Global esports giant ReKTGlobal has welcomed Griffin Johnson and Josh Richards, two of the world’s biggest TikTok stars, to its ownership team. 

Johnson and Richards are original members of the popular TikTok collab house Sway LA, and have amassed more than 50M combined followers, and expanded their social media careers into the music and entertainment industries.

In their new roles, the pair will be developing content, merchandise collaborations, and promotional activations for ReKTGlobal’s team’s, Team Rogue and Call of Duty League’s London Royal Ravens. 

Before joining the ReKTGlobal family, Josh Richards co-founded TalentX Entertainment, a creator management company known for its “creator-first” mentality. Within six months, TalentX had grown a roster of the top one percent of TikTokkers. In May 2020, ReKTGlobal and TalentX Entertainment joined forces for a new venture, TalentX Gaming – a talent management company built for gaming and esports athletes and streamers. 

Since then, Richards has gone on to sign a recording contract with Warner Records, and has focused on both investment opportunities and philanthropic efforts, including donating 20,000 masks to his hometown high school to help combat COVID-19. 

Avid gamer and Call of Duty fan, Griffin Johnson left Sway LA this summer to head up the new Sway Gaming House. Created by TalentX Gaming, SwayGaming is a hub for social media stars and creators to hone their skills. 

Welcoming Johnson and Richards to the company, CEO of ReKTGlobal, Dave Bialek, said:

“Griffin and Josh have uniquely captured the attention of Generation Z and beyond, and their influence is undeniable. They are both incredible additions to the ReKTGlobal ownership team.

“They have strong business instincts, a unique talent for developing viral content, and an understanding of how to connect with younger audiences and casual gamers. They are natural born hustlers and have leveraged their TikTok fame to step into acting and music, becoming entrepreneurs and investors in the process.

“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome them to the ReKTGlobal family as we continue to bridge the gap between the world of esports, entertainment and pop culture.”

While Johnson added:

“The fact that I can now say I own part of London Royal Ravens and Team Rogue is unbelievably surreal. I am thankful to Dave and Amish for allowing me into the ReKTGlobal family with open arms. Can’t wait to get to work and help bridge the gap between traditional social media and esports.”

Richards and Johnson are joining a diverse team of A-list ReKTGlobal investors including EDM legend Steve Aoki, international producer and DJ Nicky Romero, Grammy-winning rock band Imagine Dragons, Latin record producer and songwriter Tainy, two-time NBA defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert, pro tennis player Taylor Fritz, NFL strong safety Landon Collins, Find Your Grind CEO Nick Gross, hip-hop music executive and CEO Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith, and Vikram Singh Barn, aka YouTube’s Vikkstar and face of the London Royal Ravens. 

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Gaming and esports entertainment and events company, TGS Esports, has announced the formation of Discover Management. 

A full-service management company aimed at esports influencers, content creators, and players, Discover Management is being led by Riley Trimble, formerly with content creator management firm Spire Management, and specialist esports lawyer Marius Adomnica of Segev LLP. 

Regarding the new venture TGS Esports Co-founder and CEO, Spiro Khouri, said:t

“At TGS we are working with creators on a daily basis. One constant we have dealt with is that creators love creating but may not have the experience with brand deals or legal matters.

“We’re helping creators legitimise their career path and guiding them through that process. At the same time, we’re able to connect our partner brands with creators to create mutually beneficial relationships.”

While General Manager of Discover Management, Justin Simpao, added:

“We understand the value that content creators bring to the table. At the same time, we can help influencers deal with niche situations that arise from the growing ecosystem of influencer business. 

“This includes curating partnerships, innovating ways to help our creators grow their personal brand, and handling the complex administrative details such as self-incorporation and finance management.”

AYO.NEWS says:

Forming Discover Management is just the latest indicator that TGS has serious expansion plans – the company having also acquired Volcanic Media, and announced plans to acquire competitive gaming platform Pepper Esports. 

Given the fact that every content creator and player is basically a brand in themselves in the esports and video gaming world, and most of them organically found themselves in what is a rapidly changing industry, it’s perhaps not surprising that talent management is going through something of a boom right now. 

Last month saw the official launch of talent and management agency EMERGE Esports in Singapore, while in October Gushcloud International invested in Japanese esports management agency RELATION X, and earlier this year we saw management company Forevr launched by music industry veteran Marc Ogihara. 

‘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.

The esports and gaming division of Ford Models is latest to be added to the lineup of supporters for the Save the Children #GamingTuesday initiative. 

Launched by Save the Children back in 2015, the two-week “Giving Tuesday” initiative for gamers has so far raised $500K, and this year runs from Tuesday 24 November to Tuesday 8 December. 

