Esports & Video Games
WHY ESPORTS IS THE FUTURE: RAHUL SOOD, CEO & FOUNDER OF UNIKRN
With esports betting witnessing dramatic growth due to the COVID-19 crisis shutting down most traditional sports, we thought it would be a great time to catch up with Rahul Sood, CEO and Founder of Unikrn – the esports betting operator that counts Mark Cuban and Ashton Kutcher among its investors.
We’ve put together a shortened video, but if you have time check out the full uncut version for some real insights from one of today’s most successful esports entrepreneurs.
Here’s a short overview of our chat:
For those who aren’t familiar with Unikrn, can you tell us what differentiates it from other esports betting operators?
Unikrn was awarded EGR’s Esports Betting Operator of the Year in 2019 because we’re different. Not only does Unikrn esports betting provide endemic odds for dozens of titles with thousands of markets, but we have also developed new tech to underpin a wide variety of betting opportunities. At Unikrn you can bet in real time on Twitch streamers, powered by proprietary technology. We developed 24/7 virtual matches featuring real, exclusive gameplay with all-star quality players including Justin Wong. You can even bet on yourself in public matchmaking games or private lobbies, a skill-based betting experience which is available even in the United States.
Unikrn offers a much wider range of betting than most bookmakers, including betting on your own gameplay, which obviously drives engagement to an unprecedented degree. Do you think this is key to the future, and are there other exciting innovations coming?
Variety is what keeps games fresh, but also what keeps a betting platform interesting. Not only do I think betting on yourself in video games is going to revolutionize the way we see today’s young adults engage with betting, but I also think it will revolutionize the way today’s gamers play. The first publishers to openly participate in skill-based gaming is going to have unprecedented tools for amping up adrenaline, focus, variety and interest in their games. A lot of gamers who review our platform or contact us in Discord have mentioned how betting on something like Fortnite has totally reinvigorated their interest in playing the game. Gamers have more fun watching, playing or streaming with something on the line, which creates increased user retention for the games themselves, ultimately leading to bigger esports audiences and more interest in esports betting.
Unikrn UMode is a full-circle strategy which helps everybody in the industry: publishers, fans, gamers, and of course us.
And, yes, we’re working on other exciting innovations in this space, but I’m not ready to make any announcements for upcoming expansions right now!
Unikrn’s UnikoinGold cryptocurrency was the world’s first gaming utility token and is now well established, but when were you first introduced to the world of blockchain and cryptos, and where do you see it developing in the future?
UnikoinGold was a big push in the right direction for crypto, which desperately needs more utility before it can really go mainstream. For us, UnikoinGold has been a tremendous success in allowing us to provide betting, rewards and other activities without needing to worry about process slowdowns such as cross-national banking transfers. This ultimately makes it less expensive to run our books and allows us to push the limits, offering better odds than our competitors and a more streamlined experience for our crypto-savvy users.
We’re in the process of securing the next stage of partner development for the UnikoinGold ecosystem, which is going to come with another batch of utility and widen UKG’s appeal beyond just our active, crypto-savvy bettors.
Can you tell us about Unikrn Casino and partnerships with casinos, and how you see esports relating to the traditional gaming space?
Esports is either an unprecedented threat or an unprecedented opportunity for land-based casinos. Which is really up to them.
We’ve worked with several Vegas casinos on gaming-related partnerships, initiatives or consulting, and we’ve seen some success bringing younger audiences into places like the MGM Grand using gamer appeal.
Right now, casinos are still trying to figure out how reliable esports performance is and how big the audience is. With COVID-19 shutting down real sports, I think we’re going to see a lot of casinos and sports media companies come back to operation with a greater understanding of esports’ significance. In the coming years and decades, the casinos that lean into gaming and work with strong partners like Unikrn are going to be the ones that have an enormous advantage for the lifetime of Millenials and Gen Z.
The COVID-19 crisis has significantly boosted the profile of esports around the world, as people look for digital entertainment alternatives. Is Unikrn managing to attract new customers from the traditional sports betting space, and do you see this effect lasting beyond the crisis?
