Two of the most prominent esports teams in L.A. are up for sale. The owners have decided to either sell the teams, transfer them, or close them down after this year’s season. It is still uncertain what’s going to happen to these popular L.A. teams.
During the last ten years, L.A. has become home to a growing hub of professional esports players. Two of the teams are the Guerrillas of the Call of Duty League and the Gladiators of the Overwatch League. Both teams have been a part of the fast-growing video gaming industry and the culture surrounding it. But now, unfortunately, they are being set up for sale or shut down. Both are franchises of The Guard, which is the esports part of Kroenke Sports & Entertainments that also has a few other esports teams in the fold.
It’s still unknown what is going to happen to the two L.A. teams. The Guard will continue to run the franchises while they’re looking for a buyer. But if that doesn’t happen, the teams might be closing when we reach the end of this year’s season.
Esports has grown into a massive industry
Los Angeles is home to quite a few top teams in the esports industry. But it’s not only here in the West that the industry continues to grow. All over the world, you’ll find professional esports teams and huge fan bases. Today, the big tournaments have tens of thousands of attendees. The interest in esports is a part of the general interest in gaming and video games. There are millions of gamers that enjoy playing video games, mobile games, online casino games, and so forth.
And it’s not just the professional esports players who are trying to make money from gaming. Real-money gaming is becoming an increasingly bigger part of the gaming world. These include the new type of NFT games where you can win and trade NFTs – as well as the more traditional online casino games where you gamble with money. To learn more about these, check out the best guides to American casinos. Even though more gamers are spending money on gaming, it’s still only quite a few who actually turn professional.
What will happen to the Guerrillas and the Gladiators?
The two L.A. teams will continue to be run by The Guard until someone is ready to take over or at the end of the season. It came as quite a shock for the community and many of the employees that Kroenke Sports & Entertainment have decided to cut down on their esports investment. And that investment had quite a size originally. Back in 2019, they bought the Guerrillas of the Call of Duty League for $20 million and the Gladiators of the Overwatch League for $25 million. They also opened a stadium for major esports events. The exact reasons for the sale of the two teams are still unknown as The Guard has not commented further. Only time will tell whether or not the teams will live on.
