It all started deep in a match of Counter-Strike back in 2015. We were in a tournament with players we met online when it became clear that one team was cheating. This got us talking. Cheating was always such a big problem in the amateur tournaments we could take part in and the eSports industry didn’t seem care since we weren’t professionals. As avid gamers, we knew how much potential there was for amateur competition in games like Counter-Strike. That’s why we decided to found Yamzu, an eSports platform for gamers like us, and foster a community around fair competition.
Yamzu so far
In the past two years, Yamzu has grown into a community of 10,000 players around the world. We worked with gamers to design the best eSports platform for all levels of competition. Our research showed us that stand-alone software can get in the way and make joining more difficult. We created a one of a kind eSports tournament platform that can work in any Web browser. This way it’s easy for gamers of all levels, anywhere in the world, to take part. Currently, we support the two most popular eSports games, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and League of Legends, and we’re getting ready to integrate many more popular titles such as DOTA2, Call of Duty, Battlefield, and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. We tailored Yamzu to suit not only the needs of players and teams battling for prizes, but also to enable brands, influencers, and organizations to set up their own tournaments, and to allow sponsors to reach new eSports audiences. All of this has allowed us to grow by 300% annually in just two years of activity.
The future of Yamzu
We’re now ready to take Yamzu to the next level. The emergence of blockchains, tokens, and smart contracts allows us to find new ways of creating an eSports platform that’s accessible to gamers, organizers, and sponsors of every level. Implementing this new technology into our existing platform will help us grow into a leading eSports tournament provider. Our experience and existing community give us a competitive edge. We’ve surveyed the eSports landscape and our features and ethos set our blockchain-enabled platform apart. Yamzu is free to use without a subscription fee. Players have the freedom to choose their team and their opponents. Multi-team tournaments will always be free to create, and our platform treats players, affiliates, brands and sponsors the same.
Blockchains are databases that are secure without third parties. They store data across a peer to peer network, so that every computer participating in the network stores a full copy of the data. Tokens are digital money stored on a blockchain that make it possible to transact without worrying that a single token can be used twice. For this reason, blockchains are called ‘trustless’, which means that people can transact without needing to be able to trust that the other is doing what they say they’re doing. Smart Contracts take this one step further and allow for irreversible transactions to be automated. Payments can be initiated only once certain conditions are satisfied. Blockchains make eSports more transparent, secure and enable fair competition.
Decentralizing eSports
Blockchains, tokens, and smart contracts will enable Yamzu to make improvements in three main areas of eSports: automation, monetization, and sponsorship, while at the same time lowering the overall cost of running the platform.
With smart contracts, Yamzu solves eSport’s trust problem. Scams and cheating are big business in eSports, especially at the amateur level. People with no intention to pay out prizes use the branding of well-known organizers and trolls reverse payments weeks after having made them. Yamzu will hold prize pools securely in smart contracts before tournaments can take place. Once the results have been verified, the funds are automatically released to the winner. This will prevent the fraudulent payout of prize pools and make sure players get the awards they’re promised. It won’t be necessary to be able to trust the sponsor or organizer because the prize will need to be there before any matches can take place, and there will be no way for it to be taken back. Winners are not required to send screenshots or any other proof of victory. Results update in real time so that all the interested parties can review the results of the match.
The YMZ token will transform the way payments and in-platform purchases are made while enabling the distribution of value back to the community. Currently, Yamzu’s payment system falls into three areas: payments in fiat currencies like the dollar, euro, and krona, prizes in Yamzu Points, and in-platform purchases in Yamzu Points. All Yamzu Points will be converted into YMZ tokens. User will have access to an internal exchange where they will be able to exchange fiat currencies for YMZ tokens to be used for prize pools, tournament entry fees, in-platform transactions, and redeeming other prizes. The exchange will also allow users to convert YMZ back into a fiat currency. YMZ will grant access to new features that can generate additional sources of value: meetings with sponsors, streaming, in-game items, and increased visibility. To maintain the value of the token, Yamzu will implement a burning mechanism to remove YMZ from circulation, burning 5% of all tokens received by Yamzu. Players are incentivized to hold YMZ tokens instead of selling them, and bonuses will be awarded based on a player’s balance.
Blockchains allow us to store data in a secure way without the need for a third party. This lowers the cost and efficiency of running an eSports platform, meaning that Yamzu can allow players, organizers, and sponsors to create tournaments of any size, skill level, and budget. By becoming a sponsor on Yamzu, companies of any size can reach our community of gamers. Setting up an event is completely free of charge and the only fee due to Yamzu to continue providing the services is paid as a small percentage (12.5–15%) or the prize pool. Sponsors can decide to organize the tournament completely on their own or they can rely on Yamzu’s expertise to support their project.
Fostering a community around fair competition
The fateful Counter-Strike game in 2015 could never be possible on the Yamzu we are now building. eSports should be transparent and secure, and accessible to all. Blockchains, tokens, and smart contracts put gamers, organizers and sponsors of all levels in control as the industry continues to grow. Peer to peer gaming is about leveling playing field and sharing value with the gaming community. Yamzu is determined to be at the cutting edge, to foster a worldwide community around fair competition.