We’re seeing an enormous uptick as people look for safe, fun ways to keep themselves engaged without sports or traditional betting options. I think COVID-19 accelerated esports betting, both because operators are being forced to take a serious look at what esports offers and bettors are starting to rediscover video games as a hobby. Gaming and esports are there to support these new fans through the most difficult period of our lives, and I think it’s unlikely that they lose interest once COVID-19 is defeated.
We’ve heard you’re a League of Legends fan and player, but what title are you most excited about in terms of the future, especially from a betting point of view?
Valorant, a tactical shooter from the makers of League of Legends, is the hot new thing in the esports world. I’m extremely interested to see what we can do with a Riot Games title with a third-party esports ecosystem. CS:GO is one of the most successful esports betting cultures, and Valorant attracts many of that same audience, so I think there will be a lot of interest. The complexity of the game makes for very interesting exotic markets and the format makes it much easier for bettors to enjoy than Battle Royal titles like Fortnite.
Unikrn has invested in and acquired several other companies over the last few years – which has been the most interesting for you, and are there any more moves on the horizon?
I don’t pick favorites, every company we’ve bought has integrated into Unikrn and allowed major innovations behind the scenes. Lots of our tech, offerings and patent applications have been made possible by the people or groundwork provided by the companies we’ve acquired.
As a college dropout who has gone on to phenomenal success, what do you think is wrong with the education system, and what would your advice be to young entrepreneurs?
Everybody needs to be educated to run a successful business. My education came through successes and failures in the real world. There’s no academic replacement for that, but that doesn’t mean academics are useless. Like any other decision in business, getting a degree or an apprenticeship is a cost/benefit analysis.
Look, for me, college wasn’t a fit, that doesn’t mean I would unilaterally prescribe dropping out to other people. My businesses are operated by people of mixed educational backgrounds, which means they come in with a variety of strengths and weaknesses.
If you’re a young entrepreneur, you really need to assess what kind of business you want to make and what kind of education is a fit for those goals. If you want to create a new medical technology, you’re unlikely to do that without a background in medicine, right? If you want to start a new entertainment business, it’s probably more important for you to understand entertainment, network and innovate a product or service that fills a gap.
Either way, the most important thing is to know what your own blind spots are and hire accordingly. If you didn’t go to college, chances are good you’ll want to hire some people who did. You’ll each help cover each other’s weaknesses.
Times certainly are a changin’ and Unikrn is definitely out there in front, driving progress on both the esports betting and tokenisation fronts.
We’ll be sure to keep you up-to-speed with developments at Unikrn, and in the meantime it’s a massive “thank you” to Rahul for taking the time to talk with us.
Danish esports organisation Team Singularity has extended its partnership with Swiss fan engagement platform Blocksport.
The multi-year agreement will see the launch of the $SNG Fan Token, giving holders access to unique opportunities to influence team-related decisions, enter the fast-track at SNG Academy, access exclusive content, train with professional esports athletes and more.
$SNG Fan Tokens are expected to launch in December 2021 with a supply of 3M, and will be priced at €1 each in the initial sale.
Commenting on the news, Atle S. Stehouwer, CEO and Founder of Team Singularity, said: “I am happy that our partnership with Blocksport is officially extended and we can finally announce the next step in our collaboration.”
Vladimir Liulka, CEO and Co-Founder of Blocksport, added: “We are happy to extend our exclusive partnership with Team Singularity and launch $SNG Fan Token for their fans. Singularity has a global and awesome fan community. The Token opens up a new world – an environment in which they have the chance to be very close to their favorites players and team”.
Team Singularity currently fields rosters in CS:GO, Fortnite, Rocket League, League of Legends, FIFA, Apex Legends, Rainbow Six, VALORANT, Free Fire, Teamfight Tactics, Hearthstone, Quake, League of Legends Wild Rift, Call of Duty, Call of Duty Mobile, Call of Duty Warzone, PUBG, PUBG Mobile, DOTA 2, Overwatch, Heroes of the Storm, Battalion 1944, H1Z1, Tekken7, Rogue Company, Brawlhalla, and Clash Royale. In addition to Blocksport, the organisation has commercial partnerships with PWC, Pluck GG, Raven, SCUF, KontrolFreek, Randers FC, Esportal, Challengermode, MYESPORTSCARD, and MYFUTCARD.
