The team will now compete under the name Guild Eagles, marking a significant milestone for both the organization and the players involved.

Guild, a UK-based organization, had previously entered the Counter-Strike scene by signing a female team in March.

With the addition of the ex-Bad News Eagles roster, Guild expands its presence in the Valve shooter, securing its first male roster just in time for the upcoming PGL Copenhagen Major.

Building a roster from scratch can be a time-consuming and uncertain process.

However, acquiring the complete Bad News Eagles roster offers Guild Esports a ready-made team with a proven track record.

This not only brings an established synergy among the players but also eliminates the need for a lengthy trial-and-error phase.

The roster’s past success as underdogs adds a compelling narrative to Guild’s entry into CS2, generating immediate fan interest and showcasing the advantages of signing a cohesive and experienced unit over piecing together individual talents.

The newly acquired roster, comprised of Flatron “?juanflatroo?” Halimi, Rigon “?rigoN?” Gashi, Genc “?gxx-?” Kolgeci, Sener “?SENER1?” Mahmuti, and Dionis “?sinnopsyy?” Budeci, has been without organizational support for almost two years.

Despite this, they attended three Majors and consistently reached the Legends stage, becoming a much-celebrated underdog story in the Counter-Strike community.

The coaching staff, featuring Jonatan “?Devilwalk?” Lundberg and Kevin “?kRYSTAL?” Amend, has also transitioned to Guild.

Lundberg praised Guild’s vision, mentioning that despite receiving offers from multiple organizations during their time as an unsigned team, Guild was the most closely aligned with their goals in CS2.

He expressed confidence in Guild’s facilities and staff, affirming that it is the place where they belong to reach the next level.

The Guild Eagles roster, along with their coaching staff, is set to make their debut under the new organization in the CCT 2023 Online Finals 4.

Their first challenge will be against Preasy in the upper-bracket quarter-final, providing an early glimpse of their potential with Guild.

The roster, now officially representing Guild Eagles, consists of players from Kosovo and Switzerland, highlighting the diverse international composition of the team.

Jasmine Skee, CEO of Guild Esports, expressed excitement about the acquisition, stating that the trajectory of the Bad News Eagles roster has been inspirational and embodies the attitude valued at Guild Esports.

She emphasized the organization’s commitment to supporting the team on their journey in CS2, especially with the release of CS2 providing an opportune time to increase Guild’s presence in Counter-Strike.

Guild Esports’ strategic move to acquire the Bad News Eagles roster marks an important moment in their Counter-Strike journey.

With a celebrated underdog story, a visionary coaching staff, and an imminent debut in the CCT 2023 Online Finals, Guild is poised to make a significant impact.

The decision to integrate an established roster not only reflects Guild’s commitment to success but also underscores the benefits of embracing a complete unit rather than assembling one from scratch.

As the team takes flight, the Counter-Strike community eagerly awaits the unfolding chapters of this partnership, anticipating a harmonious blend of talent, experience, and the potential for further underdog triumphs in the competitive scene.

The @_badnewseagles have landed at the Sky Guild Gaming Centre

Please welcome Guild Eagles, our new CS2 team! @gxxcs2 @rigoncs @sener1csgo @sinnopsyy_ @juanflatrooo
coach @devilwalkcsgod
and @banksesports #CS2 #csgo #counterstrike2 pic.twitter.com/limXzP4ejY

— GUILD (@guildesports) November 14, 2023

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Guild Esports confirmed Skee will take over from Kal Hourd, who has made the decision to step down from his position with this expected to happen on January 1, 2023.

Skee joined the company in March and has played a significant role in the development of major partnerships. She will bring her 20 years of expertise in the gaming industry to her new role.

The newly appointed executive has already been making headway in the company by participating as a front-runner in the debut of Guild College, in collaboration with SCL Education and also the Sky UK partnership.

Skee was employed by Three, a telecommunications company, before he started working for Guild Esports. Owing to her finesse in managerial roles, she was the Head of Music Sponsorship at the famed O2 UK and also worked as the Marketing Director for Live Nation Entertainment.

Non-Executive Chairman of Guild Espoorts Derek Lew said the new administration will mark the beginning of an interesting era, as they look forward to enjoying the meaningful alliances built this year.

“Jasmine’s appointment opens an exciting new chapter for Guild, as we look to continue the positive growth momentum generated by the partnership deals signed with iconic global brands this year,” he said.

Lew also expressed his gratitude to the outgoing CEO and recounted his diligent service and delivery during his leadership in the company.

