100 Thieves reportedly raising $25 million for Call of Duty franchise spot
MLG / UnsplashCall of Duty franchised league.
Call of Duty esports is set to move in to a new franchised model for the 2020 season, with teams attempting to secure the rights to a location which the team will represent in the league.
One of the most sought after spots in the competition is the Los Angeles franchise, and according to reports 100 Thieves are hoping to raise more money in the hopes of locking down the California position.
First published by the New York Post, sources state that 100 Thieves, who had raised $25 million in funding in October 2018 according to Forbes, are now hoping to gain another $25 million cash injection which will likely be used to secure the L.A. CoD franchise.
The news comes just weeks after notorious Call of Duty leaker CoDBurner claimed that a bidding war was ongoing between teams attempting to lock down the Los Angeles spot from Activision, stating that the price had almost tripled from the original $25 million which a franchise would cost.
If successful, it’s believed that 100 Thieves would be the sole team based in Los Angeles in the Call of Duty franchise league, an ideal situation as the team’s headquarters and LCS teams are both based in the city.
100 Thieves secured some big name investors back in October in their first round of funding, bringing in music megastar Drake and talent agent Scooter Braun as co-owners of the organization.
Activision have already announced the first five franchises in the Call of Duty League, with Atlanta, Dallas, New York, Paris and Toronto all set to host teams who compete in the tournament.
With a number of teams rumored to be battling for the L.A. spot, it remains to be seen as to whether 100 Thieves can secure the funding they need to lock down the franchise.