Staying with esports and Blocksport.io, just yesterday we reported the platform had partnered with Jordanian sim motorsports organisation Desert Fox Racing.
ReKTGlobal, the digital entertainment and esports organization, has been named one of the official presenters of gaming content at the 2021 Infinity Festival.
On 3 November, superstar gaming creators Ally Battaggia (a.k.a TheGeekEntry) and Gabby Murray will join Stove’s Kitchen and Paul Shaw in a panel exploring the content creator economy. In addition, ReKTGlobal CCO Kevin Knocke will share his unique expertise in a panel on esports.
Battaggia, who has a growing following across social media, took on streaming during lockdown, joining the fan-favorite NoPIxel GTA RP server. Since then, she’s become a mainstay participant, even crafting a NFT/TCG collection from her beloved GTA RP character. With 9.6M social media followers, Murray has built a fanbase as a multi-talented lifestyle and gaming content creator, with a Discord community that is expanding by the day.
Top gaming creator Stove’s Kitchen (whose real name is Steven Cho), part of the Team RAR (Rare and Ridiculous) internet group, has a devout fan following on his YouTube channel, where he posts gaming and challenge videos. Meanwhile, Shaw oversees Special Projects at TalentX Entertainment, a subsidiary of ReKTGlobal. The four will join forces for Making a Living as a Content Creator: Much More Than Gaming — a panel that explores what sets livestream content monetization and strategy apart from pre-produced content.
Also on 3 November, Knocke will take part in an esports panel with Darin Kwilinski, Lead Content Producer at IGN Entertainment, and Amanda Solomon, CEO at Tyrus Talent Management. The panel, Esports or Esports? Does It Matter? will break down misconceptions about esports to separate the hype from actual substance.
Knocke, who has been competitively gaming since he was a kid, has years of involvement with high profile companies and events in the esports business – specifically Blizzard Entertainment, IGN, SiriusXM, Sony, South by Southwest, E3, PAX, and Ubisoft — giving him a broad perspective on the industry. Before joining IGN, Kwilinski, a lifelong gamer, was a senior editor for esports at ESPN, establishing its vision and voice. Solomon is an executive with a well of expertise in the strategic sales and partnerships realm, specializing in esports, gaming, and talent.
Now in its exciting fourth year, the forward-focused Infinity Festival is the place where Hollywood meets Silicon Valley. The multi-day annual event, held in Los Angeles, brings together Hollywood’s finest storytelling talent with the innovative creators of cutting-edge technology. For 2021, Infinity Festival will blend in-person and virtual events for a unique hybrid experience.
The in-person portion will be held in several adjacent Hollywood locations with most events happening at Goya Studios and the Dream Hotel; the online component will be presented through the easy-to-use FNvirtual event platform. The festival will continue its theme of “Story Enabled by Technology” with an entirely new slate of innovative programming, including industry-leading speakers, panel discussions, an exhibition hall, innovation labs, and a fine art gallery, each with an emerging-tech focus.
For tickets and additional information, visit infinityfestival.com.
Luxury carmaker Lexus is returning to support the Esports Awards for a third year running
As Official Auto Partner of the awards, the company will be working with the Esports Awards on a number of activations that incorporate their vehicles. Lexus will also sponsor both the Esports Organisation of the Year and Streamer of the Year awards.
Lexus made its esports debut with the Esports Awards in 2019, when it provided several supercars from blockbuster movies, which took centre stage at the Esports Stadium Arlington. Last year, the carmaker collaborated on exclusive content as part of the highly successful virtual ceremony.
“It’s an honour to be able to welcome Lexus as a partner for the third year in a row. After supporting us through a successful virtual ceremony last year, it speaks volumes that Lexus has once again committed to going all-in and driving the esports ecosystem forward. Both of our brands focus on prestige and excellence, and I look forward to showcases our joint values as we return to a physical event in November,” said Michael Ashford, Managing Director, Esports Awards.
