get them. 🎮 Esports and gaming are doing well. We have nothing to prove by being at the Olympics. It's a major milestone for esports, but only from the outsider's point of view. I am happy that we finally reached this point. Are esports at the Olympics a bad idea? No, it's a great idea, especially if we get major games and national teams competing. Especially in Europe, top esports teams are mixed when it comes to nationalities. Having an opportunity to root for your national team sounds like great fun. It is also a chance for those brands unsure if gaming is mainstream to realize that it might be too late to just observe it from the sidelines. ✨ POV FOR MARKETERS: With esports at the Olympics, the whole event might become more relevant for Gen Z. Especially the first time, all the eyeballs will be there. BUT it does not mean that the old-school sponsorship of "logo on a t-shirt" works here. In esports and gaming, we are past that. It's a bold choice to have computer games as a competition at the biggest sports event in the world. It begs for a courageous campaign paired with real value for athletes and fans. ❔ And what do you think about Fortnite players sharing the Olympic village with marathon runners? Let me know in the comments 👇 — Follow me for more content about gaming for marketers 🎮 #gaming #genZ #esports #olympics

Our COO, Alexey Kuznetsov, having a strong background and keen interest in eSports, visited International Esports Federation's general assembly in Saudi Arabia last week. Here’s his take on the challenges eSports must overcome to keep growing: If you ask eSports association leaders about their ultimate professional dream, it all boils down to one thing: making eSports an Olympic discipline. It’s the wrong dream. At least if we’re serious about creating something outstanding and meaningful that will last through the century. eSports is inseparable from video game culture, a culture built on three defining pillars: • Imagination and immersion: Crafting worlds where the impossible becomes real. • Defiance and boundary-pushing innovation: Thriving on the edge of the known and rewriting the rules. • Social mobility for ultra-geeks and hardcore nerds: Creating opportunities for those often overlooked in a world dominated by ‘normies.’ This is what made video games not just an economic powerhouse but a cultural phenomenon. To succeed as a global phenomenon, eSports must stay true to its roots in video game culture. Real, sustainable success will only come if one billion hardcore gamers carry eSports forward on their shoulders. Becoming an Olympic discipline? That’s more like a government official’s dream. Look at the people running eSports organizations. How many gamers do you know who wear suits? If eSports officials truly embraced video game culture, their shared dream would look more like this: Become an organization the Olympic Committee wants to join. That’s right. And here’s how it is achievable within a few years.Imagine a three-story pyramid. • Competition and tournament systems: this part is already figured out—but it’s the tip of the iceberg. • Public domain games or a portfolio of games: The top argument from traditional sports officials is that the game must belong to the people. And they’re right—not just from their perspective. Relying on the whims of publishers is a business risk eSport can’t afford. • A system for social mobility: This combines education and networking opportunities. Remember, according to UNESCO and the World Bank, 97% of the world’s population lacks access to college or higher education (7.7 billion people). Of them, 20% are creatively inclined (1.5 billion people), and 30% of those favor digital domains. That’s 465 million potential Kojimas, Carmacks, Romeros, and eSports superstars wandering the planet. The tools and resources for this already exist. What’s missing? Ambition and staying true to video game culture—both of which are entirely within the control of those making decisions about global eSports development. Gaming culture has already proven it can outshine every other form of entertainment in both business and popularity. If eSports embraces that culture fully, it won’t just match mainstream sports—it will surpass them, both as a business and as a cultural force.

After a difficult period in 2023, the esports industry bounced back in 2024. Over the past year, esports league operators such as BLAST and ESL FACEIT Group - EFG developed closer ties with publishers, allowing them to scale up their business and become profitable; publishers stepped up their revenue share programs, helping some teams achieve stability; and, perhaps most importantly, brands and marketers upped their spending in the space, encouraged by the rise of international events such as the Esports World Cup. If 2023 was esports winter — a time of austerity caused by brands pulling back on their marketing spend in the space — then 2024 marked the beginning of esports spring, or at least somewhat of a thaw. As advertisers once again opened their wallets for esports inventory, the entire industry breathed a collective sigh of relief. However, esports is not yet a standard category in advertising spend forecasts, and it’s unclear exactly what proportion of brands’ gaming marketing dollars went towards the competitive side of the space over the past year. For now, tales of the recovery of esports in 2024 remain largely anecdotal. Last year, Digiday published a “cynic’s guide” to esports in 2023. This year, the industry’s outlook is decidedly more optimistic. However, many esports companies remain unprofitable, and industry leaders are still trying to find a path forward that is sustainable in the long term. Here’s a pragmatic look at the ups and downs of esports in 2024 — and how leaders across the space kept their companies afloat during a period of ongoing change. In this piece by Alexander Lee, we speak to Julie V. of 100 Thieves, John Needham of Riot Games, Max Bass of GALE, Faisal Bin Homran of Esports World Cup Foundation, Hicham Chahine of Ninjas in Pyjamas, Alban Dechelotte of G2 Esports, Robbie Douek, and Chris DeAppolonio of Evil Geniuses.

