Gaming peripherals brand Razer has unveiled its latest project, an AI esports coach that aims to provide real-time insights and analysis.

Called Project AVA, the concept was introduced at tech trade show CES 2025 and has been described by the company as ‘the ultimate AI gaming copilot.’

One of Project EVA’s main functions is using artificial intelligence (AI) to provide esports coaching as users play games. According to the peripherals brand, gamers will be provided with real-time insights driven by data from Team Razer’s coaches and players.

Users will also be able to analyse and review performances through personalised post-match recaps that highlight areas of improvement.  

Team Razer consists of the brand’s various esports partners, such as teams and players. In 2024, Razer announced partnerships with Movistar KOI (previously MAD Lions KOI) and TALON as well as esports players Eric ‘Snip3down’ Wrona (Apex Legends) and Zachary ‘zekken’ Patrone (VALORANT).

Alongside esports coaching, Project AVA is expected to include an AI game guide. Utilising knowledge bases, the guide intends to help users through puzzles, bosses and quests within games.

Moreover, Project AVA also aims to optimise a user’s PC set-up. According to Razer, the AI concept will analyse and fine-tune a gamer’s PC based on its specs and the user’s desired game settings. Additionally, the project checks for the latest updates in hardware, software and firmware.

On Razer’s website explaining the new project, the company noted that Project AVA has been developed by its AI gaming team and uses vision analysis alongside several other data inputs, such as public APIs.

Interestingly, Razer also noted that Project AVA has been developed as a tool for game developers as well as gamers.

In the company’s FAQs, Razer stated: “Project AVA was developed by Razer’s AI gaming team as a tool for game developers and gamers.

“It is envisaged that Project AVA can be used by game developers in their games as an onboarding tool, tutorial guide and much more. Project AVA can also be used by gamers as a copilot in all games to assist as a coach, walkthrough buddy and optimization tool.”

Razer has revealed that it will announce a beta test for Project AVA later this year. 

Alongside the introduction of Project AVA, Razer also revealed Project Arielle, a heating and cooling Razer mesh gaming chair, and the Razer Blade 16, its thinnest gaming laptop yet.

English football club Charlton Athletic FC has launched a new gaming and entertainment space at its stadium. 

Located in the Alan Curbishley Stand at The Valley, the Cyberlabs Gaming Box will be equipped with consoles, VR equipment and UNEVN PC gaming desks. According to the announcement, the renovated box has been designed for multi-purpose use, including esports and streaming.

The new space will offer matchday and non-matchday experiences for fans, brands, creators, esports teams and media. Additionally, the gaming box aims to enhance the football club’s media and marketing capabilities alongside driving social initiatives with the Charlton Athletic Community Trust.

Charlton Athletic’s new space is sponsored by Cyberlabs, a digital entertainment company that focuses on education, sports, community and leisure venues. Founded by Sam Cooke, Ed Kim and Abdiqani Ahmed, the company previously sponsored a Women’s FA Cup match between Charlton Athletic and Tottenham Hotspur. 

Speaking about the new partnership, lifelong Charlton fan and former board member of the Charlton Athletic Supporters’ Trust, Sam Cooke, commented: “Even if I wasn’t a fan, this partnership would be something special. It’s an honour to sponsor Charlton Athletic and be able to work closely with the club.

“We’re confident this initiative will provide the club another way to deliver for partners, diversify revenue and deliver more from the stadium, bring Charlton closer to more fans, strengthen our digital presence, and give fans the option of a different experience at The Valley. The Community Trust already does incredible work, and we believe this space can help to amplify their efforts too.”

The League 1 football club is not the first team to launch a gaming facility within its home ground. In 2024, Manchester City launched a new gaming space at the Etihad Stadium for its EA FC and Fortnite players to practice, compete and create content.

At the beginning of last year, EFL Championship team Sheffield Wednesday also opened a gaming facility at Hillsborough.

French football club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Asian esports organisation TALON have announced the conclusion of their League of Legends partnership.

PSG Talon will be renamed simply to TALON, with the organisation confirming that it will still participate in League of Legends’ new Pacific league, the LCP. 

Paris Saint-Germain and TALON have a long-standing relationship that dates back to PSG Talon making its League of Legends debut in June 2020. During the duo’s partnership, PSG Talon has gone on to qualify for four world championships and claim seven PCS trophies.

According to TALON’s announcement, the decision reflects the ‘evolving priorities and strategies of both organisations.’ Moreover, TALON noted that it remains open with PSG regarding potential collaborations in the future.

It’s important to note that the conclusion of PSG and TALON’s partnership only applies to its League of Legends team. On social media, the organisation confirmed that its Rainbow Six team will remain a joint venture between both parties. 

In the announcement, TALON commented: “We take immense pride in the successes we’ve achieved together, and this partnership will be remembered as one of the most iconic collaborations in esports history. The bond forged between TALON and PSG over the years is deeply valued.”

Alongside its Rainbow Six roster, PSG remains active in the esports space, particularly within EA FC and Arena of Valor. In 2023, the football club launched a joint Dota 2 team with Quest Esports, however, the venture has since been put on hold as of late last year.

For TALON, the esports organisation is fresh off the back of a busy 2024. Notably, the organisation expanded into Europe by establishing a base in Malta and secured a major commercial partnership with technology corporation Visa. Outside of League of Legends, TALON competes in VALORANT,  Dota 2 and PUBG Mobile, among others. 

The Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS), Overwatch 2’s tier-one esports ecosystem, has announced a dedicated Chinese region for the competition in 2025. 

OWCS’ new competition will kick off with Stage One and sits alongside the ecosystem’s other regions: Asia (Japan, Korea and Pacific), EMEA and North America.

In addition to the new competition, OWCS has also revealed that the first live event of the 2025 season will take place in Hangzhou, China.

This year the Overwatch 2 circuit, run by ESL FACEIT Group, will include three international events, the first of which will be Champions Clash in China. Little is known about the competition, however, OWCS has revealed that it will feature eight teams, with two teams from each region qualifying. 

The return of Overwatch esports in China coincides with the game relaunching its server in the country later this year. After rebuilding its relationship with Chinese technology company  NetEase, Blizzard has announced that a technical test will occur in January, with the server launching on February 19th. 

It was also announced that the Stage Two live event will be the Midseason Championship at Esports World Cup 2025 in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, the World Finals will occur at DreamHack in Stockholm, Sweden.

Following the launch of Overwatch 2’s esports circuit in 2024, ESL FACEIT Group has made significant changes to the OWCS for 2025. Notably, this includes the introduction of promotion and relegation as well as a three-split competitive circuit. 

In addition, Overwatch 2 will introduce a Partner Program for teams in 2025. Partnered teams will receive a portion of proceeds generated from crowdfunded in-game team packs.

In total, nine teams will be selected. It has yet to be revealed which teams will participate in the programme.

Whilst 2024 provided esports fanbases with memorable moments, 2025 looks set to be a milestone year for the industry.

Valve’s well-documented Counter-Strike ecosystem rules will be enacted in 2025, resulting in major changes to BLAST and ESL events. Meanwhile, Riot Games has completely revamped its global League of Legends ecosystem, introducing two new leagues — LTA and LCP  — and a third international tournament to its calendar. 

For Esports Insider’s look ahead, we asked various prominent industry stakeholders to predict what will happen in 2025. This includes asking which scene will have the most development in 2025 and what the industry needs to work on to succeed. 

This is part two of Esports Insider’s industry series; make sure to check out what stakeholders said about 2024.

Steve Arhancet, CEO, Team Liquid: “I think that in 2025, esports will solidify itself as a cultural force rather than a fleeting trend. The past few years have forced companies to mature and evolve, and the separation between companies that have built real businesses and those who chase empty metrics will grow even more significant. 

“Because of this, we will see more consolidation, mergers and acquisitions.” 

Alban Dechelotte, CEO, G2 Esports: “More consolidation of teams into global organisations capable of competing in major games, major regions and global fandoms.”

Nicolas Maurer, Co-Founder and CEO, Team Vitality: “I’d probably expect a continuation of the trends we’re seeing now, with even more established positions and a growing gap between the industry leaders and the rest of the world. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to operate in this industry if you’re not a top team. Even for the top teams, there are a lot of challenges…

“That said, I think we’ll also see more top teams reaching a point where they can say they’re more or less sustainable. Whether they’ll be profitable, and by what margin, is still unclear, but I’d say this ongoing transition we have all experienced over the last three years will probably reach a point where the top teams are in a more comfortable position.”

Daniel Finkler, CEO, BIG: “In 2025, esports will continue its global expansion, with classic esports and mobile gaming solidifying its dominance. AI and data analytics will revolutionise key areas like marketing, coaching, strategy and fan engagement, while teams increasingly adopt diversified business models to ensure financial sustainability.”

Faisal Binhomran, Chief Product Officer, Esports World Cup Foundation: “Mobile will be the biggest growth area in esports, showing huge potential for the future. It’s easy to see why—it’s accessible, powered by fast-growing networks and supported by the ever-improving performance of handheld devices…

“We saw the huge popularity of events like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, PUBG Mobile, FreeFire and others at the Esports World Cup this year, and look forward to even more growth in the mobile space.”

Hicham Chahine, CEO, Ninjas in Pyjamas: “Mobile games within esports are starting to transition into more globally recognised esports, and will continue to make their mark on the global ecosystem.”

Animesh ‘8Bit Thug’ Agarwal, Co-Founder, S8UL: “In 2025, esports will continue expanding into more titles, creating opportunities for a broader range of players and audiences. As new games gain traction, regions like South Asia and MENA are expected to emerge as significant contributors to the global esports ecosystem. 

“Mobile esports will remain dominant in mobile-first markets, further solidifying its position as a key driver of growth.”

Monica Dinsmore, Senior Director of Esports and Ventures Brand, Electronic Arts: “The competitive gaming landscape continued to evolve in 2024, and 2025 promises to be yet another transformative year. A winning esports strategy in 2025 requires a much more targeted approach to maximise player engagement and retention. Expect to see publishers embrace cultural differences and prioritise esports efforts across core regions and core game titles…

“From virtual naming rights to UGC (User-Generated Content), esports has proved itself as a powerful marketing platform for brands to reach young consumers.”

Craig Levine, co-CEO, ESL FACEIT Group: “The Rise of Super Events — The success of landmark tournaments like IEM Rio and global events like the Esports World Cup have signalled a transition for competitions beyond national and regional boundaries…

“UGC Reshaping the Publishing Model — From brands flocking to make custom maps in Fortnite to Roblox player counts surging, user-generated content is having its moment.