Jordanian esports organisation Desert Fox Racing has joined Swiss gamified fan engagement platform Blocksport.io.
The partnership will see the launch of an exclusive Desert Fox Racing mobile app to help boost the growth of the organisation’s Middle East fan community.
Desert Fox was launched by a group of friends with a passion for sim racing, but has quickly grown into a digital racing community backed by an organised club. It has now managed over 100 races and 4 championships, making it one of the Middle East’s most experienced digital motorsport solutions providers.
Regarding the collaboration, Vladimir Liulka, Blocksport’s Co-Founder and CEO, said: “We are delighted to have signed with Desert Fox Racing as we see this Esports organization with big potential and as one of the innovative and forward-thinking esports organizations in the Middle East region. Welcome on board, guys!”
Mamdouh Younis, CEO of Desert Fox Racing, added: “We are very excited to start this next chapter with our Desert Fox Racing Community and to utilize such a professional fan engagement solutions provider as Blocksport”
Staying with Blocksport, last month, the platform announced a partnership with betting brand Mozzart.
Riot Games has announced a new competitive circuit for Teamfight Tactics, the team-building PvP strategy game, entitled Teamfight Tactics Rising Legends: Gizmos and Gadgets.
Taking place from November 2021 to March 2022, and operated by GGTech Entertainment, players from the EMEA region will fight it out for a share of a €43,000 prize pool.
Based on the new Gizmos and Gadgets Set, the competition will allow players to earn points and qualify for the EMEA Finals through Ranked matches in-game or Golden Spatula Cups. Furthermore, local tournaments will be hosted, culminating in the TFT Rising Legends Superbrawl, a regional nation-based event. Throughout the whole circuit, 32 players will be advancing to the regional Finals.
- Golden Spatula Cups: three Cups will be hosted in December, January, and March. Players will be able to qualify through Ranked play or by participating in the corresponding Open Qualifiers
- Rising Legends Superbrawl: an 8-region tournament consisting of 2 players representing each region, fighting for two slots in the EMEA Finals
- Rising Legends EMEA Finals: the best players in the EMEA region will meet in this event, where players will fight for one for the four spots at the TFT World Championship
All the TFT action will be covered in English on the official Twitch channel: twitch.tv/teamfighttactics
More information on the tournament, broadcast, and how to participate will be published on the official tournament website: risinglegends.gg
US-based gaming lifestyle brand XSET has partnered with Monster Mash for a Halloween NFT collaboration.
The partnership will see several XSET players feature as creatures on Monster Mash, which is home to 10,000 randomly generated monsters drawn by artist Vance Kelly. Each of the XSET branded digital ghouls is made up of over 400 traits and will haunt the Ethereum blockchain for eternity.
“Monster Mash has been making a lot of noise in the NFT space, who doesn’t like Monsters right?” said Greg Selkoe, co-founder and CEO of XSET. “So we decided to make this XSET’s first NFT collab. We know that the fans of both brands are going to be excited to collect these super-rare pieces.”
“I think it’s really exciting to be working with XSET to add another integral layer to the Monster Mash brand with the inclusion of XSET’s players as some of the Monsters themselves. It widens our Monster universe and brings it into today’s cultural world,” says Hugo Stevenson, founder and CEO of Road Crates, Inc.
Owners of Monster NFTs are able to access the metaverse members-only world of MM Express, featuring a creative community platform for building new monsters for future air drops, live, in-person events, killer merchandise, and much more. Each unique NFT is stored as ERC-721 tokens on the Ethereum Blockchain and hosted on IPFS, and can be purchased for 0.08 ETH + gas fees.
According to XSET, the branded monster NFTs are just the first of a number of upcoming initiatives, with more details to be announced in the near future.
Staying with XSET, earlier this month, the brand announced the beta launch of StreamJ, a new digital rights management (DRM) and license-free music platform specifically designed for gaming streamers and creators.
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