What do Drake, Rick Fox, and now David Beckham have in common? They’ve either had or currently have a hand in eSports.
English football’s erstwhile golden boy and former professional player, David Beckham, has announced that he’s now the proud co-owner of his very own eSports outfit, called Guild eSports.
Blue Star Capital and Beckham are funding the project as early investors and are hoping to raise £25 million to get the project off the ground. Helming the project as executive chairman is Carleton Curtis. His previous experience includes a hand in bringing to life the Overwatch League and Call of Duty League, as well senior eSports roles at Red Bull and Activision Blizzard.
As the press release explains, ‘Guild is developing a talent pipeline in the UK, based on the traditional academy model, with the intention that the most able esports players are coached and nurtured by industry leaders in order to attain the skill-set required to compete professionally. Guild’s intention is for a roster of scouts to continually find and sign the best young talent.’
Starting from Autumn this year, Guild aims to field rosters across various eSports, including the likes of FIFA, Fortnite, and Rocket League.
The former England international and Manchester United midfielder had this to say about the newly formed eSports team:
“Throughout my career I’ve been lucky enough to work with players at the top of their game, and I’ve seen first-hand the passion and dedication it takes to play at that level. I know that determination lives in our esports athletes today and at Guild we have a vision to set a new standard, supporting these players into the future. We are committed to nurturing and encouraging youth talent through our academy systems and I am looking forward to helping our Guild Esports team grow.”
As has become part and parcel of any eSports team worth its salt, Guild will have its own lifestyle apparel line designed by London-based artist Fergus Purcell, famed for collaborative projects with Paul Smith and Marc Jacobs among others.