Guild Esports

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Guild Esports PLC
FormerlyThe Lords Esports
TypePublic
LSE: GILD
IndustryEsports
FoundedSeptember 2019 (September 2019)
Headquarters16 Northumberland Avenue
London,
United Kingdom
Key people
  • EC: Carleton Curtis[1][2]
  • CEO: Kalum Lee Hourd[1]
Owners
WebsiteOfficial website

Guild Esports PLC (previously The Lords Esports) is a United Kingdom-based professional esports company founded in 2019. The company is co-owned by former professional football player David Beckham and launched globally in June 2020. Guild Esports was the first esports firm to be publicly traded in the United Kingdom. The organisation has competitive teams in Fortnite, Rocket League, FIFA, and Valorant.[2]

History[]

The Guild Esports was founded in September 2019 under the name The Lords Esports.[4] Later that year, the company sold 11.7% of its shares to investment firm Blue Star Capital for GB£150,000 (US$195,000). In June 2020, The Lords Esports raised an additional GB£5 million (US$6.5 M) in private funding, with former professional football player David Beckham acquiring a "significant minority stake" in the company, and rebranded to Guild Esports.[5] The company made its shares available through its initial public offering (IPO) on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) in September 2020, making Guild Esports the first publicly traded esports organization on the LSE, and raised GB£20 million (US$25.53 M) through the IPO.[6] In September 2021, it was announced that Guild had become main shirt sponsors of League of Ireland Premier Division club Finn Harps, meaning the brand would also feature in FIFA 22 on the club's shirts.[7]

Esports[]

In November 2020, Guild Esports created their Fortnite division.[8] In March 2021, the team won the Fortnite Champion Series European Grand Finals.[9] The next month, the organisation's Rocket League team won the Rocket League Championship Series EU Spring Regional.[10]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Guild Esports Board of Directors". Guild Esports. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  2. ^ a b Gardner, Matt. "How Guild Esports Aims To Change Competitive Gaming Forever". Forbes. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d "Guild Esports Significant Shareholders". Guild Esports. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  4. ^ Seck, Tobias (25 June 2020). "David Beckham Co-Owned Guild Esports Launches, Seeks $31M Investment". The Esports Observer. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  5. ^ Seck, Tobias (10 September 2020). "Opinion: Why Guild Esports' IPO Plans Should Raise Red Flags". The Esports Observer. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  6. ^ Shead, Sam (2 October 2020). "David Beckham-backed esports firm IPOs on London Stock Exchange". CNBC. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  7. ^ Šimić, Ivan (30 September 2021). "Guild Esports partners with Irish football club Finn Harps FC".
  8. ^ Gardner, Matt (19 November 2020). "'Fortnite' Top-20 Player Joins Beckham's Guild Esports". Forbes. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  9. ^ Gardner, Matt. "Guild Esports Smashes Expectations, Wins First Major Trophy In 'Fortnite'". Forbes. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  10. ^ Gardner, Matt. "Huge 'Rocket League' Win Gives Guild Esports Its Second Major Trophy". Forbes. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
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