KEEP UP THE MOMENTUM: ESPORTS I recently received a message from a young man asking how I've managed to stay committed to Esports over the years. He wanted to know what drives me, what keeps me going, and why I haven't given up. Here are my thoughts: 1. It's About People, Not Programs Esports is fundamentally about people—players and communities. It's about positively impacting young lives through the professional playing of video games, a passion that resonates deeply with the younger generation seeking an outlet of passion to profits. The programs, tournaments and events all sum up for them to level up in Life. They are the one single most important factor in keeping the momentum. 2. Price and a Prize Being in the Esports space requires paying a certain price to achieve your goals. This price often involves significant investments of time and money to deliver every activity, program, or event. For sure I know there is a certain Prize at the end of my life and for me that Prize is the legacy of Esports 4 Good. 3. Understanding the Times Keeping up the momentum means staying attuned to trends, community behaviors, and technological updates. It's about understanding global perspectives on Esports and relating them back to our local experiences. The knowledge and insights are valuable to day to day life and Future oriented discipline. 4. Character or Charisma Esports is very personal. The persona you project attracts people and business to your work. While charisma helps you keep trying and adapting, it's your character—consistency and integrity—that truly defines you. If you're not genuine, it will eventually show. Your character in Esports is your hallmark. 5. DIY Esports "Do It Yourself" Esports means trying things out and experiencing them before introducing them to your community. As a leader in African Esports, I don't promote any platform or product without first testing and understanding it. I strive to experience everything to the best of my abilities before sharing it with my community. 6. HOPE I believe in Esports for the social good of all. My upbringing, environment, education, and faith have shaped me to think differently. I rely on the power of ideas to drive change. This philosophy—that Esports is a tool for socio-economic development in Africa—remains unchanged. Every day, I envision new possibilities with Esports, transforming the simple act of playing video games into better livelihoods. In conclusion, maintaining momentum in Esports is a personal decision. It's about being resilient and doing your part, no matter how small, in an environment where the odds may be against you. I share this journey with many African Esports leaders. As each new day dawns, we remind ourselves to give it our all one more time. Keep your Esports momentum going, wherever you are. Stay safe and enjoy your day. Kind regards, Kwesi Hayford ---

#snsinstitution #snsdesignthinking #snsdesignthinkers Introduction; The rise of competitive gaming, or esports, has transformed the landscape of entertainment and sports in recent years. Here's a brief overview of the phenomenon: Origins and Growth Early Beginnings: Competitive gaming traces its roots back to arcade tournaments in the 1970s and 1980s, but it was the 1990s that saw the emergence of organized competitions with games like "StarCraft" and "Quake." -Rise of the Internet: The proliferation of high-speed internet in the 2000s allowed for online multiplayer games, significantly expanding the reach and popularity of esports. Games like "Counter-Strike," "Warcraft III," and "Dota" began to dominate the scene Streaming Platforms: The launch of platforms like Twitch in 2011 revolutionized the way people consumed esports. Fans could now watch live streams of games, tournaments, and even casual play, connecting with players and communities worldwide. Current Landscape Major Titles: Some of the most popular esports titles today include "League of Legends," "Dota 2," "Counter-Strike: Global Offensive," "Overwatch," and "Fortnite." Each has a dedicated fan base and regularly hosts large-scale tournaments. Global Tournaments: Events like "The International" for Dota 2, the "League of Legends World Championship," and the "Overwatch League" offer multi-million dollar prize pools and attract millions of viewers. Professional Players and Teams: Top players are akin to traditional sports stars, earning substantial incomes through salaries, sponsorships, and streaming revenue. Teams like TSM, Fnatic, and Cloud9 have become household names in the esports community. Economic Impact -Revenue Streams: Esports generates revenue through various channels, including sponsorships, advertising, media rights, merchandise sales, and ticket sales for live events. -Investment and Sponsorship:Major corporations, including tech giants, traditional sports teams, and celebrities, have invested in esports, seeing its potential for growth and brand alignment with a younger demographic. Social and Cultural Impact -Community and Inclusion:Esports has built diverse, global communities, breaking down barriers of geography and language. It has become a platform for social interaction and shared interests. Challenges and Future Outlook -Regulation and Governance: As esports continues to grow, issues like player contracts, fair play, and game integrity need standardized regulation. Sustainability:Ensuring the long-term sustainability of the industry involves balancing the interests of developers, players, and fans, while preventing burnout among professional players. Conclusion: Esports has quickly evolved from niche hobby to mainstream phenomenon, and its trajectory suggests it will continue to shape the future of entertainment and sports.

