GIRLGAMER Esports Festival, the world's leading event to celebrate and promote women's competitiveness in esports, has announced the Season 5 schedule and key partnerships for the festival debut within the United States.
“GIRLGAMER is excited to extend our global celebration of women in gaming into the United States with this partnership”, said Tiago Fernandes, organizer of GIRLGAMER Esports Festival. “The esports ecosystem in the city of Atlanta and across the state of Georgia is very well developed, as is the esports experience and mission commitment of our United States event partner Skillshot.”
The 2023 World Circuit allows women gamers the opportunity to compete at the highest level, with teams qualifying into a World Finals via national festivals including:
The game titles played at the next World Finals include Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends and Rocket League.
The specific titles to be played at each festival city will be announced at a future date, along with the date and location of the World Circuit Finals.
“We are thrilled to bring the world’s leading women’s esports event to Atlanta”, said Dan Corso, President of the Atlanta Sports Council. “Atlanta is widely known for hosting world-class sporting events and our infrastructure and hospitality extends to esports. We are especially excited about this property given the focus on inclusivity.”
GIRLGAMER 2023 World Circuit US festival partners include Skillshot Media as the venue and production partner and Ghost Gaming as the host gaming organization.
“We have been fans of the GIRLGAMER mission since they began in 2017”, said Nabil Ismail, President of Skillshot Media. “Their international growth has been impressive and it is our honor to launch this property within the United States, providing women an opportunity to showcase their skills in esports competition, and also in behind the scenes technical and production roles.”
Beyond competition and production, GIRLGAMER Atlanta will provide opportunities for attendees to meet and learn from established female gaming creators and live-streamers since the creator economy is a fast growing segment of the gaming industry.
“Ghost Gaming is proud to be supporting the GIRLGAMER Esports Festival”, said Julian Castro, Managing Director of Ghost Gaming. “We are deliberate and diverse with our own roster of signed Ghost creators. And this festival gives us an opportunity to cultivate and mentor the next next generation of female creators.''
GIRLGAMER Atlanta will be hosted at Skillshot @ Uptown Atlanta on December 13, 2023. Information on Tickets and Team Qualification for GIRLGAMER Atlanta 2023 will be announced at a later date.
College students at the Skillshot esports analyst desk comment on the Georgia Esports League competition between rivals Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia in the game Rocket League.
Skillshot Media, a leading esports production company, and Ghost Gaming, the Atlanta-based professional esports and lifestyle organization, today announced a partnership with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Georgia Film Academy, and founding partner universities across Georgia to launch the Georgia Esports League (GEL).
The league is the nation’s first comprehensive statewide initiative covering esports competition, curriculum, and workforce development to serve the videogame, esports, and digital entertainment industry.
The announcement comes at a time of increasing live esports event activity across the state. In May Skillshot, EsportsU, and the Collegiate Sports Management Group (CSMG) produced the Collegiate Esports Commissioner’s Cup (CECC), the largest ever national collegiate esports live event, at Gateway Arena in College Park Georgia which delivered a $1.7 million local economic impact. This October Riot Games will bring the Worlds 2022 League of Legends semifinals to State Farm Arena, and in November the global gaming festival Dreamhack returns to the Georgia World Congress Center with an expected attendance of over 40,000.
The Georgia Esports League, open to all 2-year and 4-year colleges in Georgia, will offer numerous titles starting with Rocket League, which is played across Georgia in middle school, and high school as a sanctioned varsity sport. It is also played at the collegiate and professional level. Atlanta-based Ghost Gaming has a top professional Rocket League team. The tournament platform provider and sponsor for the 2022-2023 season of Rocket League is UGC
“Esports is education,” said Todd Harris CEO of Skillshot Media and Ghost Gaming. “We’re excited to build out skill development that goes well beyond just playing games. Our partnerships in Georgia allow us to engage with students starting in middle school with STEAM exposure and social-emotional learning all the way through college competition to careers playing esports professionally, becoming a gaming creator on YouTube or Twitch, or working in the broader game and digital entertainment industry behind the scenes as a programmer, artist or designer.”
GEL Final matches will be produced and live-streamed by Skillshot out of their newly announced Atlanta esports campus, with students involved in every aspect of the production.
“Gaming and digital entertainment are key industry initiatives for Georgia,”, said Asante Bradford of the Department of Georgia Economic Development. “The Georgia Esports League will help attract college students across our state to this growing industry, so we can continue to fill the jobs posted by the many tech and digital media companies relocating to Georgia.”
