International esports communications consultancy The Story Mob, has opened a new European HQ in London.

The Story Mob’s new London office will be run by newly appointed Communications Director Karen Ward – a former associate director at Kazoo Communications. 

Ward’s extensive industry experience includes working with Activision Blizzard, Xbox, and Playstation, during her time with various PR agencies. She notably played a significant support role in the Call of Duty franchise, and a leading role in launching both Skylanders and Destiny. 

Commenting on her new role, Ward said:

“While this is undoubtedly an exciting chapter in the Mob’s history, this move is the realisation of a professional ambition for me. The games industry continues to set the pace for other industries, and I look forward to bringing new brands into this world.”

Along with the opening of its new London centre, The Story Mob is also expanding beyond esports to offer services across the wider digital entertainment space.

The Story Mob was founded by Anna Rozwandowicz and Nicola Piggott, and in addition to London, also has offices in Amsterdam, Berlin, and Los Angeles. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Again, it’s fantastic to see esports and gaming related businesses hiring and expanding, despite the world’s economic woes. The Story Mob’s expansion into the wider digital entertainment space makes a lot of sense, when you consider the way esports is rapidly blending with mainstream culture – exemplified by the number of music artists, celebrities, and sports stars now jumping into the space. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

US-based sports and fantasy betting operator DraftKings has signed Bryson DeChambeau as a brand ambassador. 

DeChambeau, who is ranked No. 6 in the Official World Golf Ranking, will become the face of DraftKings’ golf offering, and “represent the digital sports entertainment and gaming company via an integrated brand, content, marketing, and VIP centric collaboration. Notably, fans will be offered the chance to win golf lessons from DeChambeau. 

Discussing the partnership CEO of DraftKings, Jason Robins, said:

“Professional golf has been a key growth sport in both daily fantasy and sports betting, and our collaboration with Bryson DeChambeau is a notable new layer of mainstream brand exposure and fan experience. DraftKings is strategically aligning with winning athletes like Bryson who embody and embolden the competitive fire of our customers.”

While DeChambeau himself added:

“DraftKings has been at the forefront of innovation for how people experience golf, and the company continues to modernize the game through technology built by and for sports fans.” 

DeChambeau also has commercial partnerships with Cobra/Puma, Rolex, FlightScope, Bridgestone, NetJets, Bentley Motors, and others. 

Staying with DraftKings, just last week the company extended its partnership with Gibraltar-based sportsbook MansionBet. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

Overwatch League side Houston Outlaws has appointed Adam Hobbs as Executive Director of Marketing and Branding. 

Hobbs was previously Head of Marketing for Counter Logic Gaming (CLG), where he guided content and brand strategy across titles including League of Legends, Fortnite, Apex Legends, Super Smash Bros, and CS:GO, plus influential content creators.

He has created global campaigns for top brands like Razer, Red Bull, Toyota, and Uniqlo, and his work with major influencers, including Lady GaGa, Deadmau5, Skrillex, and Tiesto, and been covered by Billboard, Forbes, and The Fader.

Regarding Hobb’s appointment, Beasley Esports Chief Operating Officer, Lori Burgess, said:

“Adam brings the perfect combination of esports and entertainment marketing leadership to the Outlaws as we poise our organisation for fan and audience growth in 2021. Adam’s ability to ‘dream big and execute even bigger’ makes him the perfect addition to the Outlaws as we work to extend our brand across all media platforms.”

While Hobbs himself added:

“I’m beyond excited to join the Outlaws at what I think is a key turning point in the development of the organisation.

“From the start, I was in total alignment with the vision for the team and the direction of the Outlaws brand. I hope to build on that and bring it to life through content and experience that will excite our current fans and convert new ones. Outlaws fans deserve the best and that is what I want to give them.”

The appointment is in line with the Beasley Media Group-owned esports organisation’s plans to continue improving its infrastructure, make key hires, focus on commercial sponsorships, and improve fan engagement during 2021.

Staying with Beasley Esports, just a couple of weeks ago the company announced the appointment of Robyn St. Germain as Executive Director of Sales & Partnerships. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Hobbs looks like a solid hire for the Outlaws, having extensive proven experience in the esports industry, and obviously an extensive network of contacts. We’re curious to see his impact on the organisation. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates.

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

Get ready for a unique dose of virtual culture with The Overkill Festival. 

From 27 November to 6 December, The Overkill Festival will be streamed live from Enschede, Netherlands, featuring an incredible collection of games, movies, music, performances, VR and interactive art!

Organised in response to the “intense challenges” of 2020, the festival is billed as “an online experience that you’ve never seen before.” Featuring three “main stages”, the festival is based around a freely explorable 24/7 online virtual space, designed by The Rodina. 

Notable attractions include a video version of Treehugger, a work by Marshmallow Laser Feast, in which the artists encourage the viewers to reconnect with nature; a video by Eva Papamargariti, works by Theo Triantafyllidis & Sun Araw and Natasha Tontey, and games like Tonight we Riot and Spinch!