ESPORTS HUMANITY... ??? Appreciating the Human Nature of Esports: I am in deep thought and asking myself many questions... In the process, I have come to appreciate 3 major components of Esports 1. Hardware 2. Software 3. Humanity Anytime we begin to think about Esports, our minds are quickly drawn to the technology bit... the Hardware and software components, the games and the platforms we play on forgetting that with all the big bells and whistles of Esports, without the Human component, we can easily miss out the very core essence of Esports Engagement. Esports like sports is human-centric, community-focused and people-oriented. Human behaviour differs from person to person due to many factors, their society, environment, circumstance, education and many more but in all our efforts in Appreciating Esports humanity, we must build a strong mindset and intellectual brilliance of personal Character that serve as an example and role models for the Future. A human institution that is credited with fairness, order, rule of law, good governance, trust, checks and balances, The chaos in Esports sometimes can be attributed to people, we let our negative human nature take the better part of us and in our engagement with our fellow human beings we Fight, we backstab, we break promises, we do not value the contribution of others, we take for granted what others have sacrificed, we take entrenched positions because we must protect our interests at all Cost... this is all human nature and with the Esports ecosystem, it is deeply felt. How should we deal with each other in our daily Esports engagement as humans, especially as leaders... ??? 1. Be Open Minded 2. Accept Reality, People will always be themselves. 3. Have hindsight, insight and foresight 4. Do your best and leave the rest 5. Life is too short to live in the past, Move on from failed projects, relationships and bad Partnerships. 6. You are human, and you deserve Happiness, congregate around people who genuinely believe in you, your dreams and theirs as well. 7. Embrace Change and learn things for yourself. 8. Test Your Esports Dreams, there is no harm in trying but remember that same dream another human has the same or even better Idea or concept than yours. Don't be fixated... Just be you... originality and authentic self I am not a perfect human being, but I strive each day believing my actions and my decisions will be in the best interest of the collective, as human as I am I do fail and air sometimes, to that end I seek forgiveness, I accept what fate and nature has installed and I move on. What are your thoughts...??? on Esports Humanity... Share in the Comments session My Name is Kwesi and I love Videogames and Esports.

Hey everyone! Day 22/30: 30 Days, 30 Case Studies! Case Study: The Rise of Competitive Gaming (Esports) Introduction: Competitive gaming, or Esports, has surged in popularity, propelled by streaming platforms and sophisticated video games like League of Legends (LoL). Challenge: Lack of Recognition: Esports was often seen as a fringe activity, lacking mainstream recognition and legitimacy. Monetization: Finding sustainable business models to support professional teams, players, and tournaments proved difficult. Global Audience Development: Building a large and engaged international audience was crucial for long-term success. Solution: The League of Legends World Championship Worlds is the annual culmination of the professional LoL season. Top teams from regional leagues around the world compete for the coveted championship title and a multi-million dollar prize pool. Here's how Worlds addresses the challenges: Mainstream Recognition: Worlds is a global spectacle, attracting millions of viewers online and in sold-out stadiums. Prestigious sponsorships and media coverage elevate the legitimacy of Esports. Monetization: Worlds generates revenue through sponsorships, merchandise sales, ticketing, and in-game content purchases. The success of Worlds fuels the entire Esports ecosystem. Global Audience: Worlds broadcasts are translated into multiple languages, with local commentators catering to regional audiences. The international competition fosters a sense of global community among fans. Results: A Thriving Esports Industry The League of Legends World Championship has been a major catalyst for the growth of Esports: Exponential Viewership: Worlds viewership numbers have shattered records year after year, reaching hundreds of millions of concurrent viewers globally. Financial Boom: Esports is a multi-billion dollar industry, with revenue streams encompassing sponsorships, media rights, and game sales. International Phenomenon: Esports transcends cultural barriers, uniting fans from around the world through a shared passion for competitive gaming. Impact Beyond Gaming: The success of Worlds extends beyond the realm of gaming: Careers in Esports: Esports has created a thriving job market for players, coaches, analysts, broadcasters, and event organizers. Technological Innovation: Esports has driven advancements in streaming technology, gaming infrastructure, and data analytics. Mainstream Entertainment: Esports is increasingly recognized as a legitimate form of entertainment, attracting mainstream media coverage and celebrity endorsements. Conclusion: The League of Legends World Championship exemplifies the explosive growth of Esports, driving mainstream recognition, global viewership, and substantial revenue. Thank you for joining me on day 22 of my '30 Days, 30 Case Studies' challenge! Also, share your thoughts in the comments below! 🤝 #Esports #CompetitiveGaming #GamingCommunity #LeagueOfLegendsEsports