Georgia has seen a host of gaming and tech companies announce major expansions in the last 12 months including a Microsoft corporate campus on 90 acres of land on the west side of Atlanta, Meta’s data-center expansion in Georgia valued at $42 billion, and Google’s 500,000 square-foot expansion in Midtown Atlanta. More broadly, the global corporate and VC investment into metaverse companies was over $120 billion in the first half of 2022 according to a McKinsey and Company report. The metaverse industry is projected to reach $5 Trillion by 2030, with a $108 - $125 billion impact specific to the videogame industry.
Georgia is leading this new digital entertainment economy, building off the success of the film industry, which saw a direct spend of $4 billion dollars in Georgia last year. A key partner for the newly announced Georgia Esports League is the Georgia Film Academy, which has already trained over 10,000 Georgians through 28 public universities and technical colleges.
“Building off our success in film, Georgia’s next workforce initiative is gaming, esports, and digital entertainment”, said Jeff Stepakoff, Executive Director of the Georgia Film Academy. “We are thrilled to partner with industry experts Skillshot Media and Ghost Gaming to build out the curriculum, deliver hands-on experiences with industry tools, and engage students via Georgia Esports League competition, events, and live-streaming. Georgia now has a full ecosystem around the world’s fastest evolving creative economy.”
The Collegiate Esports Commissioner’s Cup held on May 6-8, 2022 at the Gateway Center Arena created a $1.78 million economic impact on the Atlanta Airport District Convention and Visitors Bureau. The “May Madness” of college esports also supported 358 jobs and nearly 900 total hotel room nights for the region while welcoming more than 2,600 ticket holders.
Powered by CSMG, ESPORTSU, and Skillshot Media and presented by CDW and Microsoft, CECC was the largest and most inclusive (Division I, II and III schools and Junior Colleges participated) collegiate LAN event ever held. The festival welcomed 64 teams and 480 athletes and coaches who competed in Overwatch (the Overwatch Collegiate Esports Commissioners Cup), VALORANT, Rocket League and Super Smash Brothers Ultimate.
“CECC was driven by the collaboration among our diverse and inclusive partners in traditional sports, tech, gaming, non-profits and consumer brands. We are committed to shaping and scaling a sustainable framework for collegiate esports, and this event set a solid foundation for our student athletes, the fans and brand partners,” said Michael Schreck, CEO of Collegiate Sports Management Group.
CECC sponsorships and onsite activations included Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta FaZe, Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Reign, Barbasol (who presented the CECC Smooth Skin Selection Show on May 3), College Park Skyhawks, CTRL – A Meal Replacement, Cxmmunity, Fanaply, Futures First Gaming, Generation Esports, Ghost Gaming, Hawks Talon GC, Init Esports, High School Esports League, HomeTown Ticketing, Init Esports, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), McDonald’s, Neustreet, North America Scholastic Esports Federation, Oakley, PCGz, Skullz, the*gameHERS, U.S. Air Force and Zonebreakers. Fans also enjoyed a recruitment fair, cosplay costumes and local food trucks.
CECC kicked off on May 6 with the red carpet experience where student athletes received their personalized, commemorative CECC jerseys and then officially competed in the CECC tournaments on May 7-8. Atlanta Esports Alliance and AXR Edge hosted an Open House to welcome CECC and celebrate the gaming community in the region.
“Atlanta was honored to host this inaugural national collegiate esports event that employed more than 350 people and unlocked over $1 million in direct economic impact”, said Todd Harris, Chair of the Atlanta Esports Alliance. “Events like the Collegiate Esports Commissioner’s Cup, and the enthusiastic support of so many local partners from both inside and outside the gaming industry, continue to advance Atlanta’s reputation as the esports capital.”
CECC crowned Bay State College (Boston) in Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, Illinois State University in Overwatch®, Northwood University (Midland, MI) in Rocket League and San Jose State University in VALORANT.
About CSMG
CSMG is an integrated sports and entertainment media company focused on esports and traditional sports in the new creator economy. We are an experienced, trusted results-driven team with a lens on what’s next. The focus of our business verticals – CSMG and ESPORTSU – is rooted in intellectual property rights management, acquisition, and development through media rights, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), valuation services, licensing, and sponsorship sales. We offer expertise in developing communities through brand building, original content, and event production & management. We drive our partners’ success at the crossroads of tech, sports, entertainment, and video games. To learn more, visit us at https://collegiatesmg.com/.