“What’s Old is New Again — The success of video game adaptations and nostalgia culture in 2024 has set the stage for this approach to dominate how publishers wield their IP next year.”

Moritz Maurer, CEO and Founder, GRID: “Betting proved to be a large engagement driver and sustainability contributor for esports. Riot Games’ move to unlock the sponsor category will pave the way for many other game titles to follow suit…

“My prediction is that this development will aid the sustainability of esports significantly, accelerate growth of the ecosystem and deliver value for fans ultimately.”

The beginning of the year means brand new KPIs for 2025. So, we asked esports companies what their targets are for the new year and summarised them below.

Daniel Finkler, CEO, BIG: To remain Germany’s leading esports organisation globally by fostering local talent to represent the country across various titles. Expanding its digital and physical infrastructure, including BIG Bootcamp and its UNLTD merchandise operations in Turkey.

Robbie Douek, CEO, BLAST: “Ultimately, 2025 is about growth with intention — expanding our reach, refining our operations and setting the standard for what global esports can achieve.”

Monica Dinsmore, Senior Director of Esports and Ventures Brand, Electronic Arts: To deliver “unforgettable experiences” for its players – whether in the game, on stream, on the main stage or in the stands.

Michael Haenisch, CEO, Freaks 4U Gaming: To further its collaboration with NODWIN Gaming, expand Freaks 4U Gaming’s coverage into emerging markets and solidify its positioning as a global agency in gaming, esports and entertainment.

Moritz Maurer, CEO and Founder, GRID: “To be the standard for data in gaming and esports.”

Marco Mereu, Founder and CEO, M80: To expand and diversify its esports portfolio, deepen its engagement with global audiences and create opportunities for emerging esports talent in North America. “We are ready to help lead North America into the Esports Spring.”

Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and Managing Director, NODWIN Gaming: To expand its global footprint, strengthen local IPs and “continue bridging gaming with mainstream entertainment.”

Animesh ‘8Bit Thug’ Agarwal, Co-Founder, S8UL: “To set global standards in esports” with its BGMI and Pokémon Unite lineups. S8UL also aims to redefine how brands work with esports and gaming as well as create diverse opportunities for gamers from all backgrounds.

Nicolas Maurer, Co-Founder and CEO, Team Vitality: To return to being the best esports organisation in the world. “With a special focus on being present in Paris for VALORANT Champions and recapturing the magic of our CS2 team’s performance at the Paris Major in 2023. That’s the 2025 dream!”

Steve Arhancet, CEO, Team Liquid: “Team Liquid achieved its 2024 goal of being EBITDA positive.” For 2025, it wants to invest more to accomplish Team Liquid’s mission to “be a leader in competitive gaming and build a global and multigenerational sports team.”

Steve Arhancet, CEO, Team Liquid: “Monetisation models remain the Achilles’ heel of esports.  We need to find that next gear beyond just ad spend and sponsorships, and create direct fan monetisation systems that feel natural, rewarding and equitable. 

“This would go hand-in-hand with improved economics between developers and/or tournament organisers and teams.”

Daniel Finkler, CEO, BIG: “The industry must address financial stability through stronger collaboration among publishers, teams and tournament organisers. A fair revenue-sharing model is essential for creating a balanced ecosystem that supports all stakeholders while ensuring long-term growth…

“My opinion is that publishers don’t have the expertise themselves to create healthy ecosystems themselves. It’s all about listening to feedback from tournament organisers, clubs and fans to establish a healthy and sustainable environment.” 

Alban Dechelotte, CEO, G2 Esports: “Better synergy between publishers and teams, with more publishers rethinking their revenue sharing model like we’re seeing from Riot Games and Ubisoft.”

Hicham Chahine, CEO, Ninjas in Pyjamas: “In 2025 we will see a lot of transition in certain ecosystems — Counter-Strike and League of Legends especially. We need to ensure as a full ecosystem that we work together managing this transition.”

Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and Managing Director, NODWIN Gaming: “The industry must prioritise regulatory clarity, player welfare and grassroots development. Establishing uniform regulations across states and nations is critical to ensuring sustainable growth.”

Skyler Johnson, Founder, Paper Crowns: “The industry needs to open more lines of honest communication and general transparency to not only audiences and brands, but also the employees working for these companies and organisations. 

“Speak directly about financial instability and growth to allow more smart minds to thrive and help innovate the industry.” 

Animesh ‘8Bit Thug’ Agarwal, Co-Founder, S8UL: “In 2025, esports must focus on sustainability, grassroots development and creating a long-term ecosystem for players. Establishing structured pathways from amateur to professional levels will be key to ensuring a steady pipeline of talent.”

Craig Levine, co-CEO, ESL FACEIT Group: “It’ll be important to reprioritise grassroots gaming communities. The esports audience is growing 18% year-over-year. In 2024, we saw record-setting attendance at our DreamHack festivals, industry-high viewership for our open Snapdragon Pro Series mobile esports tournaments, and users flocking to connect with each other with the launch of FACEIT 2.0.”

Nicolas Maurer, Co-Founder and CEO, Team Vitality: “I think VALORANT will undergo the most development in 2025. I think Riot has huge ambitions for the upcoming Champions, as it will be the fifth edition, and I think there are high ambitions to make it quite special.”

Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and Managing Director, NODWIN Gaming: “VALORANT is poised for significant growth in 2025, with expanding franchised leagues, enhanced community engagement and increasing investments from brands and media companies.

