In The News
Machinima’s YouTube channel “was effectively wiped from the internet … with no public announcement or advanced warning to many creators,” Kotaku’s Zack Zwiezen reports. “All videos on the channel are now private, making them unable to view. The news quickly spread across social media, with fans and creators sharing their stories and information about the shutdown using the hashtag #RIPMachinima.”
Square Enix trademarked “two terms associated with the visual style of its hit role-playing game, Octopath Traveler,” GI.biz’s Matthew Handrahan writes. “Square Enix has trademarked the terms ‘HD2D’ and ‘HD-2D’ in Europe.”
Dean Trotman, formerly of Sega Europe, joined Sumo Digital as its commercial director.
An unknown number of Iron Tiger Studios employees have been laid off, Gamasutra’s Chris Kerr reports. “The company had been working on an unannounced title, but that project is now being handed over to a third party developer.”
United Label is CI Games’ “new publishing label … dedicated to indie developers and already has four games in its repertoire,” Gamasutra’s Emma Kidwell writes.
Tencent and NetEase still aren’t feeling the love from China as its third wave of game approvals went out. Ninety-three games were approved, South China Morning Post’s Zheping Huang reports. “Licence approvals tend to be granted in the order they are received so titles from Tencent and NetEase may still be on a waiting list.”
Ammobox utilized a DMCA takedown request to remove its own game from Steam, GI.biz’s Brendan Sinclair reports. “In announcing the unusual move on the game’s Steam page, the developer explained that the DMCA notice was served over issues with Eximius’ original publisher, TheGameWall Studios.”
Probably don’t talk about punching chicks in the face around Twitch. Dot Esports’ Luke Goodling reports that streamer Viikzy has been banned after saying he wanted to “fucking punch her [Kaylee] in the goddamn face.” Lovely.
Extra Esports News:
Riotgames sat on top for most channel hours watched on Twitch in the last week at 2.88 million. Ninja came in 2nd with 1.79 million, esl_csgo in 3rd with 1.74 million and nickmercs in 4th with 1.53 million, TEO reports.
The majority owner of Infinite Esports & Entertainment “is preparing to offer its stake in the multiteam esports organization for sale at a price tag of $150 million or more,” ESPN’s Jacob Wolf reports.
Looks like Ninjas in Pyjamas is at least looking around the Call of Duty space. They tweeted at Team Space’s Mike “Spacey” Schmale asking, “is @CallofDuty fun?” Team Space qualified for the Pro League over the weekend.
We Are Nations acquired Sector Six, TEO’s Max Miceli reports. “Infinite Esports & Entertainment had previously invested in Sector Six last March. The acquisition will allow Sector Six to expand into Europe this year.”
Heroes of the Storm players are suing Naventic “former owner James Ross Elliot II,” Dot Esports’ Nicole Carpenter reports. They are reportedly “owed more than $50,000 in earnings.”
Partnerships:
Montreal Impact and BMO’s partnership is expanding to include esports, Esports Insider’s Adam Fitch reports. “Montreal Impact competes in eMLS, a FIFA competition that includes teams from Major League Soccer.”
UCI and HitmarkerJobs.com are partnering, Fitch writes. “The deal will see HitmarkerJobs.com help with the promotion of UCI’s Division of Continuing Education’s online esports courses.”
Esportspedia and Roundhill Investments are partnering for “#esports glossary, a listing of terms and definitions all gamers/gaming investors should know.”
OUT: Nicole Carpenter is leaving Dot Esports. Her last day is Thursday.
Happy birthday Aleksandr “Bly” Svusuyk and Kwon “Sniper” Tae Hoon!