In The News
TaxWatch, an investigative think tank, is alleging Rockstar Games has not “paid any UK corporation tax since 2009,” GI.biz’s Haydn Taylor reports. “The report claims the game giant has also pocketed £42 million in Video Game Tax Relief between 2015 and 2017; the figure accounts for 19% of all tax credits granted to the British games industry since the relief was introduced in 2014.”
Fire Emblem: Three Houses character Male Byleth is having his lines re-recorded in a future patch due to “several accusations of abusive behavior against his voice actor, Chris Niosi, surfaced over the past week. Some people also accused him of having the tendency to break NDAs. Niosi’s credits include other anime and video game titles, including Mob Psycho 100, Octopath Traveler, Pokémon and Sailor Moon,” Engadget’s Mariella Moon reports.
The Nintendo Switch has an unofficial Android port, TechRadar’s Harry Domanski writes. “The firmware is based on the Nvidia Shield TV operating system – LineageOS 15.1, which itself is based on Android 8.1 – and can be used to browse the web, play mobile games, and (theoretically) anything else you could do on a mobile device.”
Interviews: Cloudhead Games’ Antony Stevens and Cameron Oltman (GI.biz), Microsoft’s Satya Nadella (Fortune), Nihon Falcom’s Toshihiro Kondo (GameStop).
Extra Esports News:
Bulkhead Interactive is making a $650,000 investment into esports “for its Second World War shooter, Battalion 1944,” Taylor writes. “Revealing its 12-month roadmap, the British game developer suggested there will be more esports funding available in the future.”
FaZe Clan:
FaZe Clan’s New York pop-up had to be shut down by police because it was too popular. “Faze Clan had only expected hundreds of fans to show-up and made arrangements accordingly. But, due to many people showing up things got out of hand and police had to shut down the pop-up shop for safety and security reasons,” TalkEsports’ Prateek Jain writes.
IN: Deaf streamer Ewok joined FaZe Clan.
Partnerships & Sponsorships:
Gen.G Esports and Meta Threads are partnering, TEO’s Andrew Hayward writes. “Meta Threads will produce Gen.G apparel beginning with a 2019 Pro Jersey, available now.”
Betway is working with PSG.LGD to the tune of “a six-figure global partnership,” ESI’s Adam Fitch reports. “The deal includes a jersey and jacket sponsorship, collaborative content creation, and social media promotion.”
JD Sports, HyperX and Samsung are partnering for “its JDX esports competition. The deal will see both brands provide gaming equipment for the JDX Gaming qualifiers and finals, in which the latter will take place at MediaCityUK dock10 in Salford on August 3rd,” ESI’s Laura Byrne writes.
Snickers and Pizza Hut are sponsoring Madden NFL 20 Championship Series, Hayward reports. “SNICKERS will return as a sponsor, while Pizza Hut is a new addition. Players will compete in the new in-game Pizza Hut Stadium during majors.”
Happy weekend birthday Cho “Maru” Seong, Ju Jens “Snute” Aasgaard and Kevin “Harstem” de Koning!