“Its appeal as a team-based, spectator-friendly title makes it a prime candidate for deeper global integration and professionalisation.”

Animesh ‘8Bit Thug’ Agarwal, Co-Founder, S8UL: “In 2025, titles like VALORANT, BGMI, and other mobile-first titles will see significant growth. VALORANT will continue its upward trajectory, with a growing global fan base and improvements in competitive formats. 

“BGMI will remain a dominant force in mobile esports, strengthening India’s esports ecosystem.”

Hicham Chahine, CEO, Ninjas in Pyjamas: “Very simply, it’s MLBB! The title’s esports ecosystem is making big steps to become a more recognisable global esport and is quickly gaining traction in all corners of the globe.”

Daniel Finkler, CEO, BIG: “That’s a tough question, but I believe Counter-Strike 2 and League of Legends will continue to dominate as cornerstone titles. Additionally, Fortnite and several mobile esports titles will likely play a major role in the 2025 esports cycle. 

“My strong belief is that all major publishers will increasingly recognise esports as a central revenue driver, leading to further innovation and investment in their competitive ecosystems.”

Alban Dechelotte, CEO, G2 Esports: “Valve has decided to significantly change the very successful Counter-Strike ecosystem with less security for the organisations investing the most resources. This is gonna be interesting to see how the new model with multiple esports organisers will come together.”

Robbie Douek, CEO, BLAST: Counter-Strike is entering a new stage of its esports journey, with Valve’s changes coming into play from 2025, the scene is set to have more events, more locations and more opportunities than ever before…

“If all goes to plan, this could be BLAST Premier’s biggest year yet, and we can’t wait to share it with fans around the world.”

Skyler Johnson, Founder of Paper Crowns: “It could be a release of a game we haven’t seen yet. 

“Publishers will need to stay on their toes to nail the combination of solid in-game releases, map creation and innovative viewing experiences to stay top of mind to their audiences. It’s hard to say, but we keep a close eye on Epic Games.”

The NLC has officially confirmed that Los Ratones, a team founded by popular streamer Marc Robert ‘Caedrel’ Lamont, will join the league in 2025. 

In addition, League of Legends’ UK and Nordics EMEA Regional League (ERL) has also secured a partnership with Swedish chair company Arozzi.

Founded in November 2024, Los Ratones’ League of Legends team features well-known players and personalities from the scene including Tim ‘Nemesis’ Lipovšek, Carl Martin Erik ‘Rekkles’ Larsson and Simon ‘Thebausffs’ Hofverberg. 

Following heavy speculation over Los Ratones’ potential destination since its launch, the NLC has now officially announced the team’s participation for the 2025 season. The NLC, which recently revamped its ecosystem for 2025, will kick off on January 15th.  

Speaking to Esports News UK, the event’s organisers, Leagues.gg, stated that the NLC in 2025 “will be the biggest year” for the UK and Nordic region. 

Joining Los Ratones is Arozzi, which has been named the title sponsor of the NLC for 2025.  In particular, the partnership will focus on promoting Arozzi’s gaming chair. Specific details surrounding marketing activations between the NLC and Arozzi have yet to be disclosed. 

This is not the first time the Swedish chair company has teamed up with an esports stakeholder. In 2024, the company partnered with British esports organisation Method for World of Warcraft’s Race to World First event. 

Max Grimborg, Head of Leagues Media, commented on the partnership: “I couldn’t be more proud and excited to announce Arozzi as the title sponsor of the NLC for 2025. 

“This partnership is a testament to the growing impact of Nordic esports and the unique opportunities the NLC provides. We’re thrilled to collaborate with Arozzi and confident that this partnership will elevate both the league and Arozzi’s brand to new heights. Here’s to an unforgettable year ahead!”

While most tech startups chase venture capital, XBorg is seemingly pursuing a different vision: building an open infrastructure to benefit the gaming industry.

Founded in 2022, XBorg has built a product that allows esports teams to easily create customised fan applications that provide gamified and immersive fan experiences. Some of the company’s partners already include the likes of Team Liquid, Ninjas in Pyjamas and Team BDS.

In 2024 it was announced that XBorg had raised a total of $9m exclusively from individual investors. As a result, XBorg today has over 25,000 gamers and industry enthusiasts who now collectively own the company and guide its development.

“Traditional companies optimise for shareholder returns. We’re optimising for industry-wide impact by creating a public good for gaming,” explained Louis Regis, XBorg’s Founder and CEO.

“When your stakeholders are the users of your platform, you can focus on long-term value creation rather than quarterly results.”

As esports organisations look to develop loyal, lifetime fans, a variety of tools and marketing strategies have been utilised to bolster fan engagement. One of these methods is the development of apps that look to connect fans closer to teams through reward systems and personalised content. However, developing these apps can be a major undertaking. 

By working with XBorg, a team can launch personalised content feeds, achievement-based rewards or community challenges in days – all while maintaining their branding and user experience.

“Esports teams shouldn’t need a software development team to launch innovative fan features,” said Louis. 

“We’re simplifying the technical heavy lifting so brands can focus on what they do best – engaging with their communities.”

Powering these capabilities is XBorg’s core technical infrastructure, which consolidates fragmented gaming data into unified player profiles. The protocol aggregates achievements, gameplay statistics, social engagement and other metrics across games and platforms, creating digital identities that teams can leverage to create meaningful fan experiences.

