(Courtesy of FC Copenhagen)
Last September, the Philadelphia 76ers became the first U.S. professional sports franchise to fully integrate itself into eSports following its majority stake purchase of Team Dignitas and Team Apex, eventually merging both under the Dignitas name.
At the time, Dignitas had one of the top Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams, which had just qualified for the ELEAGUE major. Yet, that came to an abrupt halt three weeks ago after a “mutual decision to part ways,” with Team Dignitas looking to field a North American-based CS:GO team moving forward. It was a surprising move to say the least that sent shockwaves across the eSports community.
“We were offered a very competitive deal but after negotiating for weeks we mutually agreed that it was time to part ways,
” coach Casper Due
tweeted Dec. 19. “Instead we’ve decided to commit our future elsewhere in eSports.
”
The former members of Team Dignitas — most of whom are Danish — found a home Jan. 3 as it was announced they signed with FC Copenhagen, one of the most successful professional soccer clubs in all of Denmark. In its first entry into eSports, FC Copenhagen now plans to field teams for a variety of titles such as FIFA, CS:GO and Dota, according to Dot eSports.
During the press conference announcing the signings, the soccer club alluded to eSports tournaments coming to Parken, home of FC Copenhagen. Additionally, HLTV.org learned at the announcement the potential for longer player contracts (3-5 years) than what is traditionally seen in eSports.
So, what does this mean for eSports in general, especially the American landscape of gaming? For starters, it’s a sign of things to come as professional sports organizations — both domestically and abroad — vie for the world’s top gamers. In the U.S., we’ve seen eSports ownership groups pop up, such as aXiomatic led by Ted Leonsis, Peter Guber and Magic Johnson, along with teams like the 76ers and most recently the Miami Heat this week enter the space, too. With the cost of entry into gaming still fairly low compared to what it could be in the next few years, it’s no secret that there will be continued investment by traditional sports players looking to stake their claim in eSports.
