With a mission to put more Georgians to work in all aspects of the state’s multi-billion-dollar entertainment industry, the Georgia Film Academy (GFA), in partnership with Skillshot Media, kicked off its first-ever Esports program at Georgia State University (GSU) on Thursday, August 27th. The GFA 3500 Fundamentals of Esports provides students with real-world professional workforce training while exploring the numerous career paths available at the nearly 160 Esports companies located throughout Georgia. Esports is emerging as one of the fastest growing industries in the state, according to the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD).
“Georgia is rapidly becoming a global epicenter for both entertainment and technology, and the Esports and videogaming industry are at the nexus of these new economies,” said Jeffrey Stepakoff, executive director of the GFA. “Today, we begin to train Georgians for these exciting high demand careers in Esports and, from a workforce perspective, we start to shape a new industry for our state.”
GSU’s Creative Media Industries Institute (CMII) will house this unprecedented public/private partnership, including online and in-person classes.
"Videogames are now the largest entertainment industry in terms of both revenue and popularity", said Todd Harris, CEO of esports solution company Skillshot Media. "In Georgia, gaming and esports had an economic impact of over $830 million last year and the goal with this new program is providing a well-trained Georgia workforce for this rapidly growing industry."
“Collaborative partnerships like this pilot program between the Georgia Film Academy, Skillshot Media and Georgia State University have been critical to developing the state’s unrivaled gaming software development talent pipeline,” said Deputy Commissioner of Global Commerce Scott McMurray, Georgia Department of Economic Development. “We look forward to seeing the opportunities this program creates for students across Georgia and for our world-class digital and esports recruitment team who work every day to attract prospective companies to the esports capital of the nation.”
GFA plans to expand Esports training beyond the introductory pilot program to offer specialty courses as well as opportunities for coveted industry internships across the state. As the program and coursework grows, the GFA hopes to expand industry hubs and opportunities for all universities and colleges in the state system.
“We’ve seen first-hand the value of GFA’s film production certification in providing jobs for Georgians,” said Stepakoff. “The intent of this new program is to provide an Esports certification complete with the opportunity to glean real-world experience through internships. The GFA will ensure that our new programs, like our current film production courses, are affordable, accessible, lead to jobs, and provide great value for Georgians.”
Broadly regarded as the Esports capital of the nation, the City of Atlanta annually hosts more than 39,000 gamers and Esports enthusiasts each November for the world’s largest digital festival – DreamHack. The GDEcD estimates that the state will have nearly 12,000 direct and indirect jobs in digital entertainment this year, with an estimated economic impact of $550 million.
Georgia is home to three different professional franchised Esports teams, including the Atlanta Reign (Overwatch League), Hawks Talon GC (NBA 2K League) and the Atlanta FaZe (Call of Duty League). The state also boasts three varsity college Esports teams: Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), Georgia State University (GSU) and Georgia Southern University (Georgia Southern). Georgia was among the first five states in the nation to recognize Esports as an official competitive high school sport. There are now over 100 high schools in the state undergoing competitive Esports.
Skillshot Media, Gamers.Vote, and esports organization Ghost Gaming today announced InvitationATL—a virtual event on July 21 focused on voter registration and including a $10,000 online invitational Fortnite tournament.
“Our mission in July is to get as many gamers registered as new voters as possible” said Gamers.Vote CEO, Christie St. Martin, “With InvitationATL, Skillshot Media and the Atlanta esports community have embraced this mission with an incredible tentpole event featuring top icons from esports, traditional sports, and music.”
InvitationATL will be produced by Skillshot, presented by Gamers.Vote and Ghost Gaming, with additional supporting partners including Twitch, HyperX, Atlanta Reign, Axis Replay, New Georgia Project, Greenberg Traurig, UnitedInGaming, Radar Live, and others to be announced.
“We’re thrilled to work with Gamers.Vote and top Fortnite players and streamers on InvitationATL,” said Todd Harris of Skillshot Media. “Gaming reaches 133 million US adults. With this event, we hope to support awareness and direct voter registration among the massive gaming audience.”