“We provide the developer tools, APIs and templates that let teams focus on creating unique experiences rather than building infrastructure from scratch,” Louis explained.

“It’s similar to how Stripe simplified payments – we’re simplifying the technical heavy lifting for better fan experiences.”

XBorg’s community ownership model enables a different kind of long-term thinking. 

By steering away from traditional venture capital investment methods, XBorg hopes that it can focus on its mission of becoming a ‘public good’ for the gaming industry as opposed to generating quick returns.

This structure creates unique alignments, allowing developers to suggest features and build new applications on top of the protocol. Meanwhile, casual gamers can influence the direction of the products to enhance their gaming experience.

“When you’re building public infrastructure, having the actual users guide development just makes sense”, noted Louis. “Our community understands gaming’s needs firsthand because they are also esports fans.”

While XBorg’s decentralised approach is different, it also raises questions. Can a community-governed entity effectively compete with venture-backed competitors?

The company’s bet is that community alignment will prove more valuable than traditional corporate resources. In an industry exploring new business models, XBorg’s experiment in decentralised ownership looks to offer a new template for how gaming infrastructure gets built and governed.

“Our end goal is to open-source as many components of our industry as possible,” stated Louis. 

“By making our infrastructure community-owned, we ensure it serves the entire ecosystem rather than any single company’s interests.”

As the esports industry continues to mature, XBorg’s community-first approach could signal a broader shift in how gaming infrastructure evolves – one where the lines between users, developers, and owners become increasingly blurred.

China-based electronics company Huawei has announced that its Android application store Huawei AppGallery has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Emirates Esports Federation (EESF).

According to a release, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government-backed esports federation will collaborate with Huawei AppGallery to drive ‘innovation and growth’ across the esports and mobile gaming ecosystem in the region.

In particular, the partnership will focus on supporting local talent and creating new opportunities for gamers and developers. As a result, Huawei AppGallery and EESF will work together on tournaments and campaigns. 

The federation notably aims to provide government endorsements and professional player support to AppGallery Gamers Cup tournaments in the UAE. Additionally, the deal will see EESF promote mobile games that are available on the Huawei AppGallery platform.

The MoU was signed by Emirates Esports Federation’s President, His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Bin Sultan Bin Shakhboot Al Nahyan and William Hu, Managing Director of Huawei Consumer Business Group, Middle East and Africa Eco-Development and Operation.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. 

William Hu commented on the partnership: “Collaborating with the Emirates Esports Federation represents a major step forward in realising our vision for the future of esports and mobile gaming. 

“Together, we are creating a platform that not only drives innovation but also fosters an environment where gamers and developers can thrive. The UAE’s rapidly evolving gaming ecosystem makes it an ideal hub for shaping the future of esports.”

Esports has always been an ever-evolving industry, with the sector looking to cement itself within mainstream culture. 

To gauge how the sector has changed, every year Esports Insider asks a range of prominent industry stakeholders to review and reflect on the past year in esports.

Looking back on the year as a whole, 2024 has undergone its fair share of major esports announcements and milestones. Starting with the transition from competitive CS:GO to Counter-Strike 2, the esports sector was introduced to the Esports World Cup and the Overwatch Champions Series. Meanwhile, League of Legends’ LCS bid its final farewell. 

2024 was also defined by how esports organisations and ecosystems continued to navigate, adapt and grow throughout esports winter’s tough conditions. Consolidation was a prominent phrase used throughout the year with organisations announcing major acquisitions and mergers to strengthen their position in the sector. 

Read on to see how stakeholders in the sector defined esports in 2024, including which scenes showed the best (and worst) impressions. 

This year’s edition features comments from the likes of Team Vitality, Ninjas in Pyjamas, G2 Esports, BLAST, ESL FACEIT Group and more. 

Steve Arhancet, CEO, Team Liquid: “In short, it was a complete battleground of enormous transformation for all sides of the equation — players, agencies, teams and developers alike. Some businesses were washed away, but there are still powerhouses in every region, and games are flourishing. 

“The number of gamers and esports fans continue to grow but it’s not a given that businesses will be able to capitalise on the opportunity. We have to figure out how to commercialise and engage with them in new and exciting ways, which is challenging, but refreshing.”

Nicolas Maurer, Co-Founder and CEO, Team Vitality: “I’d say 2024 has been a year of consolidation. We’re not seeing many new leagues or games launching, but rather a clearer understanding across the industry of what really matters. The key games and tournaments, like League of Legends, CS2 and VALORANT, are more firmly established, and the gap between these leaders and the rest of the industry is growing.”

Alban Dechelotte, CEO, G2 Esports: “2024 has really been a great year for esports. The introduction of the Esports World Cup providing eight weeks of game-changing competition followed by the announcement of the IOC Olympic Esports Games breathes new life into the ecosystem, on top of all the regular tournaments running all year round. 

“Global fandom is also on the rise. This is something we’ve been working on as we expand our presence across the world, but other teams are succeeding in this as well — no longer are teams just tied to one region with one set of fans…

“Diversity is becoming more normal in esports — there are more tournaments and we even saw mixed tournaments this year with VALORANT and Red Bull, providing opportunities for women to compete alongside men in top-tier competition.”  

Monica Dinsmore, Senior Director of Esports and Ventures Brand, Electronic Arts: “In 2024, esports continued to prove its worth as a powerful tool for engagement, reacquisition and community building. 

