The two independent companies have merged under an Atlanta ownership group but will continue to operate under their existing and separate brands.

• Skillshot Media, which experienced revenue growth of over 50% in 2021, will continue to focus on B2B esports services including consulting for brands, live-stream broadcasting, event production, and workforce development for the $170 billion video game industry.  
  
  
• Ghost Gaming, which grew its social media audience from 8 million to 32 million in 2021, will continue to foster B2C home market fandom with professional esports teams and gaming content creators representing Atlanta in the most popular games including Rocket League, Valorant, Apex Legends, and Fortnite.
  

Together, as Resurgens Gaming, the companies seek to provide a turnkey solution for partners wanting to leverage gaming and gaming media to authentically reach and support the passionate Millennial and Gen-Z audience across the Southeast.

Experienced Industry Leadership

Under the Resurgens Gaming ownership group, longtime gaming executive Todd Harris has been named CEO of both Ghost Gaming and Skillshot Media.

Nabil Ismail, an executive at Hi-Rez Studios for 11 years before co-founding Skillshot, will become President of Skillshot Media.

Andrew Steinberg, former Chief Business Officer of the Atlanta Hawks and currently Managing Partner of Phoenix Capital Ventures (PCV), has been appointed as Chair of the Board for the combined entity.

“I’m thrilled that the combined capabilities of Skillshot and Ghost Gaming allow us to even better serve both gamers and partners in this region, starting with the Uptown campus in Buckhead and with ambitious regional expansion goals,” Harris said.  “Our vision is to foster a diverse but united community through gaming.  The choice of Atlanta as our home city is very intentional in support of this mission."

Regional Destination for Esports

Resurgens Gaming will be based at Uptown Atlanta, a one-million square foot mixed-use project in Buckhead, which is being redeveloped by Rubenstein Partners. Ghost Gaming will open a team headquarters and esports academy next to the recently opened Skillshot Media studio at Uptown. The combined esports campus footprint now includes a state-of-the-art esports production studio, studio set, competitive areas for team scrimmaging and practice, content creation, a classroom where gaming and esports classes are taught for college credit in partnership with the Georgia Film Academy. Additionally, Skillshot will host live esports events within Uptown’s 35,000-square-foot office atrium, which is equipped with digital infrastructure, a massive LED screen, video gaming equipment, golf simulator, coffee shop and wine bar, fitness center and second-story conference space.

“We designed Uptown to be a highly connected hub for innovation, creativity and global experiences,” said Mahesh Mani, senior vice president, asset management at Rubenstein Partners. “Working with Skillshot Media and Ghost Gaming to cement Uptown as a major esports gaming destination is exactly the kind of future-forward experience we want to provide to the Atlanta community. We are excited to begin hosting esports events at Uptown this year, as we work to complete construction on this transformative project.”

The esports hub comes as part of Rubenstein’s reimagination of Uptown into an activated, hyper-accessible mixed-use community. Construction to revitalize Main Street is underway, which includes the addition of outdoor patios for dining that spill into the sidewalks, punched out office balconies that create indoor/outdoor spaces for office tenants and connection with the street-level energy, as well as new building facades that incorporate steel, glass and fresh paint to create a warm and inviting patchwork of buildings that exude character and personality.

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.

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:

• Madden (PS) Champion- Boise State University, Wacey “GODZ_DOCHOLIDAY” Williams
• Madden (XBOX) Champion- Minnesota State University, Mankato, Taylor “Crosseyed Reads” Savoy
• FIFA (PS) Champion- Fanshawe College, Dylan “d_fran9” Francis
• FIFA (XBOX) Champion- Texas Wesleyan University, Jacob “Jcubs MrRaider” Williams
• Hearthstone Champions- Shawnee State University, Patrick "Fierce Patty" Broughton, Nate "Crusty" Kniess, Alex "AlanDander" Estep
• CSGO Champions- Michigan Tech University, Colin “Koi” Thor, Logan “Voltage” Long, Brendon “DeadO” Cook, Sean “Cleanslate” Parker, Hunter “Retnuh” Holm, Calvin “Chowdz” Johnson
• Fortnite Spring Cup Winners- St. Clair College, Sterling “Laysix” Dean, Nicolas “Ciriuhs” Ciri, Alexander “Juneyy” Fridge, Grant “BFT King” Way

The three teams listed below also received cash prizes for their respective rankings in the final Fortnite Spring Cup match:

• Ashland University - $500
• OTSU Esports - $200
• St. Clair Saints - $100

“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:

• Rocket League - Hickman Kewpies
• Madden (PS4) - Chambersburg
• Madden (XBOX) - Lake Stevens

“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.  

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.

During Super Bowl LIV weekend, the Skillshot team went down to Miami to open up the latest 8 to 80 Zone in partnership with NFL Hall of Famers Steve Young and Jerry Rice, and the Forever Young Foundation. This esports and STEM center will provide underprivileged kids with access to essential technology to help them grow into the tech leaders of the future.

“Jerry and I believe that parents of youth who are passionate about gaming should take time to understand the learning potential and opportunities that esports brings,” said Steve Young. “Gaming and the competitive esports world provides a stepping stone into coding, publishing, and mass media art. We as parents should embrace this.”

Many thanks to KontrolFreek, Alienware, SteelSeries, and Rocket League for providing gear to support the grand opening. It took a community of partners and organizations working together to make this center a reality. We're excited to see how it will serve the community for years to come.