LCS Community Does a Double-Take After DoubleLift Video
This and other important developments in the wonderful world of esports business this week.
It’s been an interesting week in esports, though the most dominant topic right now is the LCS, Summer play being on hold, and the LCS Players Association.
Also of note is esports production company Wisdom Gaming’s financial struggles, per my reporting this week. Let’s dive in! - James Fudge.
LCS Community Does a Double-Take After DoubleLift Video
If you are wondering what one of the most high-profile players from the League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) is thinking about the potential walkout from league play, then you don’t have to imagine anymore: Yiliang "Doublelift" Peng has broken ranks and put out a video where he draws a line in the sand if the LCS Players Association, Riot Games, and teams can’t come to an agreement—and it’s not good news for the LCS PA because if someone like Doublelift is saying this in public then what are players who don’t make as much money as he does and have more to lose saying behind closed doors?
So what did the popular, well-paid, and sometimes controversial bot laner for 100 Thieves say, exactly? Doublelift said that if all else fails and it comes to the LCS Summer Split being canceled because negotiations fall apart, he will NOT walkout and will be ready to play instead. From a video posted on Twitter:
"...I want to say that I care, but if it's the option of standing by academy, and having [the] LCS Summer Split be canceled like Riot threatened and just letting go of the situation, I'm letting go... like I'm letting go of the situation—I'm not so gung-ho about it that I'm willing to not play summer split. So, like when Riot threatened to go nuclear, that's a pretty big threat. I think every player was a little bit affected by that 'Whoa, Riot's willing to cancel Summer Split?' I hope the negotiations go well.. I'm just telling you guys the truth—you don't think everyone knows that?"
Some in the community are calling Doublelift’s public statement sabotage, as all parties are in the midst of active negotiations. If you are unfamiliar with how the LCS got to this point, check out The Esports Advocate’s ongoing coverage—including comments from LCS PA Executive Director Philip Aram.
Misfits Games Leaning Hard Into Game Development
Misfits Gaming Group (MGG) is leaning heavily into game development—or at least into developing content within games such as Roblox, Minecraft, and likely Fortnite Creative.
The owner of Call of Duty League team Florida Mutineers and Overwatch League team Florida Mayhem has put out a job listing seeking a senior game designer. From the job description on LinkedIn:
Misfits is jumping headfirst into game development as the company reaches new heights of interactive entertainment! As a Sr. Game Designer, you will design, coach, and level up game design across multiple development teams at MGG. We have multiple talented and motivated teams designing Minecraft and Roblox experiences who would benefit from applying advanced game design techniques to their creations. This role must span multiple design disciplines, including gameplay, progression, level, and/or monetization design. With multiple games already in production, we are setting sights far beyond these platforms and looking forward to expanding the team with a Sr. Game Designer to level up our teams and games for years to come.
The move makes sense given the hires the company brought in during the month of March including content creator Forrest Waldron (better known to his fans as "KreekCraft"), who joined the organization as creative director and co-founder of a new Roblox-focused game studio called Pixel Playground. Also in March, MGG hired former MrBeast affiliate Karl Jacobs, who joined the organization as an owner and creative director; and popular content creator AustinShow.
Wisdom Gaming’s Future on Shaky Ground
Earlier this week TEA reported that Wisdom Gaming cut 40% of its staff, or 17 employees across all departments (a Wisdom spokesperson says that the 40% number is incorrect). The esports-focused production company and tournament organizer made the cuts as part of a restructure, but multiple sources we spoke to in our reporting say that the company is in bad financial shape.
While those sources say the company needs some funding almost immediately or it will be out of business in months, we have been told that the company has a runway of about year before it is in serious trouble. Either way, Wisdom is tightening its belt and trying to figure out its next step. Sources we spoke to also said that the company’s problems stem from decisions made by CEO Zweigbaum, who is being unduly influenced by upper management while ignoring other departments in the company. You can read TEA’s exclusive report here if you haven’t already.
In Other News
✂ XSET makes strategic staff cuts, announces a new partnership with Glytch.
💰 M80 secures $3M USD in a seed funding round.
✅ South Korean government approves Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
🤝🏽Vivior teams up with GameSquare, Complexity, and Ninja.
🤗 GAIMIN Gladiators renewed its partnership with Shikenso Analytics for three years.
🤔 HyperX backs Arizona State University study.
🎰 The Esports Awards returns to Las Vegas for 2023.