“While the industry is still figuring out a structure that works for everyone, we’re seeing stakeholders reframe their approach to the industry. At EA, we’ve found success by prioritising our player bases in our core competitive titles: Apex Legends, EA SPORTS FC and Madden NFL.”

Faisal Binhomran, Chief Product Officer, Esports World Cup Foundation: “Esports in 2024 was about maturing and flourishing. After a tough 2023, we saw record numbers come back to viewership and events on the professional level, which is incredibly encouraging as we turn the calendar to 2025. 

“With global events like the Esports World Cup, or League of Legends’ Worlds and Mobile Legends’ M6, we see incredible growth and the industry is truly coming into its own.”

Hicham Chahine, CEO, Ninjas in Pyjamas: “Overall it’s been a good year for esports. While the initial months may have been cautious, we’re now in a position where things are beginning to trend upward again. This has been for several reasons, one being the macroeconomic climate. Inflation rates are coming down, which means interest rates are coming down and brands are more excited to invest in esports again.”

Animesh ‘8Bit Thug’ Agarwal, Co-Founder, S8UL: “Esports in 2024 solidified its position as a mainstream cultural phenomenon. The distinction between competitive esports and gaming became clearer, helping audiences and stakeholders better understand the ecosystem. 

“At the same time, esports, traditional sports and influencer-driven content began working more cohesively, creating synergies that enhanced fan experiences and industry growth.”

Robbie Douek, CEO, BLAST: “2024 has felt like a year of transformation and growth for esports. After navigating some challenging times in 2022 and 2023, this year has really marked a resurgence — a renewed sense of drive, ambition and focus on consumer-facing events.

“There’s been a clear push to bring esports closer to fans, and that’s been a hugely positive shift for the industry.”

Alban Dechelotte, CEO, G2 Esports: “2024 has been a record-breaking competitive year for G2, with more trophies won than ever before…

“We’ve also continued our growth in China — we’re the top western team in China on social media and top five teams overall vs Chinese teams. Our total VCT bundle sales were more than 50% from our Chinese fans, which is a great indication of our fanbase in the region.” 

Marco Mereu, Founder and CEO, M80: Survival. Esports is coming out of its toughest stretch in the history of the industry as the landscape of esports resets to workable models and revenue structures that make sense for long-term growth. 

“While many teams were focused almost entirely on sponsorship revenue, we doubled down on emerging categories such as in-game digital goods and influencer-based CPG. This has enabled us to be buyers in a buyers market, most recently acquiring Beastcoast and adding to our esports and media portfolios. 

Daniel Finkler, CEO of BIG: “BIG’s standout achievements in 2024 include qualifying for the CS2 Shanghai Major and advancing to the elimination stage — a testament to our players’ dedication and performance.”

Nicolas Maurer, Co-Founder and CEO, Team Vitality: “Team Vitality’s single biggest achievement in 2024 was undoubtedly the CS2 team’s victory at IEM Cologne. As one of the most prestigious esports events, it’s an important box to tick if you want to be amongst the most legendary CS teams ever.”

Steve Arhancet, CEO, Team Liquid: “Navigating our participation at the Esports World Cup held in Saudi Arabia and then finishing second place — I think this was a true achievement on a handful of fronts. 

“Our second-place finish was a result of our commitment to and consistency in many top esports titles, and it was especially satisfying to see Clem claim a title in StarCraft II. We were also able to maintain our values and compete as we are at the event, wearing our Pride jersey as we have done so for many years.”

​​Hicham Chahine, CEO, Ninjas in Pyjamas: “Listing NIP Group on the NASDAQ stock market was a monumental milestone for us and it certainly came with its own set of challenges. While we had to adjust during this transition, it firmly supported our plans to expand globally into key regions.

“Looking at how our competitive campaign played out, we lived up to expectations in areas — especially with our great year in the LPL.”

Craig Levine, co-CEO, ESL FACEIT Group: “IEM Cologne sold out the LANXESS Arena and attracted fans from around the world, the inaugural DreamHack Stockholm brought our most-attended European festival to the Swedish capital, FACEIT 2.0 expanded resources on our competitive gaming platform for over 30m users and our Live Legendary campaign put fans at the forefront of ESL’s 25th anniversary.

Robbie Douek, CEO of BLAST: “2024 has been a record-breaking year for BLAST across the board. What really stands out is how much we’ve grown—not just in revenue but in the scale of what we’ve delivered. 

“We doubled the number of arena shows compared to the previous year, which is testament to that year-on-year growth. We have been able to ramp up our output across our esports titles, bringing Rocket League and Dota 2 into the mix.”

Michael Haenisch, CEO, Freaks 4U Gaming: “From the corporate and strategic development perspective, our biggest achievement in 2024 was becoming part of NODWIN Gaming…

“Regarding our esports ventures, 2024 was a landmark year for the League of Legends Prime League.”

Moritz Maurer, CEO and Founder, GRID: In 2024, establishing a multi-year partnership with Riot Games as their exclusive in-game data partner for League of Legends and VALORANT marked a major milestone for GRID. 

“This collaboration immediately began with the start of the year — we integrated the GRID Data Platform with League of Legends and launched the GRID League of Legends Competitor Portal already in January.”