Twitch.TV is supporting the activation with a custom platform extension that directs participants and viewers to online voter registration in 39 states. InvitationATL partners New Georgia Project and venue Axis Replay will support onsite voter registration on the Atlanta beltline.
“We should take a lesson from gamers right now,” said Nse’ Ufot, CEO of the New Georgia Project. “We are honored to be a part of the gaming community’s connection—a bold example for uniting through civic engagement and voting.”
The online Fortnite tournament will include top streamers and icons committed to helping their communities register to vote, with $10,000 being awarded to the winning teams in the Fortnite competition.
Details on how to participate and watch the July 21 InvitationATL will be posted to www.iatl.gg
About GAMERS.VOTE
Gamers.Vote is a broad coalition of the best gamers, game companies, platforms, and streamers in the world. We ARE gamers and we know the power of focusing the gaming community on voter registration and voting. More information and free streaming, partner, and social kits can be found on our website. Join the movement: www.gamers.vote
About GHOST GAMING
Ghost Gaming is an Atlanta-based organization focused on cultivating and facilitating the best talent in gaming, design and content creation by providing a platform to create unique partnerships in sports, music, entertainment, fashion and tech. We have built a social media community with millions of fans and followers, becoming one of the most popular names in gaming, www.ghostgaming.com
“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
- James Baldwin
As the call for meaningful change and reform continues to sweep across the country, Skillshot is teaming up with gaming and esports partners across the city of Atlanta in the fight for social justice. We are standing with 20+ gaming & esports companies for a virtual gathering to celebrate Juneteenth on Friday, June 19, 2020. This event is presented by Axis Replay.
“This is a time to reflect and rejoice in the progress achieved by the African American community and a reminder of what is still left to do. The event will showcase celebrity guests, spark discussion, educate viewers, and highlight esports gameplay & more,” says Ryan Johnson, Executive Director of Cxmmunity, a non-profit organization focused on increasing minority participation in the esports and video game industry.
On June 19th, 2020 7PM – 12AM, the live broadcast of the virtual esports gathering to celebrate Freedom for All will be available on twitch.tv/axisreplay | youtube.com/axisreplay | facebook.com/axisreplay |mixer.com/axisreplay, and hosted on partner broadcasts, twitch.tv/checkpointXP | ESTV and more. The program will include influencers, entertainers, and pro-athletes like: Erin Ashley Simon, Larry Ridley, Jeezy, Desi Banks. Allies for change include: FaZe Clan, Invest Atlanta, the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, NFL Alumni Association, EventsDC, Twitch, Fight Tyme Gaming, Black Salt Coreuption, United Way, Cxmmunity, Axis Replay, RIISE Ventures, Gamers Vote, Vote to Live, Atlanta Esports Alliance, ESTV, NutriGMR, Beasley Esports, Checkpoint XP, Atlanta Inno, Esports Insider, Gamer’s Outreach, Ultimate Gamer, eFUSE, Black Python.
“Juneteenth is the oldest, nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States and a reminder of the pride, resilience and determination of African Americans in American history. Even though COVID-19 has hindered live event celebrations and parades, Axis Replay and our partners are committed to fight for social justice. As an ally, I want to do more, and we do it best by giving our community a way to celebrate and connect, both in-person and virtually. We’re making a difference through our shared love of esports and video games. This is our commitment to the future, and it starts with us. Together we win,” says Allie Young, CEO of Axis Replay.
Through the observance of African American freedom with an emphasis on education, achievement, assessment, improvement and celebration, the event will reflect on this day of independence through the shared voices of the video game community.
“Black history is an essential part of the history of the United States and it is important that we continue to promote awareness, create safe spaces, and be inclusive. In cities across the country, people of all races, nationalities, and religions are joining forces to truthfully acknowledge a period in our history that continues to influence and shape our society today. Being sensitive to the conditions and experiences of others is vital for us as a people to make significant and lasting improvements in our society,” says Todd Harris, Chairman of the Board, Atlanta Esports Alliance.