“On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Kal for his leadership, under which Guild grew from a startup to a leading global eSports brand in partnership with world-renowned brands such as Samsung, Subway, Coca-Cola and Sky, with an engaged audience and headquartered in the state-of-the-art Sky Guild gaming center,” he said.

“With Guild’s first phase of growth over, he has made the decision to retire.”

Former Guild Esports CEO Kal Hourd also gave an insight on the changes in roles in the company. He said he is fulfilled to have carried on his role to the best of his ability and wishes Skee success in her tenure.

“The signing of several major deals this year, including one of the largest in European esports history, marks a significant personal milestone for me,” Hourd said.

“Having established a strong revenue base and a tighter cost structure, the goal set out when I became CEO to build a top global esports organisation has now been accomplished. It is therefore time to pass on the baton. I am thrilled by Jasmine’s appointment and will be cheering her on from the sidelines.”

In other news, Jocelin Caldwell was selected to fill the role of non-executive director for Guild after Mike Edwards revealed he was leaving. Unlike Skee’s role, Caldwell will be resuming her new position as soon as possible.

Caldwell is also a co-founder of the UK esports outfit, alongside the famed footballer David Beckham. She has also been an executive at WCG Services, where she served as the VP of Operations.

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The new arrangement between the duo will ensure that Footwork Productions receives an increase in its share of Guild Esports’ revenue from merchandising and sponsorship. The development will take the place of the guaranteed minimum fee, which was the initial plan at the onset of the collaboration.? ?

The former pro footballer was also mentioned as the brand ambassador of Guild Esports under the agreement. Beckham acquired a “significant minority stake” in the British esports company two years ago.? ?

The previous partnership between the two parties stated that for a period of five years, Guild Esports were mandated to pay Beckham’s firm around 15% of their merchandising and sponsorship revenues. This had amounted to ￡15.25 million minimum on the five-year mark.?

Guild revealed that they had turned in the first two instalments as per the agreement, and by the end of the year, the third instalment of ￡3 million would be handed over to Footwork. The last two payments will reportedly be ￡3.5 million and ￡4 million, respectively.? ?

Per the new agreement, Guild Esports’ minimum payment obligations will be reduced to ￡7.5 million over the next two years. On the other hand, they will have to increase their merchandising and sponsorship revenue by 5%, making it 20%.

Beckham’s initial position as Guild Esports’ ambassador is reportedly still in place.? ?

?The new changes will “significantly reduce” the company’s cash requirements and ensure that the fees align with the performance. It will also provide significantly greater financial liquidity for Guild Esports.? ?

The organization will provide Footworks with warrants for around ￡25.9 million worth of shares. The provided warrants have five years before they expire and a 2.7 pence exercise price.?

?Blue Star Capital PLC announced that it was “delighted” that Guild had moved to reduce their cash requirements in the deal. The investment fund has a 4.3% stake in the esports company.? ?

Despite the favorable changes, Guild’s move to renegotiate the agreement and offer a higher percentage of their merchandising and sponsorship revenue has led to speculation about the state of their coffers.?

?Earlier this year, Guild Esports closed a number of significant partnerships, one of which was with Samsung, an electronics manufacturing company. The deal mandated the company to supply Guild with QLED TVs to be used in their academy as well as their London headquarters.? ?The esports team also recently partnered with Sky UK.

Despite those deals, Guild Esports recorded a ￡4.96 million loss. The loss spanned a period of six months, which ended on March 31, 2022.?

Guild also announced that they had cut their staff by 15, reducing the total number of active employees to 30. The reported loss is not much higher than the amount recorded during the same period last year.?

?At the moment, neither Beckham nor his company have said anything concerning the new renegotiation with Guild Esports.

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This collaboration is set to be one of the largest esports endorsement deals ever struck in Europe. Both companies have made a joint commitment to increase the number of possibilities available to women in the esports industry.

Guild Esports also mentioned that the sponsorship focuses on three main concessions, one of which is to increase the number of opportunities available for women to participate in esports. The other two primary agreements are to convey esports output and training activities, and to provide esports tournaments to Sky patrons.

The Chief Executive of Guild Esports, Kal Hourd, expressed his delight with their new partners. He stated that this alliance will improve the growth of players and also effect a positive change in the esports industry.

“We believe this partnership will propel Guild to the highest levels of performance in top-tier esports across the four games where we engage our professional players, as well as become a global leader in training and performance,” said Hourd.

“The partnership will allow us to invest not just in player performance, but in our long-stated goal to become a global leader for women in esports, starting with the launch of our all-female Rocket League team, encouraged by the huge success of our Valorant X team.

“Our shared values are an excellent foundation for a strong partnership, and we look forward to working with Sky over the next three years.”

