G2 Esports announces a strategic partnership with fellow esports organization Version1
G2 Esports has announced a strategic partnership with Version1, in which V1 will become a shareholder of G2 and G2 will now operate V1's Call of Duty team.
The details:
The partnership was announced in a joint press release and is part of G2's ongoing push into the top tiers of esports, following the acquisition of The Guard's roster to enter VALORANT's VCT Americas. G2 will now operate the Minnesota Røkkr in the Call of Duty League, marking the organization's return to the FPS franchise after stepping away in 2019.
V1, on the other hand, will become a shareholder of G2, though the number of shares acquired has not been disclosed. The organization is backed by the Wilf family's investment arm WISE Ventures, which owns the Minnesota Vikings NFL franchise, as well as the Orlando City SC and Pride MLS and NWSL teams, and businessman Gary Vaynerchuk, also known as Gary Vee.
News of the partnership surfaced earlier this year, when V1 COO Brett Diamond revealed that the company was looking for a potential merger opportunity. The Esports Advocate reported last month that G2 was in the "final stages" of the deal, with layoffs at V1 in July said to be a result of the partnership.
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