For more information and a schedule of events and want to get involved, visit www.juneteenth.gg.
Editor's Note: The Georgia Department of Economic Development created and published this article on April 16, 2020. It is re-posted here with their permission.
As we confront the effects of COVID-19, the Georgia Department of Economic Development continues to work around the clock arming our partners with the resources they need to navigate these turbulent times. We’re also maintaining our focus on unique growth opportunities with expanding industries to help ensure that the state remains well-positioned to weather the economic impacts of COVID-19.
With stringent social distancing guidelines and requirements put forth in nearly every country across the world, digitally native brands and industries have been experiencing a significant, unprecedented uptick in website visits, streams and virtual interaction. The $1.4 billion esports industry has been no exception. The Atlanta Business Chronicle recently reported that streaming platform Twitch recently saw a 31% increase in viewership, while YouTube Gaming has also seen significant growth of about 15% on its streams.
Georgia has been on the frontlines of developing the global esports economy. Broadly regarded as the esports capital of the nation, the City of Atlanta annually hosts more than 39,000 gamers and esports enthusiasts every November for the world’s largest digital festival – DreamHack.
And while numerous in-person esporting events have also been postponed or canceled to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, undoubtedly causing economic loss and disruption, the industry that was born online is well-versed in hosting events live from their audience members’ living rooms, and generating content-based revenue.
Skillshot, headquartered in Atlanta, recently reported that not only has there been a record number of participants playing online games, but that the number of people watching others compete is also at a record high, especially as traditional sports, leagues, team and players turn to online gaming as an alternative. For example, basketball fans across the country recently tuned in to watch Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young virtually participate in a televised NBA 2k tournament earlier this month.
At the college level, institutions such as Kennesaw State University just launched a spring esports series for students called “Game on KSU.” This digital tournament features three different games for students to compete in or watch, including: League of Legends, Rocket League and NA2k20. Participants can play from their personal computer, Xbox or PS4.
Recently, Skillshot announced the continuation of its partnership with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, the Georgia Film Academy and Georgia State University’s Creative Media Industries Institute (CMII) on a series of in-person and online courses focused on workforce education for the thriving gaming development and esports industries. These industries make up a current combined revenue of $140 billion. The first of many of these courses will begin this fall. The class will count as student credit hours toward CMII’s programs in Game Design Entrepreneurship.
The state’s skilled workforce and unrivaled support for the esports industry have attracted more than 50 of the world’s leading gaming companies and teams. This has helped create more than 12,000 direct and indirect gaming jobs and had a $550 million impact on the state.
In November of 2019, it was announced that Midtown Atlanta would become the new permanent home to professional esports team, Atlanta Reign. The city’s thriving game development and tech industries attracted the team to permanently plant its roots in Georgia. Atlanta Reign establishing its headquarters in Atlanta will create 45 new jobs and generate a $100,000,000 investment in growing the esports ecosystem throughout the region.
The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) recently completed a study demonstrating esports’ dominance in the state, and specifically in Atlanta. The report includes insights from key industry players validating the belief that Georgia’s esports ecosystem will continue to flourish in the coming years.
Georgia Tech also cited that esports continues to grow here not only because the state is home to vibrant game development, tech and entertainment industries, but because of the actions Georgia has taken to welcome the industry. For example, Georgia is home to three different professional franchised esports teams, including the Atlanta Reign (Overwatch League), Hawks Talon GC (NBA 2K League) and the Atlanta FaZe (Call of Duty League). Georgia is also home to three varsity college teams - the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) team, the Georgia State University (GSU) team and the Georgia Southern University (Georgia Southern) team. Not to mention that Georgia was one of the first five states in the nation to recognize esports as an official competitive high school sport.
