As the esports industry took shape over the past decade, it was the video game publishers who often shouldered many of the overhead costs. In 2024, publishers have delegated more responsibility to ESL/FACEIT Group and other dedicated league operators — and they’re already reaping the rewards.
It’s become apparent that publisher ownership of esports leagues, once the esports industry’s dominant business model, is on the decline. Instead of operating their own events, publishers are increasingly enlisting third-party event vendors to do the job.
At the moment, there are several active companies that operate leagues for major esports publishers, including Blast, WDG and PGL — but the largest by far is ESL/FACEIT Group (EFG), a German company that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund purchased for $1.5 billion in 2022. (Editor’s Note: ESL/FACEIT Group paid for this reporter’s travel and lodging at the EFG-owned event DreamHack Dallas on June 2.)
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