In addition, the organization’s London headquarters will be renamed the Sky Guild Gaming Centre after the partnership is finalized. Furthermore, Sky will now serve as the WiFi, internet, and network provider for the Guild’s headquarters.

The Executive Vice President and Chief Executive of Sky UK, Stephen van Rooyen, expressed excitement at the company’s move into the world of esports.

“Sky transformed the way families watch TV, now we want to transform the gaming experience,” he said.

“In esports every second counts, so Sky’s full fibre broadband will be perfect for Guild’s gaming HQ. Speed and reliability, hallmarks of Sky’s broadband service, will give the Guild team and gamers across the nation the edge over the competition.”

Guild’s new Rocket League venture will be their second all-female esports roster. In September 2021, the organization signed an all-female Valorant roster, which has been incredibly successful ever since its formation.

Guild also field rosters in other numerous esports titles such as Fortnite and FIFA. They also pride themselves on having partnered with top brands such as Samsung, Coca-Cola, Hyperice, Subway, and gaming accessory brand HyperX.

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“Physical wellbeing is a key component of in-game performance in esports, and with this deal, Guild’s roster of athletes will have access to the very best in sports recovery technologies. At the same time, we look forward to helping Hyperice increase its exposure to the huge esports audience worldwide.”
?
Guild’s Chief Executive continued, “Our pipeline of potential new business with leading advertisers and major brands remains strong, and we look forward to announcing more deals in due course.”
?
Much like their deal with Coca-Cola, Guild Esports did not make the financial aspect of the agreement publicly, nor did the organization give information on details like activations. When announcing the deal with Coca-Cola, Guild declared that it was the first esports organization to get into a global sponsorship deal with the beverage company. However, Guild did not introduce Coca-Cola to competitive gaming. In March 2022, the company was notably named a founding partner of the Wild Rift Esports organization.
?
Other partnership deals with Guild Esports that sprang up early this year include the three-year partnership with cryptocurrency exchange Bitstamp, which was worth a total of ￡4.5 million, and a sponsorship agreement spanning two years with Razer as the company’s official gaming-chair partner.

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The UK-based franchise announced the partnership on its Twitter page, naming the beverage company as its official soft drinks and hydration partner.

While there have been no specifics about the sponsorship or which Coca-Cola product(s) will be promoted. The press release reveals that the collaboration will revolve around the creation of ‘unique experiences’ for fans. Although Guild Esports has revealed that the sponsorship will be paid in cash, the value of the deal has been kept under wraps too.

The UK esports organization has had quite a rough and underperforming last few months. Having suffered a reported loss of ￡4.96m last month, Guild was forced to reduce its workforce from 45 to 30 people.

But the franchise has also seen the addition of a new member to its organization in recent times. Kit Brunswick, a former member of the English football club Cambridge United FC, was recruited as the organization’s Safeguarding and Wellbeing Lead in July.

Guild Esports recently attained some level of success across its esports teams as it achieved a number of high-place finishes. The organization finished second at the FIFA eWorld Cup and Gamers8’s Rocket League tournament in the past few weeks.

The franchise also placed seventh at the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) Stage 2 Masters Copenhagen. Guild was the top seed in Group A of the Group Stages but crashed out in the playoffs after losing both games in the upper and lower brackets to Paper Rex and FunPlus Phoenix Esports, respectively.

The Chief Executive Officer of Guild Esports, Kal Hourd, spoke about the partnership with the multinational beverage company. He stated that Coca-Cola is interested in their hard-to-reach millennial audience along with the great entertainment and memorable experiences the franchise offers.

“Guild is signing up some of the world’s most respected brands and we are very proud to welcome Coca-Cola as a sponsor and partner,” Hourd stated.

“They want to collaborate with Guild because we deliver great entertainment and memorable experiences for a millennial, hard-to-reach audience in one of the fastest growing segments of the sports entertainment industry.”

In the franchise’s press release, Guild claimed to be the first European esports organization to pen a global sponsorship deal with the beverage company in the history of the European esports scene. However, this is not Coca-Cola’s first venture into competitive gaming. Most notable is the company’s partnership with Wild Rift esports in March 2022, with Coca-Cola being pegged as a founding partner of the tournament.

Guild adds Coca-Cola to its long array of sponsors such as Bitstamp, Razer, Samsung, Subway, and HyperX, making the world’s biggest beverage corporation its sixth sponsor.
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?The position will see him responsible for the holistic wellbeing and care of all the academy players, athletes, and other key figures in the British esports organization.?