While COVID-19 has caused a great deal of economic uncertainty, we are confident in our state’s ability to weather this storm. One of the best ways GDEcD can continue to create jobs and enterprise opportunities for Georgians is by building on the strong economic framework that our state has established over the past several decades. We will remain on the frontlines of innovation and growth, and continue to engage groundbreaking industries like online gaming that attract new career and development prospects for our state.
We are living in unprecedented times.
The COVID-19 pandemic has killed tens of thousands of people around the world, and hundreds of thousands or potentially millions are still at risk. Economically, many employees, businesses and entire industries also face existential risk, or in the best case, a long pause. Our education institutions are dealing with a transition to online learning short-term while preparing students for a post-virus economy long-term.
At the same time we are all aware that this too shall pass. Certain industries are uniquely positioned to provide safe entertainment, comfort, and social connection in this moment, “filling the void” left by traditional sports, concerts, and live events all going dark.
One industry proving to be particularly resilient and necessarily right now is esports. With most of the world’s population now homebound, the number of people playing online games is at a record high. The number of people watching others play games is at a record high. Virtual racing is broadcast on television in place of live motor sports. NBA players compete from their homes in NBA 2K. And the World Health Organization encourages playing video games and adopts the #PlayApartTogether campaign. This global phenomenon is being highlighted this week by the New York Times, The Washington Post, Time Magazine and others recognizing that it is in fact esports that is filling the void.
And yet, we can do more than entertain short-term. We can also act now to prepare our students and workforce for a post-virus economy and new jobs within the gaming industry.
Toward this goal, Skillshot is pleased to announce an initiative we have been working on for many months. In collaboration with partners, we’ve developed a series of in-person and online courses focused on workforce development for the thriving game development and esports industries. These are industries with combined global revenue of $140 billion, making gaming not only more resilient but also much bigger economically than the film and music industries combined.
The first of these courses will roll out in our home state of Georgia this fall, delivered in partnership with the Georgia Film Academy and Georgia State University’s Creative Media Industries Institute (CMII). Students will earn hours in the class, which will credit to CMII’s programs in Game Design and Media Entrepreneurship. Many other courses will follow.
In the meantime, as the internet says, “Stay Home, Play Games”.
And once this passes, we hope to be part of the workforce development engine that keeps the world playing hard, AND working hard.
Skillshot Media, the esports entity formerly owned by Alpharetta-based game publisher Hi-Rez Studios, announced today the completion of a management buy-out by two former Hi-Rez executives. Skillshot will operate as an independent, publisher-agnostic esports solution provider and agency, and Hi-Rez Studios no longer has an ownership interest in the company.
Hi-Rez Studios Co-founder Todd Harris and former Vice President Nabil Ismail will exit Hi-Rez and serve as CEO and COO of Skillshot Media, and in strategic partnership with INAP will develop an esports operations center and production studio in downtown Atlanta. This new Esports Media Center, operated by Skillshot, will be located at 250 Williams Street NW in Atlanta, co-located within INAP’s flagship Atlanta data center facility.
“With 15 years in game development and marketing, we have seen first-hand how a community-driven esports approach delivers results for both the game publisher and brand partners,'' said Todd Harris, CEO of Skillshot Media. “Players who watch esports are more engaged and spend more money with the game publisher. Those players also have higher spending and goodwill toward partners who authentically support esports events. We believe brands that want to reach the next generation of consumers will discover esports to be the most effective and efficient way to connect with that massive audience, and Skillshot wants to help them do exactly that.”
INAP’s flagship Atlanta data center features low latency network performance enabled by patented route optimization technology and an onsight network operations center to keep game server and broadcasting infrastructure operational and at peak efficiency.
“Gaming and esports is not only the largest entertainment industry but one of the most demanding in terms of performance,” said TJ Waldorf, CMO at INAP. “INAP is proud to have powered esports communities for over a decade, and this strategic partnership with Skillshot allows us to even better serve the fast growing gaming and esports industry.”
