Guild reveal plans to emulate 100 Thieves merch drops and start esports academy

British esports organization Guild have shared how they plan to grow over the next year, including plans to release “exclusive and limited edition” merchandise drops and launching their new academy system.

The public company, which is co-owned by former professional footballer David Beckham, held their annual general meeting to answer questions from their shareholders.

Guild detailed many pillars of their business throughout the meeting, discussing sponsorships, entering new games, their upcoming academy, Beckham’s involvement, merchandise, and their forthcoming London headquarters.

The academy initiative has been discussed since they launched in June 2020, but the Q&A session finally divulged more details on an aspect of the business that was previously shrouded in mystery.

Described as an “online portal and physical athlete-development system,” Guild Academy is said to be modeled “on the success” of the Premier League and “inspired” by their co-owner, Beckham, who has been involved in its creation.

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The online aspect of the academy will provide a training system for gamers, delving into nutrition, exercise, and psychological support. The other aspect of the system will see Guild, once it launches in the second quarter of 2021, bring in and develop young players to “establish a large talent pool and player assets” for the org.

They too confirmed that they plan on selling or transferring these players to other clubs, like what’s seen in football, creating another pillar of revenue beyond merchandise, brand deals, and competing. The system will be “greater than any other esports team organisation” and is supported by their latest multi-million-pound sponsor, Subway.

On the clothing side, the British org seem to have taken inspiration from the popular North American brand 100 Thieves. While they acknowledge their strategy is at an “early stage” that is subject to change, they count exclusive, limited-edition collections on an “opportunistic basis” as part of their activities. 100T are sporadically releasing drops with scarce supply to drive up hype, much like their recent Enter Infinity collection, instead of having a core selection of products available around the clock.

They haven’t committed to an exact number of drops that fans can purchase annually, but they did also reveal that they would work with their content creators to create collaborative lines of apparel.