About Skillshot Media
Skillshot connects leading brands to engaged gaming fans while delivering positive social impact. We provide a turnkey esports solution for leading competitive titles, including online and offline tournament organization, industry-leading esports production, active community management and authentic brand integration and consulting for partners. Skillshot has more than five years of deep esports experience – hosting thousands of global competitors, paying out millions in tournament prizing and serving more than one billion esports views to date. www.skillshot.com.
Formerly known as Lindbergh City Center, mixed-use development re-emerges as the epicenter of esports in Atlanta, a city ranked #1 for its gaming environment
ATLANTA — Skillshot Media, a leading turnkey esports provider based in Atlanta, today announced plans to create a highly connected esports gaming hub at Uptown Atlanta, the 47-acre mixed-use community being redeveloped by Rubenstein Partners, L.P. (together with its affiliates, “Rubenstein”). Skillshot will relocate its Alpharetta office and production studios to Uptown and partner with Rubenstein to establish Atlanta’s new go-to destination for esports events. Skillshot’s new space will also provide classroom and training space for local students.
Located within Uptown, Skillshot’s space will serve as a production studio, collaborative learning center and retail space. At the ground level, Skillshot is working with Rubenstein to program the 35,000-square-foot office atrium to become Atlanta’s premier venue for esports events. The atrium will be outfitted to host approximately 300-400 gamers for in-person events and feature a massive LED screen with new digital infrastructure to support live streaming to millions of gamers around the world.
Skillshot will be working with industry leading gaming partners in the build-out of the facility. HyperX, the brand leader in gaming and esports peripherals, was named the official peripheral partner of Skillshot at Uptown. As part of the collaboration, HyperX will outfit Skillshot with a range of products, including best-in-class headsets, keyboards, mice and microphones.
Skillshot’s plans for Uptown come as part of the growth and momentum of the esports and gaming industry in Atlanta. Notably, Atlanta is recognized as the #1 city for its gaming environment, and in 2019, the gaming industry contributed $925 million dollars in economic impact to the State of Georgia. In addition, the State’s favorable tax incentives for the esports industry have created an incredible opportunity for expansion, positioning Skillshot and Uptown as the frontrunners in this booming, highly competitive arena.
"With this partnership, Skillshot at Uptown becomes the Metro Atlanta hub for digital media, gaming, and esports," said Todd Harris, CEO of Skillshot Media. "The Rubenstein vision for Uptown as a high-tech and high energy mixed-use environment is a perfect match with Skillshot Media’s aspiration to foster community engagement with gaming. The gaming industry, at $180 billion, is bigger than movies and North American sports combined. Skillshot and Uptown are now well-positioned to serve this massive and broad gaming ecosystem with support for student workforce training, professional esports teams, studio content and broadcasting, and hosting live gaming events."
Skillshot is aligned with the Atlanta Esports Alliance, a private 501(c)6 division of the Atlanta Sports Council (ASC), the group responsible for securing bids for large-scale sporting events like the Olympics, Superbowl and FIFA World Cup. Skillshot Founder and CEO Todd Harris serves as one of the local business leaders in the esports ecosystem working to further metro Atlanta’s position as a global leader in the space.
Skillshot is also partnered with the University System of Georgia and the Georgia Film Academy to offer students workforce development programs for college credit. Skillshot will host its first classes for Georgia State University students at Uptown on August 17, offering credit in Digital Media, Esports Event Production, and Esports Hosting and Commentary.
“Skillshot Media’s new production studio and learning center will be a game changer in Georgia as the state’s esports ecosystem continues to grow and thrive,” said Asante Bradford, the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s Senior Industry Engagement Manager, Center of Innovation – IT. “I look forward to seeing the opportunities Skillshot’s collaborative partnership with both the University System of Georgia and the Georgia Film Academy creates for the next generation of software developers and gamers.”
In addition to the digital infrastructure and LED screen, the renovated office atrium will feature a slew of new amenities, including a gaming center with video game equipment, a golf simulator, bocce ball and foosball; a coffee shop and wine bar; second-story conference space; and state-of-the-art fitness center. The reimagined office atrium comes as part of Rubenstein’s redevelopment of Uptown into a modern mixed-use destination.
