eSports

Team Vitality to welcome new Co-CEO from adidas

Published

5 years ago

March 11, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Guillaume de Monplanet will leverage his 20 years of experience building some of the biggest lifestyle brands in the world such as adidas and Reebok to mastermind Team Vitality’s global expansion, and oversee its growth into a brand that drives culture.

Leading global esports organisation Team Vitality is pleased to announce the appointment of Guillaume de Monplanet as its Managing Director and Co-CEO who joins with over 20 years of experience in the sports and lifestyle industries, including at iconic sportswear brands adidas and Reebok. Having established themselves as a pinnacle esports organisation, Team Vitality has brought Guillaume onboard to elevate its goals of global expansion with physical foundations already set in India and Germany.

The arrival of Guillaume de Monplanet is a major turning point in Team Vitality’s history as it looks to achieve its goal of being a world leader in the esports industry. It’s also a key moment for the sector as one of the most influential business leaders, responsible for building some of the biggest brands around the world, joins the industry. Following the recent recruitment of ex professional Olympic handball player Bruno Martini, the announcement furthers Team Vitality’s strategy to grow with the expertise and experience from pioneers in the sports world.

Guillaume de Monplanet’s move to Team Vitality marks his entrance into the esports industry, having spent the last eight years at adidas where he was the Managing Director for adidas France, overseeing full P&L and overall organisation responsibility for 700+ employees. As part of his role Guillaume drove forward and overhauled the infrastructure of the organisational branch, with a new HQ and management team which focused on diversity and inclusion. Prior to adidas, Guillaume was the Country Brand Director in France for Reebok where he spearheaded the brand’s positioning and growth which included its integration into the adidas group.

In his role at Team Vitality, Guillaume will utilise his background in brand management and growth, as well as his experience of working in cities across the globe to help with Team Vitality’s international expansion and brand awareness. He will also work on refining the organisation’s structure in order to ensure efficiency is part of its foundation, as the brand looks to strengthen its position outside of the esports industry.
“With Reebok and adidas I was very fortunate to grow and cater for two of the most influential global youth culture brands. Rooted in esports, I believe Vitality has the potential to be part of that group of brands. What the team has achieved in just 8 years is amazing. The level of talent and creativity demonstrated everyday at V.Hive and Stade de France, as well as at our international premises, is just stunning. I am looking forward to exploring a new industry and hope my business and leadership expertises will help Team Vitality reach new heights globally. ” said, Guillaume de Monplanet, Managing Director and Co-CEO, Team Vitality

“Vitality has been an amazing journey for the last 8 years and we couldn’t be prouder of what we already achieved. However, we still want to push further to reach the highest heights and this is precisely why we wanted to bring in someone able to carry us to the next level. Guillaume has been a perfect match from the get-go and I’m super humbled and excited to start working with him. Together, we aspire to make Vitality the best esports team in the World. This isn’t our dream, it’s our objective. Also on a more personal note, I’m certain that collaborating with Guillaume will be a fantastic learning experience.” added, Nicolas Maurer, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Team Vitality

Since its inception in 2013, Team Vitality has grown into one of the most notable esports organisations and home to some of the industry’s best esports players who compete in the biggest global esports titles. Over the last six month, Team Vitality has continued to build upon its esports legacy, most recently announcing its expansion efforts into India and signing a roster in one of the industry’s most advancing games, VALORANT. Team Vitality is also partnered with some of the biggest brands from across tech and lifestyle including adidas, Orange, Philips, Aldi and Corsair.

BLAST

BLAST opens New York HQ as 2025 revenue tops $133m on 40%+ growth

Published

8 hours ago

July 1, 2026

Wladimir P.

blast-opens-new-york-hq-as-2025-revenue-tops-$133m-on-40%+-growth

Esports and live events operator says it stayed profitable in 2025 and plans 15 arena events across 13 cities in 2026.

BLAST has opened a New York City headquarters in Brooklyn as the company reported record growth and profitability in 2025, including more than $133 million in revenue and over 40% year-over-year growth.

The new U.S. headquarters is located at 45 Main Street in Brooklyn within a shared 55,000-square-foot office space. BLAST said the hub will support partnerships, live events and commercial growth across North America as it expands its U.S. operations.

The North American push is being led by Chief Business Officer Leo Matlock, who has relocated to New York, alongside Steve Rossi, who joined earlier this year as SVP of Brand Partnerships. BLAST said its U.S. team has grown to eight full-time employees.

BLAST said it has staged seven tier-one esports events in North America over the past 16 months, across Austin, Fort Worth, Boston, Raleigh, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. The company cited “more than $102 million” in economic impact from the 2025 BLAST.tv Austin Major alone, including more than $9 million in hotel expenditures. It also recently announced the Rocket League World Championship will return to Fort Worth in September 2026.

In 2025, BLAST said its broadcasts delivered more than 2 billion live views globally and 300 million hours watched, spanning live events in 22 cities worldwide. The company also said it distributes content via 29 broadcast partners, including SuperSport, France TV and RTBF, reaching audiences in more than 150 territories and 30+ languages.