AYO.NEWS says:

Apparently, the online exhibition at The Overkill Festival is presenting the world of artists and game developers under the theme “The end of the world as we know it.” Seems about right for 2020! 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

UK-based esports organisation Fnatic has signed British rapper, Lukman Odunaike, aka “Not3s” to its talent roster. 

Not3s, who is best known for his 2017 breakthrough song “Addison Lee”, is the first British musician to sign with an esports organisation. Fnatic says he will now be an integral member of its roster of UK-based professional esports gamers and content creators. 

Fnatic’s UK Crew bands together players from community-driven titles, including FIFA, Fortnite, and Call of Duty, and the organisation says the signing of Not3s is part of its larger mission to continue pushing the boundaries of the gaming and esports sector, as it enters mainstream culture. 

According to Not3s, though he grew up playing PS1, Nintendo 64 and FIFA 98, it wasn’t until the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic that he found himself re-immersed in the world of gaming, playing FIFA, Fortnite, and Call of Duty Warzone, and wanting to find a way to integrate his own music into the games. 

Commenting on joining Fnatic, Not3s said:

“As an artist and creator, I’m always looking for things that nobody has done before. I’m thrilled to join Fnatic, because of the sense of community I feel from the organization, the players and from their fans. I look forward to bringing the worlds of music and gaming even closer together.”

While Founder and CEO of Fnatic, Sam Matthews, added:

“We are thrilled to have such a talented musician and creator join Fnatic. We’re always looking to level up and encourage all of our players and creators, to expand their skills and brand and with Not3s, there’s no exception.

“We’re excited to work with him to continue merging the worlds of gaming and music, for the benefit of culture and for the next generation of gamers.”

AYO.NEWS says:

Across the pond in the US we’re seeing a number of music artists and executives get involved in esports, so it was only a matter of time before the same happened in the UK. Given how intertwined video games now are with all aspects of popular culture, the involvement of artists with esports is sure to get deeper. 

Just last week, US rapper Swae Lee became the first artist to invest in new Boston-based esports organisation XSET. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

Global esports organisation ReKTGlobal, owner of Rogue and London Royal Ravens, has appointed Hannah Reid as Chief People Officer (CPO). 

In her new role, Reid will be responsible for designing and implementing human resource infrastructure and programs that are scalable across ReKTGlobal’s diversified workforce, guiding stakeholders to continue growing a unified culture across the global organisation’s owned and operated subsidiaries.

Reid is one of the few female C-suit executives currently in the esports space, but will be joining several other female leaders at ReKTGlobal and its subsidiaries. These include Executive Vice President of Esports, Anna Baumann, Executive Vice President of Media Services, Cara Scharf, and Head of Talent at TalentX Gaming (TXG), Amber Howard. 

Indeed, though it is thought that women account for almost 41% of gamers in the United States, they currently represent just 5% of the professional esports workforce. Additionally, though the $1.1 billion esports industry has seen incredible growth, it still largely lacks in-house human resources leadership at the C-suite level. 

Commenting on her appointment, Reid said:

“I’m truly passionate about people and their overall well being. It’s a privilege to advocate for and represent each employee at the leadership level.

“As one of the few esports organisations elevating women in leadership, I appreciate ReKTGlobal’s commitment to diversity and creating an equitable working environment.”

Before joining ReKTGlobal, Reid was human resources manager at digital media agency VaynerX. There she was instrumental in improving and scaling people processes as the company experienced dramatic global growth. 

Reid’s areas of expertise include performance management and coaching, benefits and pay equity/compensation strategy, acquisitions, and HR infrastructure. Prior to her time with VaynerX, she worked at financial services startup, JDX Consulting, where she was involved in implementing people and operations functions for the company’s New York office. 

Regarding Reid’s appointment ReKTGlobal’s Chief Operating Officer, Parrish McIntyre, said:

“With Hannah’s passion for people, entrepreneurial spirit, and track record of developing a global brand culture, we instantly knew she was the right fit. 

“We’ve made it our mission to identify, develop and create equitable pathways for our ReKTGlobal team members. It’s critical that our team fully reflect the diverse audiences of esports and gaming as we mature as a leading esports organisation, and know Hannah is the right leader to spearhead this global effort.”

While co-founder of ReKTGlobal, Amish Shah, welcomes Reid to the organisation, saying:

“We are thrilled to welcome Hannah Reid as our first Chief People Officer. As one of the only esports organisations to reach profitability, we’ve now set our sights on building a global culture that challenges the male-dominated status quo.

“With Hannah’s arrival, we hope this sheds light on the opportunity for women in executive positions in esports and makes the case for other esports organisations to follow.”

AYO.NEWS says:

Here at AYO.NEWS we share ReKTGlobal’s ethos when it comes to equality and diversity, so it’s awesome to see the organisation create the post of CPO, and appoint someone as capable as Hannah to lead its efforts. 

Staying with ReKTGlobal, in October the organisation secured $35M in funding from Summit Partners, to help support the expansion of its product portfolio, monetise assets, and assist with the acceleration of international growth through key executive hiring.

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.