?Some of Brunswick’s duties include implementing and building specialized training programs for the team, ensuring their wellbeing, and safeguarding the audit processes. Another key focus of the role is to help the franchise establish appropriate “Path to Pro” opportunities for the prospective players.? ?

As a result, the former Cambridge assistant academy manager will ensure he has a secure relationship with the parents and guardians of the players to ensure safety and security. This will include day-to-day practice as well as competitive tournaments and events like Fortnite, Valorant, and Rocket League.?

?”This is a massively exciting time for esports as an industry, and to be working for an organization that wants to set the standard in this area is a huge privilege,” Brunswick said.

“We have a responsibility to drive a trauma-informed environment that empowers the voices of young people and athletes, both within Guild and across the esports industry.

?“We accept our responsibility to create a safer esports ecosystem, and I truly believe this is a pivotal moment in the adoption of robust safeguarding and wellbeing practices across the wider esports industry.”

?The area of safeguarding is not fully developed or valued in esports at the moment. By this time last year, Fnatic released what they referred to as esports’ first set of safeguarding policies.?

?Brunswick’s appointment came after Guild Esports announced a loss of about US$4.96 million in the first half of the year. They also underwent some leadership and staff changes that saw their number of employees reduced from 45 to 30, with 15 people let off. ? ?

The organization launched the Guild Academy in May 2021. The training program targets young gamers and was initially an online-only service until earlier this year. The David Beckham-backed franchise signed a decade-long lease for the physical Guild Academy and global HQ. ?

?In a release, the esports organization named Brunswick the first safeguarding and wellbeing lead in esports. This claim, however, can be contested as a number of other esports organizations have similar positions and schemes to ensure the safety of their players and the rest of the team.?

?Before his time as assistant academy manager at Cambridge United FC, Brunswick worked at Arsenal FC and handled football operations for the Premier League club’s graduate scheme. He went to Loughborough University and graduated with a certificate in Sports Science & Sports Management before securing either post.?

?The CEO of Guild Esports, Kal Hourd, revealed how impressed he was with Brunswick’s work and impact on the team. ?

“The work that Kit is doing is revolutionizing the world of esports and pioneering the way that organizations can — and should— be working with their talent,”? ?he said.

“Throughout the esports industry, there is a real need for organizations to show a duty of care to the people they work with, and I couldn’t be prouder of the impact that Kit is already having across our structure.”

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The outcome sent the?Argentine?franchise?to the decisive match to compete for the final position in Group A’s playoff bracket. In order to advance, KRü Esports will take on?the winner of the elimination match between?LOUD and OpTic in a decider match.

The matchup between KRU and Guild was fiercely contested, especially given that two of the three maps finished in overtime for the teams. Guild has officially advanced to the event’s playoff bracket, being the first team to do so in the tournament.

This is Guild’s first?international Valorant Masters tournament appearance, whereas KRü has four international appearances, including three Masters events and a Champions attendance last year. After winning Group A, Guild will be the top-seeded team entering the knockout stage.

With the exception of the Fracture map, which concluded with a score of 13-6 in favor of Guild, this victory was not an easy one for the EMEA squad to achieve. The opening map on Bind finished in overtime, with KRü coming out on top despite trailing for the majority of the map.

Map three on Icebox was by far the most intense map in the tournament thus far. KRü led 7-5 at halftime, putting them just a couple of?rounds away from the playoff bracket. But Guild caught their rhythm in the second half, winning round after round against KRü and forcing overtime.

While?this was not the longest overtime period ever seen in a VCT match, fans were kept on the edge of?their seats for the entirety of the overtime. As the game drew to a close,?Guild took the lead after catching up to KRü during overtime.

Guild won rounds 28, 29, and 30, thereby seeing?the British franchise?make their?way?to the playoff stage, gaining points for their Champions dreams. This victory brings?them a bit closer to appearing in the grand final in their maiden Masters appearance.

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VCT EMEA Stage 2 started on May 13, with 12 teams coming together to compete for a spot in the Masters and a piece of the $212,421 prize pool. After a riveting six weeks of action, the EU’s best teams have been revealed.

Fnatic currently holds the title after defeating FunPlus Phoenix on the last day of the challengers. They swept FunPlus, who were the EMEA reigning champions, 3-0 in the grand final.

FunPlus defeated G2 Esports 3-1 in March to become the European champions. Unfortunately, they were unable to feature in the Reykjavik Masters due to travel restrictions in Ukraine.

CHAMPIONS OF EMEA! #FNCWIN pic.twitter.com/1s7SyAAciN

— FNATIC (@FNATIC) June 26, 2022

Fnatic’s run in the Stage 2 challengers was near perfect. Out of five group stage best-of-3 matches, they only lost two maps, one to FPX in week 1 and the other to G2 on the final group stage day.