Tomorrow, the esports and gaming division of the iconic New York-based Ford Models, which launched in summer, will be joining the cause, streaming from 6pm to 9pm. Ford’s talent line-up will include Twitch streamers Drew “Frozone” Bienusa, Eric “CLipZ” Rivera, Paul “Rabies” Santoro, Ivan “OGKINGCURT” Curtiss, in addition to Avori “Avori” Henderson on Facebook Gaming.

This year saw the number of gamers involved cross the 100 mark for the first time, and the event is running across several streaming platforms, including Twitch, YouTube Gaming, and Facebook Gaming, in addition to livestream fundraising platform Tiltify. 

With activations across North America, Europe, and Asia, the event is being supported by Save the Children’s Stream Team, which includes content creators like Markiplier, Jacksepticeye, Hank and John Green, and many more. Elgato is also supporting this years’ fundraising efforts, providing rewards and a match up to $10K. 

AYO.NEWS says:

With the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating existing crises around the world, the world of charities like Save the Children has never been so urgently needed, so it’s brilliant to see this years’ #GamingTuesday initiative is attracting so much support, and kudos to Ford Models for throwing their talent behind it. 

‘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.

The Monaco Esports Fédération, Monaco eSports, and Nicecactus have teamed up to launch the Monaco Gaming Show. 

Planned to be an annual event, the inaugural edition of the new esports show will feature competitions in Rocket League and Fortnite, with €20K prize pools for each title, and give amateurs and semi-pros the chance to go up against professional players. Also included in the line-up will be influencers, esports figures, and esports industry partners. 

The Fortnite final is scheduled for 18 December, and the Rocket League final for 19 December. Online qualifiers get underway on 4 December. Talking to Esports Insider, Nicecactus said plans for the Monaco Gaming Show had been hit by the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, and that future post-COVID events will be larger. 

Established in 2017, the Monaco Esports Federation recently joined the International Esports Federation (IESF), and is dedicated to establishing the Principality of Monaco as a top esports destination.

AYO.NEWS says:

Considering the insane wealth concentrated in Monaco, the prize pools for this event are quite paltry. But, Monaco does pack some serious prestige, being associated with events like the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, and it is a favourite playground of the rich and famous. In non-COVID times, we’re sure the pull of Monaco would be irresistible to many, but it’s tough to see how this edition is going to stand out. Still, it’s a start for Monaco, and if it can hang on in there through the crisis, it might be able to establish itself. 

‘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.

Warner Bros. Games and NetherRealm Studios have announced the Mortal Kombat 11 Pro Kompetition will return for a second season.

Though the last season, which concluded in March, boasted a $250K prize pool and took place at various fighting game tournaments, the second season has a reduced $60K prize pool and has been forced to migrate to an entirely online format due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. 

The competition is being sponsored by peripherals brand Astro, and will be split into three divisions; North American League, InterKontinental Kombat, and Liga Latina – each broken down into local circuits to ensure technical issues lig lag are not a problem. Points earned in the local circuits will qualify players for regional championships. 

AYO.NEWS says:

While it’s disappointing to see yet another competition have to ditch in-person events, and the reduced prize pool isn’t going to get the pulses racing, it’s still good to see Warner Bros. and NetherRealm continue to support the Mortal Kombat esports ecosystem, and hopefully by the time it comes to season three, everything will be back on track. 

‘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.

The esports division of Belgian football team KRC Genk is set to compete in next year’s League of Legends Belgian League. 

KRC Genk, which competes in the Belgian Pro League, formed an esports division earlier this year, kicking off by competing in EA Sports’ FIFA. Now, after forming its own identity and creating an esports arena at the club’s stadium, KRC Genk Esports is set to enter the Belgian League – one of LoL’s European Regional Leagues (ERL). 

Discussing the news KRC Genk Esports Coordinator, Bram Bartels, said:

“KRC Genk Esports is leading in Belgium. That is why the step to League of Legends is a logical and strategic next step. The Belgian LoL competition will be given a new composition and will soon evolve into a closed formula, and KRC Genk Esports will not be missing.

“A nice bonus is that we join millions of young people worldwide who are active in this game. We expand our reach and thus come to the attention of an international target group.”

KRC Genk Esports has acquired one of the six spots available in the Belgian League, which boasts a €25K prize pool and is set to get underway in January 2021. The other five teams joining KRC Genk Esports will be KV Mechelen Esports, Sector One, Team 7AM, 4Elements Esports, and ION Squad. 

👀 https://t.co/DQlaZ4Ywwt

— KRC Genk Esports (@KRCGenkEsports) November 30, 2020

AYO.NEWS says:

With both KRC Genk Esports and KV Mechelen Esports coming from a football background, it will be interesting to see how they fare in League of Legends – which is about as far from the ‘FIFA comfort zone’ as it’s possible to get. Still, it’s good to see such enthusiasm for the Belgian League. 

‘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.