Immortals confirm OpTic Gaming buyout and reveal plans for the brand
Immortals Gaming Club have finally confirmed their acquisition of Infinite Esports and Entertainment, the parent company of Texas-Based organization OpTic Gaming, after much speculation.
The sale of Infinite Esports was officially confirmed by OpTic Gaming and Immortals on June 12, following earlier reports of the deal on June 7.
This acquisition is said to be the largest “change of control” deal in esports history, with Infinite Esports and Entertainment’s assets estimated to be valued at over $100 million.
OpTic Gaming’s Call of Duty roster looks set to remain under the OpTic brand.
In their press release, IGC listed out their plans for the upcoming year and the future of all of new major esports rosters.
Immortals Gaming Club now consists of Immortals, OpTic Gaming, LA Valiant, MIBR and the Houston Outlaws.
IGC acquires Infinite Esports & Entertainment.
Read more: https://t.co/LYq3V9hbrb pic.twitter.com/FRZsF6slNN
— Immortals (@Immortals) June 12, 2019
Call of Duty
The Call of Duty roster does not appear to be going anywhere with Immortals announcing that they recognize the value of OpTic Gaming as a premier Call of Duty brand and that the team will continue to be under the brand going forwards.
“Clearly OpTic is a premier Call of Duty brand,” said Peter Levin, Managing Director of Griffin Gaming Partners and Chairman of the IGC Board of Directors. “We are excited to work with our partners at Activision Blizzard to ensure that OpTic continues to play that leading role in Call of Duty’s future.”
OpTic Gaming posted a short statement, claiming that although they had new partners that they would remain as the same brand fans grew to love, saying, “New partners and a new future, but still OpTic. This is our legacy, this is our Duty. #Greenwall”
New partners and a new future, but still OpTic.
This is our legacy,
this is our Duty. #Greenwall pic.twitter.com/C67lmAa0L9— OpTic Gaming™ (@OpTicGaming) June 12, 2019
CS:GO
It appears as if OpTic’s CS:GO roster will be sold off individually or released following the transaction, as Immortals Gaming Club already have an active CS:GO roster in the fan-favorite Brazilian line-up, MIBR, explaining:
“Immortals Gaming Club, which already competes in CS:GO through its MIBR brand, will divest OpTic’s CS:GO team.”
League of Legends
Immortals has a rich history in North American League of Legends and many suspected that one of the primary reasons for the acquisition of Infinite Esports would be their LCS franchise spot after failing in bidding for their own in late 2017.
They announced that OpTic’s current LCS franchise spot will be re-branded to the Immortals, likely ahead of the 2020 LCS spring split, so that the brand “The LCS franchise will continue to operate under the OpTic name until rebranding to Immortals in 2020.”
Houston Outlaws will be temporarily managed by IGC before being sold to a third party.
Overwatch
As Immortals Gaming Club already have an Overwatch League team, LA Valiant, they will have to follow instructions by Blizzard to ensure that competitive integrity is maintained during the transition period.
The Houston Outlaws spot in the Overwatch League will be managed temporarily by IGC as a distinct entity for a period after the transfer before being sold on to a third party, they explained:
“On an interim basis, IGC will manage the Overwatch League’s Houston Outlaws franchise as a distinct entity with its own dedicated staff, pending the sale of the franchise to a third party. The Overwatch League will provide oversight and monitor the team operations to ensure competitive integrity during the transition period.”
OpTic Gaming are also known for their strong content creation team, which include members such as Hitch and BigTymeR, who recently started their own brand, Old Guard, after the Immortals buyout rumors.
It is unclear if they will have any role to play in the new OpTic Gaming or if they will be going their separate ways with their new pursuit.
There also appears to be no indication of what the future holds for OpTic Gaming’s Gears of War team, but more details are likely to be released soon regarding the roster’s next move.
Last updated June 12, 11:10AM EST.