Esports may be considered the future by many, both young people who dream of becoming professional players and those creating new teams in the field. Brazil has the third-largest audience, leading Latin America and trailing only China and the United States, with an audience of around 17.7 million people, equivalent to 8.5% of the Brazilian population. And where there is an audience, it is worth investing.
Esports are currently not fully "legalized" in Brazil. The category is not yet regulated under national parameters and does not have the same obligations as a soccer team. There has been certification from the Ministry of Sports since 2017 for the esports category, but it does not carry the same weight as a regulatory law would. Such a law is even viewed as necessary by many game developers, because regulating the segment could encourage greater support from the general public, providing players with more stability and teams active on the Brazilian scene with greater security.
However, even with the category facing an uncertain future in the country, the popularization of esports within the sporting world has attracted new attention in recent years. Brazilian soccer clubs decided to invest in creating teams for these competitions. We selected some of them so you can learn more about the teams.
Santos FC
Santos FC was the first Brazilian club to invest in the world of esports through a partnership with team Dexterity in 2015, but the partnership between the teams lasted only two years. The split occurred because Santos believed it should forge an autonomous path and that the field should be promising for the club. Thus, the group is now called Santos E-Sports.
The team is "new" compared with others that have been competing since 2012. Its greatest international achievements came through Electronic Arts' FPS game Battlefield. In addition to that game, Santos E-Sports competes in other titles such as Call of Duty, CrossFire, Rainbow Six: Siege, and League of Legends.
Valencia FC
This trend did not catch on only in Brazil. The Spanish club Valencia FC also decided to invest starting in 2016, becoming Valencia Football Club eSports. Unlike Santos FC, which began through a partnership, the club started investing in the segment independently of any partnership.
The group currently participates in competitions for Rocket League, Hearthstone, League of Legends, and FIFA.
Corinthians FC
Like most Brazilian clubs, Corinthians FC decided to invest through a partnership with a team already active in esports, in this case Red Canids. However, the partnership that began in November 2017 ended six months later. According to reports, the teams separated by mutual agreement. One alleged reason was that the team was not performing well enough in terms of qualifying for championships, demonstrating that the partnership was not working for either party.
Despite the brief six-month partnership, the team then known as Red Corinthians still managed to participate in the 2018 Challenger Circuit and the Brazilian League of Legends Championship.
Paris Saint-Germain FC
The French club Paris Saint-Germain was not left out either and started a club division for esports investment in 2016. While some teams end partnerships to gain autonomy, the club formed a partnership with China's LGD Gaming to create a Dota 2 team, becoming PSG.LGD.
The club currently participates in the following competitions: Dota 2, FIFA, Rocket League, and League of Legends.
The team is sponsored by Asus and the French company PMU esports.
Flamengo FC
In October 2017, Flamengo officially announced its newest division, its esports team, which took its first step by entering the 2018 League of Legends Challenger Circuit. That same year, the club signed one of Brazil's most recognized players, Felipe “brTT,” who remained with the team at that point, as well as experienced Korean player Jisu.
The team secured a place in the 2018 Brazilian League of Legends Championship with some difficulty, but performed well in the points phase, qualifying in second place for the Promotion Tournament and reaching the final. It faced Kabum and lost, becoming the championship runner-up.
In addition to League of Legends, the club also has a team for competitions in the soccer game PES.
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And it does not stop there: Brazilian soccer clubs are establishing themselves in the area with increasing frequency. To mention other names, there are Goiás, Atlético Paranaense, Remo, Avaí, and ABC Futebol Clube, for example. Perhaps the club you support will also enter the segment—or is it already on this list?