“Competitive entertainment has become one of the fastest-growing sectors in global media because it combines community, technology and live experiences in entirely new ways,” said Robbie Douek, CEO of BLAST. “The next generation of fans want entertainment that feels participatory, social and global by default. That shift is creating enormous opportunities for brands, publishers, creators and host cities, and we believe BLAST is uniquely positioned to help lead that evolution after a landmark year in 2025.” BLAST said it plans to host 15 arena events across 13 cities and three continents in 2026.

The post BLAST opens New York HQ as 2025 revenue tops $133m on 40%+ growth appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

BLAST

BLAST reports 40% revenue growth in 2025, opens New York headquarters

Published

8 hours ago

July 1, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

blast-reports-40%-revenue-growth-in-2025,-opens-new-york-headquarters

BLAST, the Denmark-founded competitive entertainment and esports events company, reported record growth and continued profitability in 2025 and said it has opened a New York headquarters as it expands across North America.

The company said it delivered more than 40% year-over-year growth and generated more than $133 million in revenue in 2025, while remaining profitable and continuing to invest in global expansion. BLAST said its U.S. headquarters at 45 Main Street in Brooklyn sits within a shared 55,000-square-foot office space and will serve as its central base for partnerships, live events and commercial growth across North America.

The expansion is being led by Chief Business Officer Leo Matlock, who has relocated to New York, and Steve Rossi, who joined earlier this year as SVP of Brand Partnerships. BLAST said its U.S. team has grown to eight full-time employees.

BLAST pointed to recent North American activity, saying it has hosted seven tier-one esports events across Austin, Fort Worth, Boston, Raleigh, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City over the past 16 months. The company said these events have generated economic impact for host destinations, including more than $102 million from the 2025 BLAST.tv Austin Major alone, including more than $9 million in hotel expenditures. BLAST also said the Rocket League World Championship will return to Fort Worth in September 2026.

On content reach, BLAST said its 2025 broadcasts delivered more than 2 billion live views globally and 300 million hours watched across live events in 22 cities, distributed through 29 broadcast partners across online platforms and linear broadcasters. “We’re seeing tremendous momentum globally and all across North America, not just in esports fandom, but in how brands, game publishers, cities and entertainment companies are thinking about gaming culture, engaging competitions and digital-first audiences,” said Leo Matlock, Chief Business Officer at BLAST. The company said it plans to host 15 arena events across 13 cities and three continents in 2026.

The post BLAST reports 40% revenue growth in 2025, opens New York headquarters appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

asia qualifiers

India qualifies for Esports Nations Cup 2026 VALORANT main event

Published

1 day ago

June 30, 2026

Wladimir P.

india-qualifies-for-esports-nations-cup-2026-valorant-main-event

India has qualified for the Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026 VALORANT main event after advancing through the Asia regional qualifiers. The nation-based tournament runs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from November 2 to 29, with VALORANT scheduled for November 8 to 15.

The Asia qualifier featured nine teams in a double-elimination bracket, with best-of-one matches until the upper- and lower-bracket finals, which were best-of-three. India opened with a 13-2 win over Nepal, then dropped to the lower bracket after a 5-13 loss to Japan. The team then eliminated Pakistan (13-9) and Mongolia (13-10) before securing qualification by beating Hong Kong 2-0 (13-10, 13-6).

India’s roster includes in-game leader Sagnik Roy (Hellf) alongside Abhirup Choudhury (Lightningfast), Aman Yadav (Hoax), Venkatesh Sharma (Venky), and Daivik Chauhan (Dc). Norbu Tsering (Karam1L) and Shravana Sahoo (Techno) are listed as substitutes, with Abhishek Bajaj (GodspeedxD) named as coach. NODWIN Gaming is India’s National Team Partner (NTP) for ENC 2026.

Venky led the Asia qualifiers in eliminations with 117 across India’s six matches, according to the organiser. The company also said more than 100,000 viewers watched the Asia qualifier finals across co-streams and official ENC broadcasts.

Speaking about the qualification, Sagnik Roy (Hellf), IGL of India’s VALORANT team, said, “This qualification means a lot because of what it represents for India’s VALORANT scene. After the loss against Japan, we knew we had to reset quickly and focus on one game at a time. Every player stepped up when it mattered, and our ability to stay composed under pressure helped us turn things around. The growth of the game’s ecosystem over the last few years has created a pool of players capable of competing at the highest level, and this team is a reflection of that progress. Every international opportunity helps push the ecosystem forward and inspires the next generation of competitors. We are excited to compete at the inaugural Esports Nations Cup and want to make the most of this chance.”

ENC 2026 VALORANT will feature 32 national teams competing for a USD 1.5 million (~INR 14 crore) prize pool. Sixteen teams were invited via ENC Rankings based on official Riot Games competition results, with 14 places decided through regional qualifiers. The United Arab Emirates has a Host Region Wildcard, and one Solidarity Wildcard slot remains, due to be announced at the end of August once qualifiers conclude.

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