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Vainglory developers Super Evil Megacorp have announced the initial details of the Vainglory Team Franchise Program.
The company is inviting pro teams and organisations to become a member of the franchise program, and if they do they will receive benefits such as a share of revenue from broadcast rights, ticket sales and sponsorships, collaboration on digital and physical merchandise sales and they will be involved in the planning of the eSports competitions.
A governing advisory council will be formed of the partnered teams, and this council will be consulted on all changes to Vainglory eSports. Changes to scheduling, league format, picks, bans, hero balance and more will entail a consultation period with Franchise holders before being introduced.
Interestingly the franchised teams will not be guaranteed a slot in the top levels of competition, instead the focus will be creating “a deep, healthy, growing competitive ecosystem.”
“At the start of the year, our live esports events were organized by a set of community and player volunteers,” said Kristian Segerstrale, COO and Executive Director at Super Evil Megacorp. “Now we are taking a major step with the Vainglory Team Franchise Program to deepen our relationships with the pro teams that are committed to helping Vainglory esports grow. We are investing significant resources to help competitive teams level up their organizations and communities so we can together build a vibrant ecosystem that will define the future of esports.”
The franchise system will kick off with eight partners, with teams having until January 15th 2017 to sign up. The system will then be implemented during the Spring 2017 season with membership being reviewed annually.
Franchised teams will also be able to establish a home city. The home city program will allow teams to connect with the local fan community and players, through events and local pride, including hosting LAN parties and attending viewing events.
“Super Evil Megacorp has done a remarkable job at taking a virtually home-grown competitive community and elevating it to a professional esports structure in just a year, complete with team voices, sensible financial models and a fresh way to approach local communities,” said Andy Dinh, Team SoloMid (TSM). “The new TSM Vainglory house in Las Vegas is a great example of how the community has grown over the last year and we can’t wait to help shape the future of esports with the leader of the touchscreen category, Super Evil.”
The news comes just before the first ever Vainglory World Championships are due to take place. The event kicks off at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood tomorrow with top teams from around the world battling it out to become world champions.