Daniel Finkler, CEO, BIG: “Our biggest challenge in 2024 was navigating the financial pressures of an esports ecosystem still recovering from global economic slowdowns. Publisher dominance and unpredictable ecosystem shifts demanded constant adaptation.” 

Steve Arhancet, CEO, Team Liquid: “Navigating the esports winter, while growing considerably.  Most folks who are single-esport fans don’t know this, but we are truly a global enterprise, with Alienware Training Facilities and 350 staff on four continents.

“The amount of macro- and micro-management involved in running the business is something we have mastered over the years — but it’s still not as good as Clem at EWC!”

Michael Haenisch, CEO, Freaks 4U Gaming: “Our biggest challenge in 2024 was navigating the delicate balance between sustainability and stability for the company. 

“This included making the very difficult decision to implement layoffs while ensuring operational continuity as we were and are still recovering from the industry’s post-Covid reset and the challenging global macroeconomic conditions.”

Alban Dechelotte, CEO, G2 Esports: “Overall, brand partnership markets have been very slow and low, with discussions lasting far longer than in the previous years.

“Also, some tough changes from publishers around future investment in esports — sadly Epic’s changes to Rocket League resulted in us pulling out of the scene for now.” 

Faisal Binhomran, Chief Product Officer, Esports World Cup Foundation: “The EWC’s biggest challenge was also our biggest achievement: bringing together the best games and clubs in the world on one platform. 

“With more than 20 individual tournaments to schedule and to deliver on our promise to have the best players in the world participate, we needed to closely align with our publishing partners to create an offering that met the needs of all involved.”

Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and Managing Director, NODWIN Gaming: One of our biggest challenges was navigating the complex regulatory environment surrounding gaming and esports in India. 

“Adapting to evolving policies while ensuring uninterrupted execution of events and initiatives required extensive coordination with stakeholders, strategic foresight and flexibility.”

Marco Mereu, Founder and CEO, M80: “Despite another astounding run through VALORANT Ascension Americas this year, we failed to qualify, losing in the Grand Finals for the second year in a row. It was heartbreaking to come so close to Ascension again, but we still have a lot to show for it…”

“The journey is difficult, but we’ll be back for more in 2025.”

Skyler Johnson, Founder, Paper Crowns: “Ultimately, as the agency grows, the challenge is scaling efficiently without diluting our core values, nor the personalized high-touch service our clients have come to expect. Maintaining the agility of a non-’skyscraper agency’, while managing an increasing amount of larger accounts and complex projects requires deliberate process improvements and strong leadership.

Craig Levine, co-CEO, ESL FACEIT Group: “EFG has been a believer in mobile esports for some time, but the enthusiasm we saw this year across the Snapdragon Pro Series was unprecedented. In particular, the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang community in Southeast Asia came out to support our Season 6 Open Qualifier, which became the most-watched open-level MLBB tournament of all time with 830,000 viewers.”

Daniel Finkler, CEO, BIG: “The mobile esports scene once again stood out in 2024. Its rapid growth in emerging markets continues to highlight the accessibility and scalability of mobile gaming. Titles in this space achieved record-breaking viewership and engagement globally. 

“Additionally, Fortnite remains a cultural phenomenon, seamlessly blending competitive gameplay with live entertainment events that captivate audiences worldwide.”

Animesh ‘8Bit Thug’ Agarwal, Co-Founder, S8UL: “In the Indian esports ecosystem, what stood out in 2024 was the growth into multiple titles beyond BGMI, including Pokémon Unite. S8UL’s own Pokémon Unite team made significant headway, performing exceptionally well on both national and international stages.”

Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and Managing Director, NODWIN Gaming: “The BGMI esports scene has been exceptionally impressive in 2024. Its reintroduction sparked a wave of excitement, bringing together massive audiences, high-profile sponsors and well-organised leagues.” 

Alban Dechelotte, CEO, G2 Esports: “In 2024, we have been lucky to join the VALORANT VCT ecosystem. We love the balance of regional leagues and international events as well as the opportunity to offer in-game content to the G2 Army.”

Skyler Johnson, Founder, Paper Crowns: There are a lot to me that stand out, from the VALORANT ecosystem Riot is creating to the CS community and its stacked event calendar…

“My bias to the Call of Duty community will always be there and I think the game itself offers a solid ranked play, which I hope leads to more competitive esports trickle-down.

Robbie Douek, CEO, BLAST: “I’d be lying if I said I had a favourite ecosystem — each brings its own unique flavour to the industry. That said, I have to give a nod to Riot Games and League of Legends Worlds.

“We joke about it because they always seem to clean up at the awards we are up for, but honestly, there’s a reason for that. Worlds is a masterpiece of an event — it’s the kind of tentpole production that sets the bar for what esports can achieve.”

Hicham Chahine, CEO, Ninjas in Pyjamas: “The shift away from women and marginalised genders in esports, which is sad to see. There are a lot less marginalised gender tournaments for esports teams and players. 

“This has disappointed me the most, it felt like we had such an upward trajectory with investment from several ecosystem stakeholders within the space — but I feel across the industry focus on marginalised genders within the pro-competitive scene has gone down.” 

Nicolas Maurer, Co-Founder and CEO, Team Vitality: “I’d say that overall Rocket League is seeing a downward trend this year. That’s not in terms of public interest or our excitement for the game, but rather the way the professional scene is organised. Obviously, we’re not alone in feeling this way, it seems to be a general public sentiment, which is quite frustrating because Rocket League is a fantastic game with a ton of potential.”

