On November 30th, Complexity Gaming launched Complexity Stars, a division of gaming for celebrities and professional athletes. The UFC’s Max Holloway, NBA player J.R. Smith, Ronnie Staley and Leonard Fournette of the NFL, and MLBer Edwin Rios are just a few of the celebrities signed to Complexity Stars’ esports roster.
“We are launching Complexity Stars with huge names in sports and entertainment,” said Justin Kenna, CEO of GameSquare Esports, which is the parent company of Complexity Gaming. “Complexity Stars provides a platform for professional athletes and celebrities to connect with gamers in an authentic way. We are excited to launch Complexity Stars with its founding members, and we look forward to adding more athlete and celebrity gamers to build the platform. Gaming is the core of Complexity Stars and an incredibly engaging way to connect gamers, athletes, and celebrities, authentically.”
Complexity has a three-pronged approach for how it wants to take on this new initiative. They will help each celebrity by organizing tournaments, aiding with content creation, and finding appropriate brand partnerships.
Since being established in 2003, Complexity Gaming has evolved into one of North America’s most famous esports organizations. Some of the titles it competes in are FIFA, Fortnite, VALORANT, and Apex Legends.
The Profit‘s Take:
I’m not convinced this is a good idea. YouGov data shows that there isn’t much of an overlap between these two audiences. This is the most basic thinking. “Wow, they have a million followers, let’s put them in front of the screen.” I get it. It has a short-term impact and gives you a brief boost, but it is not at all effective long-term because the novelty wears off. I didn’t know a single “celebrity” they listed on their roster. I feel like the gaming audience would want to watch xQc play video games rather than (*checks notes*) Max Holloway. There is a ceiling in the gaming space for traditional sports stars and celebrities. There are only so many people who care to watch (*checks notes again*) Max Holloway play Fortnite at an average level. This isn’t that exciting as far as content goes. These kinds of things are so overhyped that we often forget to ask if it’s even good entertainment? I have watched pro athletes stream before. They have always been incredibly boring! I am a huge fan of F1 and Lando Norris. I tuned in to his stream the first time he played games online. It was pretty cool and interesting. The next time I tuned in, I thought, “okay, this is still kind of cool.” I haven’t watched a stream of his since then. I don’t want to watch athletes playing video games at an average to below-average level.
(All information was provided by Business Wire, Complexity Gaming, Esports Insider, and Gamesquare)
0 comments on “Complexity Launches Gaming Division For Celebrities And Pro Athletes”