Continues Harris, “Esports demands an IT infrastructure built for speed, reliability, and global scalability. Players are competing for millions of dollars and INAP delivers the performance required for that competitive environment. This Esports Media Center is walking distance to the Georgia World Congress Center, State Farm Arena, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and public transportation to the world’s busiest airport, allowing us to easily integrate with other Atlanta venues and hospitality partners for esports events.”
About INAP
Internap Corporation (NASDAQ: INAP) is a leading-edge provider of high-performance data center and cloud solutions with 100 network Points of Presence worldwide. INAP’s full-spectrum portfolio of high-density colocation managed cloud hosting and network solutions supports evolving IT infrastructure requirements for customers ranging from the Fortune 500 to emerging startups. INAP operates in 21 metropolitan markets, primarily in North America, with 14 INAP Data Center Flagships connected by a low-latency, high-capacity network.For more information, visit www.INAP.com.
Kevin Lin, co-founder of Twitch, and Sundance DiGiovanni, co-founder of Major League Gaming, as keynote speakers at Esports Summit 2019 -- the first business-focused esports conference in the southeast. Additionally, INAP, a leading-edge provider of high-performance data center and cloud solutions, is the official “Powered By” partner of Esports Summit and secured the title sponsorship. Hi-Rez Studios is the Presenting Publisher sponsor of the summit.
Presented by Skillshot Media, Esports Summit will gather leaders of the entertainment industry to discuss upcoming trends and projections for the future of esports November 14 - 15, 2019 at the Georgia World Congress Center.
“As the inaugural event in the Southeast, Esports Summit 2019 is an excellent opportunity to shine the light on one of the most robust gaming and esports ecosystems in North America, metro Atlanta,” said Grant Wainscott, head of creative industries economic development with the Metro Atlanta Chamber.
As industry veterans who helped shape the esports and streaming scene, Lin and DiGiovanni will share their insight and expertise as the co-founders of Twitch and Major League Gaming respectively. In addition to keynotes, a full-day of panels featuring esports industry professionals and endemic companies will also run on Friday, November 15.
“These first two industry titans, with a combined experience of 30 years between them, sets the bar for the level and depth of esports expertise we will provide this year at Esports Summit,” said conference organizer Kathryn De Shields. “This conference will provide content and access to the very top professionals across the esports ecosystem - representing team orgs, publishers, investors, brands, platforms, educators, and more.”
Support from the Esports Summit title sponsor, INAP, will enable comprehensive speaker content, networking opportunities, and behind-the-scenes tours of a production studio (Skillshot Media) and the World Championship live event at Hi-Rez Expo.
“We are proud to support Skillshot Media and this important, first-of-its-kind event for the region,” said TJ Waldorf, Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Customer Success at INAP. “Esports is on its way to becoming a billion-dollar industry this year, making this world-class showcase a must-attend for all parties looking to operate in this exciting and fast-growing ecosystem.”
The full speaker list and agenda for Esports Summit 2019 will be released in early Fall 2019. Tickets are currently available at an early bird discount. For tickets and additional information, visit www.esportssummit.live.
For information about sponsoring or speaking, please contact kdeshields@skillshot.com.
Today, Skillshot Media announced Esports Summit 2019, a business-focused esports conference that will take place at the Georgia World Congress Center November 14 - 15, in the days leading up to the international gaming festival DreamHack Atlanta 2019.
Esports Summit will provide comprehensive education opportunities across the entire esports ecosystem, including presentations from game publishers, brand sponsors, team organizations, professional players, tournament organizers, investors, and educators.
In addition to panels and presentations form industry leaders, the event also includes a tour of a 16,000 square foot esports production studio, and a behind-the-scenes tour of live event esports production and competition during the World Championships of Hi-Rez Expo at DreamHack Atlanta.
Early sponsors of Esports Summit include Axis Replay and RIISE Ventures who will be providing educational content for local companies leading up to the event.
