Back in the fall, it was announced that after a long and tedious negotiation process, three more teams were added to the list of ESL partners. They were FURIA, BIG and Heroic. Esports organizations that are part of the Louvre Agreement receive a guaranteed opportunity to participate in all seasons of the ESL Pro League, and also receive a share of the profits from them. Thus, in 2022 the number of ESL partner teams will reach fifteen.
Alexander Inglot, a representative of the ESL Pro League, gave an interview to HLTV, talking about the principles of selecting teams and the intricacies of concluding a deal. In total, more than forty teams applied to participate in the agreement, but many of them were eliminated due to their insufficient level or simply weak presence on the esports scene in recent times. Attention is also paid to how teams promote themselves – how they communicate with fans, what infrastructure they have, how much attention their performances attract. Inglot mentioned that this list of criteria itself deterred a number of applicants.
As a result of the initial selection, five candidates remained – FURIA, BIG and Heroic, as well as two other unnamed organizations. The final decision took into account not only how much money the teams could offer, but also their potential to attract additional attention to the game and enter new markets. In particular, FURIA was chosen because its participation in the partnership will help support the development of esports in Brazil. Inglot also noted that the maximum number of partner teams is still 16, and there are no plans to increase this ceiling.