Skyler Johnson, Founder, Paper Crowns: “This one is a bit harder for me because our community is very up and down, so being ‘not impressed’ is something that I don’t really think about as much. I would like to see more publishers and tournament organisers focus on community engagement tools and I know just the agency to help with that!”

With the end of 2024 drawing near, Esports Insider is once again looking back at a year full of impactful marketing campaigns and unexpected brand collaborations in the world of esports.

As with previous years (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019), some marketing projects have stood out, whether that’s through unique ideation or flawless execution.

Highlighting the efforts of established and emerging brands in the industry, Esports Insider presents the best esports advertising campaigns of 2024 in no particular order.

Known for its focus on fashionable merchandise, North American esports organisation 100 Thieves has launched several successful apparel collaborations in the past, including a merchandise collaboration with Adidas Originals in May. In October, the organisation took its streetwear game to the next level with a limited merchandise drop in partnership with iconic anime and gaming franchise Pokemon.

The announcement video features Pokemon-themed keyboards as well as clothing items adorned with popular characters, such as Bulbasaur, Charmander, and, of course, Pikachu. Although the marketing campaign around the drop itself was not extraordinary, this collaboration shows how branded esports merchandise can be exciting and wearable in the eyes of fans!

Outstanding campaigns can be crafted by any brand regardless of size or global recognition. Malaysian milk and dairy company Goodday proves this with its charming Boomers 2 Gamers initiative. Targeted towards individuals who are at least 50 years old, the project invited ten senior citizens to participate in Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) training sessions under the guidance of former professional athletes.

The goal was to form a new senior CS2 roster with the emerging top 10 participants. Moreover, Goodday delivered a heart-felt video summary of the challenge on its Instagram account. In the video, seniors and their younger relatives explain how Boomers 2 Gamers has helped them bridge the generational gap and gain a better understanding of the benefits of competitive gaming.

The Counter-Strike franchise overall had an eventful year. Following the release of Counter-Strike 2 in September 2023, the competitive scene moved away from CS:GO to its successor. With the beginning of the first-ever CS2 Major in March this year, Red Bull Gaming and CHEW Productions released the first episode of their two-part documentary ‘Memories of CS:GO’.

Celebrating over a decade of competitive history, ‘The Early Years’ covers the title’s early developments and esports beginnings. The second part, dubbed ‘The Final Years’, highlights the game’s legacy as well as its biggest personalities and moments. With more than three hours of total watch time, ‘Memories of CS:GO’ represents a well-executed farewell to one of esports’ most popular titles.

Supermarket chain ALDI has been a supporter of Team Vitality’s women’s League of Legends roster, Rising Bees, since its inception in 2023. This year, the two organisations joined forces to further raise awareness for the abuse women commonly face in the world of gaming and esports.

The initiative’s centrepiece is a video where Rising Bees players, as well as other female esports professionals, read out hateful messages and discuss how such comments affect their mental health and in-game performance. However, the video also showcases the morale-boosting effect of kind messages read out by the participants in an effort to encourage positivity within gaming spaces. On Team Vitality’s YouTube channel, the video has recorded 140,000 views.

Esports organisation Astralis and electronics retailer Elgiganten launched a unique campaign with a similar message: combat toxicity in gaming by creating a positive environment. The ‘Less Flaming, More Gaming’ initiative saw members of Astralis’ Counter-Strike roster appear in promotional material and pledge against toxicity.

These pledges also represented real discount codes for Elgiganten’s website with messages, such as “I promise that I will not rage or start flaming my mates just because they did not throw a grenade or molo while the enemy was rushing A, and we then ended up losing that round GLHF.” 

With this creative and light-hearted delivery, Astralis and Elgiganten successfully made a serious topic more easily digestible for a broad audience.

2024 marked the 25^th anniversary of one of esports’ oldest organisations, Evil Geniuses (EG). To commemorate its long-standing legacy, the organisation launched an effective marketing move, permanently reverting the EG logo to its original version from 1999.

The previous logo revamp in 2019 was not received well by fans, giving EG the opportunity to celebrate an organisation that is looking to learn from its past to forge a new future. The nostalgic trip down the EG memory lane was further accompanied by a merchandise capsule dedicated to the original logo.

Another legacy continued this year with the 14^th edition of the League of Legends (LoL) World Championship. Being one of the event’s major partners since 2020, car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz introduced a new feature this time around. Similar to traditional sports events, the car brand provided a vehicle to carry the World Championship trophy, known as the Summoner’s Cup.

Transported by the custom electric G-Class SUV, the Summoner’s Cup travelled to three Worlds locations: Berlin, Paris and London. Accompanying the world’s best League of Players players throughout their journey, the Mercedes-Benz trophy carrier car became not just a sponsor but an active participant in the story of Worlds 2024.

Spirits and beer brands have become common actors within esports, sponsoring tournaments and creating joint products with industry stakeholders. However, Gen.G’s collaboration with Korean wine company Allvintage Wine marks the first wine released by an esports organisation.

Sold exclusively in Korea, Allvintage Wine produces a Chilean red and a Chilean white wine for the Korean esports powerhouse. The adorable design of the wine bottles, which prominently displays Gen.G’s mascot ‘GenRang’, arguably stands out the most. As the face of the innovative product launch, the yellow creature also gave the wine its name, ‘GenRang Wine.’