“The atrium is the nerve center of Uptown’s reimagined office experience – seamlessly integrated into the vibrant and energetic mixed-use environment that surrounds it and equipped with an incredible selection of high-tech amenities,” said Taylor Smith, Regional Director of the Southeast at Rubenstein. “Skillshot brings an unmatched level of esports expertise and ingenuity to Uptown and this partnership signals an exciting opportunity for the future of digital innovation in Atlanta. Together, we will build upon the undeniable impact of the gaming industry and create a forward-thinking, creative hub for the community.”
Rubenstein, alongside its design partners ASD|SKY and Gensler, is driving the transformation of the transit-oriented property into a hyper-accessible hub of activity for office workers, residents and the community. Redevelopment plans are focused on revitalizing the destination and providing the community with vibrant restaurants and retail, enhanced connectivity with recreational trails and MARTA, modern office amenities and greenspace. Construction is currently underway, with a heavy focus on revamping the streetscape and pedestrian experience along Main Street by adding outdoor patios and office balconies, as well as refreshing building facades.
Rounding out the redevelopment team, global commercial real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield is leading office leasing at Uptown, with a focus on recruiting companies who value working in a vibrant, highly connected mixed-use destination. Retail real estate consultant firm Revel is overseeing retail leasing, with plans to introduce a globally inspired mix of restaurants and retailers.
Last fall, Uptown launched a series of community events on The Lawn, the property’s expansive greenspace, to infuse the property with energy and unique experiences such as gnome picnics, artist markets, weekly yoga classes and more. Additionally, The Hambidge Center debuted its Cross Pollination Art Lab at Uptown last October, transforming a 12,000-square-foot space along Piedmont Ave into a series of art galleries, studios and performance spaces.
Once complete, Uptown will encompass nearly one million square feet of office space, 120,000 square feet of retail and a variety of community gathering spaces to bring the best of Atlanta together.
Here's an overview of the broad esports ecosystem and assets we have developed in Metro Atlanta thanks to decades of industry, partner, policy, and community support!
Professional Esports Teams?
Too many initiatives to list but a few illustrative examples include:
Annual live gaming events include:
The National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) and the North America Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF) concluded their spring seasons this past weekend via a three-day event hosted and broadcasted by Skillshot Media in partnership with Twitch Student. Additional support was provided by partners Microsoft, HyperX, eHire, and Queens Gaming Collective.
Competition was hosted across six different game titles for the event: Madden, FIFA, Rocket League, Hearthstone, CSGO, and Fortnite. With the help of host Lauren “GlitterXplosion” Laracuente, accompanied by casters Trevor “ConfusedCaribou” McNeal, Troy “Pibbbcasts” Welling, Devin “PiraTechnics” Younge, and Tadhg “CelticTigerLoL” Brennan, the NACE and NASEF competition was broadcast via Twitch with a combined total of over 474,000 views.
“Our first-ever Scholastic Esports Championship had over 470,000 live-views across three days of broadcast in partnership with Twitch," said Todd Harris, CEO of Skillshot Media, "We were honored to shine a spotlight on top student competitors and the organizations NASEF and NACE as they advance scholastic esports and prioritize student wellbeing and outcomes"
The 2021 NACE National Championships were held on April 24 and April 25. The spring season started with 277 teams, competing across five different game titles. NACE competition was hosted entirely online this academic year due to the unique challenges the COVID-19 pandemic presented. The NACE National Champions and Spring Cup Winners are listed below:
The three teams listed below also received cash prizes for their respective rankings in the final Fortnite Spring Cup match:
“The 2020-2021 academic year presented a unique challenge for NACE, resulting in a completely online finals competition, the second of which hosted this year,” said Michael Brooks, Executive Director of NACE, “Despite these challenges, the number of esports fielded within NACE more than doubled from the previous year. The impressive results from these finals speaks to the herculean efforts of our members, students and partners. NACE is set up for even more growth in the professionalization of the collegiate esports space.”
The previous Friday, NASEF teams battled it out in the Madden PS4 and Xb1 Championships, the Rocket League Semi-Finals, and the Rocket League Championships. Initially, NASEF’s spring competition included 245 participating teams—192 in Rocket League and 53 in Madden. The NASEF Champions are listed below:
“The Scholastic Esports Championship allows the thousands of students participating in NASEF clubs to gain insight into college scholarships, and pathways to higher education and employment,” said Gerald Solomon, founder and executive director of NASEF.