It was more of the same in the playoff upper bracket semifinal, as they won FPX 2-1 while sweeping Guild Esports 2-0 in the upper bracket final to reach the grand final.

After losing to Fnatic, FPX had to reach the grand final through the lower bracket. They defeated Acend, M3 Champions, and Guild to seal their grand final spot.

Unfortunately, it seems like all the action in the lower bracket zapped FPX’s juices. Despite being one of the two teams to come close to handing Fnatic a loss, they crumbled in the grand final.

While the grand finals result shows a 3-0 sweep, it was no cakewalk for Fnatic, who were the heavy favorites with a $1.50 winning odd across esports betting platforms. The UK-based team had to win two of the three maps in overtime.

The game started on Split, which was FPX’s map choice. Although FPX maintained control of the environment, they failed to close out the game in regular time. Fnatic’s precise reading of FPX’s attacking schemes helped them secure the victory in overtime.

Devastated by the result, FPX completely lost their way on the second map. They were blown out of the water with a 13-5 victory on Icebox.

Although Haven was another closely-contested map thanks to a second-half comeback by FPX, Fnatic won 15-13 in overtime. The newly-acquired Emir Ali “Alfajer” Beder was the star of the show, finishing the series with a +26 kills-deaths and a game-high average combat score of 306.

European teams had a ridiculously poor outing in the Stage 1 Masters and will be looking to better that performance. Fnatic failed to make it out of Group A on the back of two sweeps by Ninjas in Pyjamas and ZETA DIVISION.

The Copenhagen Masters will commence on July 10 and will run to July 24. All 12 teams from different regions will slug it out for a larger piece of the yet-to-be-disclosed prize pool and points for the 2022 Valorant Champions Tour.

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UKETC released a statement confirming the introduction of the esports organization of the English Premier League club and Guild Esports into the committee. The essence of their membership has been said to be because of their shared interest in making a positive impact on the UK esports scene.

Oliver Weingarten, the Chair of UKETC and CEO of LDN UTD, welcomed both organizations to the committee and reiterated the goal of the committee as it pertains to its members. He stated that he looks forward to their contributions to its agenda, commencing with its Code of Conduct.

“The UKETC seeks to have the broadest representation as this ensures the issues we address will have the most impact, with key stakeholders being involved,” Weingarten stated. “In that respect, I’d like to welcome Guild and Man City to the UKETC and look forward to their active participation in our forthcoming meetings, and their support in delivering our agenda, starting with the Code Of Conduct.”

With the core of UKETC hinged on growing the UK esports scene, the committee had shared its ongoing development of a code of conduct. One which it states its members will be required to adopt.

Manchester City Esports

Manchester City’s esports presence has progressively grown in the past months. The club has also been a well-known partner of FaZe Clan, with whom it has collaborated on activation functions, pop-up events, and a Fortnite competition.

Gavin Johnson, Media Director at City Football Group, shared his comments on joining the committee. He stated that he was pleased that the franchise was joining the UKETC.

“We’re pleased that Manchester City Esports are being welcomed as a member of the UKETC today,” Johnson said. “Over the past few years, we have made a concerted effort to develop and expand our work within the esports space and continue to grow our offering for esports and Man City fans alike.”

Guild Esports

Guild Esports, which was established in 2019 is co-owned by the Premier League Hall of Famer, David Beckham. The organization currently has teams formed around the following esports titles, Fortnite, Apex Legends, FIFA, Valorant, and Rocket League.

CEO, Guild Esports, Karl Hourd remarked on the organization’s decision to join the committee. He expressed the organization’s excitement in joining and stated that they look forward to ‘being part of a collective that is committed to UK esports.’

“We are very pleased to be joining the UKETC,” Hourd said. “We look forward to being part of a collective that is committed to UK esports in the same way Guild is. UKETC has been instrumental in enhancing the credibility of esports in the UK and their values very much align with ours.”

What is the UKETC?

The United Kingdom Esports Team Committee came to birth in July 2021, with a collective of esports teams situated in the UK. It is the first team-led committee in the UK. Their major objective is to advance and grow the UK esports industry while also representing team voices within a larger sphere in a market and industry.

As a result of the United Kingdom being considered among the most successful and competent regions for gaming platforms in the world, it is their mission to help ensure that the UK esports industry is properly represented in both video gaming and the video gaming industry as well.

The committee aims to raise knowledge and authenticity of UK esports, expand educational services, foster diversity and inclusion of projects in the area, and enhance the industry to a sustainable future with assistance from the British Esports Association.

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