LAS VEGAS – January 17, 2018 – ReKTGlobal, the fastest-growing business authority in esports and competitive gaming, today announced its acquisition of the Las Vegas-based esports organization Rogue.
ReKTGlobal bridges the gap between the multi-billion-dollar business of traditional sports and the burgeoning business of esports and competitive gaming. The company connects professional sports and entertainment businesses – from teams and venues to brands and media companies – with esports leaders, aiming to bring the esports industry to its full potential.
Rogue, known for yielding champions in multiple games including Overwatch and its rabid, loyal fan base, was founded in May 2016. The Las Vegas-based team quickly became a top pro esports team in North America with a global presence in the world’s most popular games. Rogue has strategically expanded its roster to include multiple pro esports teams and top pro players of CS:GO, Rainbow 6, H1Z1, Vainglory and Rocket League.
Rogue’s rapid success and growth have attracted high profile sponsors and investors across the esports industry, sports, media, tech and entertainment worlds, including Grammy-nominated producer, DJ and EDM entrepreneur Steve Aoki, who is part of the Rogue ownership team. Aoki’s massive social media reach and broad business connections and acumen allowed Rogue to continue its upward trajectory and quickly expand its industry footprint.
Now with the ReKTGlobal acquisition, Rogue has already attracted new investors, sponsors and other global strategic partners looking for the right opportunity to invest in esports as it grows into a $1-billion industry. ReKTGlobal will retain all current Rogue employees and staff, and focus on expanding the esports organization’s scope. ReKTGlobal aims to upgrade current teams with top players, enter new games and pursue Overwatch and League of Legends franchises in the future. The organization will expand and share offices from Las Vegas to New York City.
“ReKTGlobal will take Rogue to the next level,” said Rogue co-owner, Steve Aoki. “We share the same passion and vision, and we’re going to continue to build Rogue as an esports powerhouse through new sponsors, partners and by most importantly, winning.”
“The combination of Rogue and ReKTGlobal is unstoppable. We have all the right elements to dominate the industry: a champion esports team, a passionate fan base, exciting and genuine content, events and activations, deep roots in both esports and traditional sports, connections to the right sponsors and partners, and the best management in the industry,” said ReKTGlobal founder Amish Shah.
“Rogue is still a young company, and with all the growth we’ve experienced over the past year and a half, a strategic owner from the sports world makes sense. ReKTGlobal’s expertise will bring in the right opportunities for Rogue moving forward and help us to continue to grow and dominate in esports,” said Rogue CEO and Co-founder Derek Nelson.
“This is a very exciting moment in the history of Rogue,” said Rogue President and Co-founder Frank Villarreal, an esports veteran who has built championship teams in multiple organizations across every genre of esports.
“Frank Villarreal is known as the ‘moneyball’ guru of esports,” said ReKTGlobal Vice President of Esports Kevin Knocke. “He has a special power and the right formula for creating and sustaining championship teams. Together with ReKTGlobal, there will be no stopping Rogue.”
“With such cohesive teams that have competed at the highest level and won for so long in multiple games, Rogue is the ‘plug-and-play’ opportunity for brands, partners and others looking to enter or broaden their support and involvement in esports,” said ReKTGlobal CEO and Co-founder Dave Bialek. “ReKTGlobal and Rogue offer a dynamic 360-degree solution.”
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About ReKTGlobal, Inc.
ReKTGlobal, Inc. is an esports infrastructure company that bridges the gap between traditional sports and esports, providing solutions for the entire ecosystem. The ReKTGlobal executive team brings decades of experience from Startups, Venture Capital/Private Equity, Sports, Media, Entertainment and Sports Marketing/Sponsorship. The company has offices in New York City and Charlotte, and has welcomed partners from the sports, media and entertainment industries.
Media interested in interviews and more information may contact ReKT@maxborgesagency.com.
For more information about ReKTGlobal and its subsidiaries, visit www.rektglobal.com.
About Rogue
Founded in 2016, Rogue is a professional Las Vegas-based esports organization with teams that have competed in Overwatch, Counterstrike: Global Offensive, Call of Duty, H1Z1, Vainglory, Rocket League, and Injustice 2. Since Rogue’s inception, they have become a globally recognized team with countless championship wins. Their extensive list of accolades including the number one Overwatch team in the world, facing off in the most watched Overwatch match of all time and winning the largest Overwatch prize pool of all-time. The organization is owned and operated by esports veteran Franklin Villarreal, Derek Nelson, Carson Knuth, and world-renowned musician and DJ Steve Aoki. For more information, please visit rogue.gg and follow on Facebook and Twitter.
