G2 Esports, one of the most popular organizations in the industry, has announced a full merger with Version1, parent company of the Call of Duty League’s Minnesota Røkkr, who have also fielded teams in Valorant and Rocket League.
The merger has long been speculated, especially in recent weeks as V1 has started to wave farewell to several teams and players that were representing them.
After months of planning and rumors, though, it has now been made official, as the “strategic partnership” was announced on December 5, 2023.
The move sees G2 take control and operating rights of Minnesota Røkkr, but as reported by Dexerto in August, they will not be rebranding this season — though that doesn’t mean they won’t in the coming years.
G2 has previously been in Call of Duty prior to the franchising era, throughout Infinite Warfare and Black Ops 4, though they never achieved higher than a top 16 placement on LAN.
Version1 is backed by Gary Vee and WISE Ventures, the investment arm of the Wilf family, who own the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings and MLS and NWSL teams Orlando City SC and Pride.
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Jonathan Wilf, President & Ownership Partner of Version1, commented, “I am excited about the next chapter for the Version1 story. We continue to believe in the future of esports and know partnering with a top tier organization such as G2 will best position our group for future success.”
Konrad von Moltke, Principal of WISE Ventures, added, “We have been impressed with what G2 has built: a competitive powerhouse, a strong and growing commercial engine, and a passionate and loyal fan base. In what has been a challenging esports market environment, G2’s focus on sustainable growth has been remarkable.”
Alongside the Call of Duty team, the company will now field teams across eight major esports titles including League of Legends, VALORANT, Counter Strike, Rainbow Six, Rocket League, Wild Rift, and Sim Racing.
With this move, the Version1 brand will be put on hold with no plans to field competitive teams.