The full speaker list and agenda for Esports Summit 2019 will be released in early Fall 2019. For more information about attending or sponsoring Esports Summit 2019, visit www.esportssummit.live.
As part of a multi-organization collaboration, Skillshot Media, Johnson STEM Activity Center, The Forever Young Foundation, and Atlanta Public Schools established an esports arena as an extension of the Johnson STEM Activity Center’s operations. The esports arena will be a free resource to students who want to compete in the inaugural season of varsity esports programs in the state of Georgia.
“Skillshot seeks to foster community via esports,” said Todd Harris, President of Skillshot Media.
“Esports cultivates discipline, teamwork and good sportsmanship as well as STEM skill development. This new venue and partnership will greatly expand access to the local community.”
8 to 80 zones are a collaboration between NFL Hall of Fame Quarterback and Founder of the Forever Young Foundation Steve Young and former NFL player Jerry Rice. This service provides youth in underserved communities the skills they need to pursue careers in technology and media.
“Jerry and I continually seek to reach the youth we serve ‘where they are’,” said Steve Young. “We want to stimulate their minds and creativity by utilizing platforms they are already passionate about.”
Skillshot Media provided technological and infrastructural direction in constructing the 3,500 square-feet addition to the Johnson Stem Activity Center. The esports arena is a state-of-the-art facility that allows students to hone their skills as they compete in season one of the Georgia High School varsity esports program. Teams from around the metro area will be transported from their school to the arena at no charge.
“Not every school has the financial resources to support an esports team,” said Dr. Lonnie Johnson, Atlanta inventor and Founder of the Johnson STEM Activity Center. “Our arena will level the playing field and allow anyone with the desire to compete to play for a state championship.”
In addition, the space is a classroom that provides students with hands-on training in broadcast production, online streaming, audio engineering, video editing, and game development.
About Skillshot
Based in Alpharetta, GA, Skillshot Media provides a turnkey esports solution for leading competitive titles, including online and offline tournament organization, industry-leading esports production and active community management. Skillshot has more than five years of esports experience in hosting thousands of global competitors, paying out millions in tournament prizing and serving more than one billion esports views to date.
About Johnson STEM Activity Center
Since 2007, the Johnson STEM Activity Center has been providing free STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) resources to Georgia’s most underrepresented communities. With over 2,000 students annually, JSAC is a major reason Georgia leads the nation in African American students involved in robotics.
We recently released a list of the competitive esports organizations that will compete in Paladins Premier League and SMITE Pro League in 2019.
As part of a multiyear franchise, eight organizations will compete in the Paladins Premier League (PPL). Signed teams consist of new and returning organizations to PPL, including Natus Vincere, Pittsburgh Knights, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Spacestation Gaming, Renegades, Virtus Pro, Kanga Esports, and Team Envy. Team roster reveals will occur at a later date.
Announced last week, ten organizations will compete in the SMITE Pro League (SPL) in 2019. Signed organizations include Splyce, eUnited, Spacestation, SK Gaming, Trifecta, Pittsburgh Knights, Renegades, Team Rival, Dignitas, and Luminosity.
Team rosters are available here: https://esports.smitegame.com/news/smite-pro-league-2019-season-6-rosters
In 2019, all PPL and SPL regular season games will be held on-site at the Skillshot Media Studio in Alpharetta, GA. As such, at least 90 pro esports players will be moving to the metro-Atlanta area or traveling to compete. This relocation is intended to help Skillshot provide players with a better competitive environment, provide fans with an upgraded production experience on broadcast, and supply additional esports shoulder content throughout the season.
For more information about PPL, visit: https://esports.paladins.com/ For more information about SPL, visit: https://esports.smitegame.com
About Skillshot
Based in Alpharetta, GA, Skillshot provides a turnkey esports solution for leading competitive titles, including online and offline tournament organization, industry-leading esports production and active community management. Skillshot has more than five years of esports experience in hosting thousands of global competitors, paying out millions in tournament prizing and serving more than one billion esports views to date.