Thanks all of the 2021 spring season participants for their hard work and dedication. All of the VODs from the National Championships and Fortnite Spring Cup are available at skillshot.tv.
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(Atlanta, GA – April 22, 2021) – The National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), the North America Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF), and Skillshot Media will host and broadcast the spring Scholastic Esports Championship between Friday, April 23 and Sunday, April 25, 2021.
“We are thrilled that this event is the first integration of high school and collegiate esports nationally,” said Todd Harris, founder and CEO of Skillshot Media. “We are appreciative of the participation from NACE universities, NASEF high schools, multiple game publishers, and many partners. Beyond showcasing competition across six game titles and three hardware platforms we are emphasizing student education and skill development throughout the event, truly combining playing with learning.”
All competitions and programming will be broadcast in partnership with Twitch Student on twitch.tv/skillshot per the schedule below:
Friday April 23 at 5pm ET: NASEF (High School)
Saturday April 24 at 5pm ET: NACE (Collegiate Day 1)
Saturday April 24 at 5pm ET: NACE (Collegiate Day 1)
HyperX is supporting the event by awarding a Cloud series gaming headset to every winning player and team.
“We began the spring season with 227 registered university teams, and it all comes down to this weekend,” said Michael Brooks, executive director of NACE. “The finals will be fiercely contested and we are excited that college coaches can also get a view into up and coming high school talent via this combined event.”
During breaks in the competition, event sponsor eHire and other partners will provide video tips to viewers around securing a job inside and outside of the massive gaming industry.
“The NASEF approach uses esports to build life and career skills,” said Gerald Solomon, founder and executive director of NASEF. “Events like the Scholastic Esports Championship allow the thousands of high schoolers participating in NASEF clubs to gain insight into college scholarships, and pathways to higher education and employment.”
Added Christie St. Martin from Queens Collective, “At Queens, our goal is to democratize access to gaming and economic opportunity for women worldwide. We are proud to support the Scholastic Esports Championship and their message of inclusive competition and game-based education for upward mobility.”
Media Contacts:
Skillshot, hi@skillshot.com
Emily Cox, ecox@NACEsports.org
Claire LaBeaux, claire@NASEF.org
ATLANTA — March 24, 2021 — Ghost Gaming, the Atlanta-based esports organization and gaming lifestyle brand, has announced its collaboration with the Georgia Film Academy (GFA) and esports production company Skillshot Media to develop Georgia’s workforce for the growing gaming and esports industry.
As a result, Ghost Gaming establishes a relationship with students on Georgia’s public college and university campuses, who are eligible to participate in GFA’s Digital Entertainment, Esports & Game Development Certification. Each semester the GFA, Ghost Gaming, and Skillshot Media will identify opportunities for students to have additional hands-on exposure and internships.
The collaboration kicks off this Spring 2021 semester, with GFA’s Fundamentals of Esports class, which includes twenty-six students designing and operating an invitational collegiate esports tournament in the popular game Valorant. Three members of Ghost’s professional Valorant team roster will serve as coaches for the college teams competing in the final match on Thursday, April 8, with GFA students executing the event management, tournament operations, marketing, live-stream production, and on-air hosting and commentary.
“The GFA is excited to collaborate with Ghost Gaming and Skillshot Media to offer students professional experience and exposure, leading to high-demand careers and the growth of the full eco-system within the digital entertainment, gaming, and esports industries here in Georgia.” - Jeff Stepakoff, Georgia Film Academy Executive Director
Ghost Gaming has competitive teams and creators in the most popular competitive titles including Fortnite, Rocket-League, Valorant, Call of Duty Warzone and PubG Mobile.
“In relocating Ghost Gaming to Atlanta one key consideration was the availability of talent as we grow. We’re excited to collaborate with the Georgia Film Academy and Skillshot Media to provide students additional industry learning opportunities and to help fill our own workforce needs” - Andrew Steinberg, Ghost Managing Partner
The GFA is a collaboration of the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia created to meet education and workforce needs for high-demand careers in Georgia’s creative industries. Last year, Skillshot Media worked with the GFA to establish an esports pilot class at Georgia State University. The initiative has quickly grown to include additional institutions and an expanded certification to include multiple new courses.
According to the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), esports has emerged as one of the fastest-growing industries in the state, with gaming having an economic impact of over $830 million last year.
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
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.
