Your Gaming and Esports Update

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Subspace Closes $26M

Internet traffic management organization Subspace has launched publicly and has revealed that it has raised USD$26m in funding led by Lux Capital. The Los Angeles-based firm received the funding in 2018 to develop its hardware and software solutions which it uses to reduce latency across online multiplayer gaming, with executives planning on expanding this to streaming and video conferencing. Subspace, which despite operating in stealth has purportedly generated “eight-figure” revenue sums in the last year, was not due to enter the public domain this early according to company executives, however, the spike in traffic to its target sectors caused by the coronavirus pandemic proved an enticing opportunity.

SteelSeries Acquires A-Volute

Danish peripherals manufacturer SteelSeries has announced the acquisition of gaming audio software developer A-Volute for an undisclosed sum. The rationale behind the purchase of the French firm, best known for its Nahimic audio processing platform, was to complement the SteelSeries Engine audio software product, which in turn is integrated into the Arctis range of audio headsets. At this stage it is unclear whether there will be any relocations or layoffs of A-Volute’s 20 engineers across its offices in France, Singapore, and Taiwan. The acquisition represents a successful exit for A-Volute’s investors, Nord France Amorçage and Paris Angel Capital, who have funded the company to the tune of €3.7m in funding rounds in 2015 and 2017.

FaZe Clan Raises Undisclosed Funding

North American organization FaZe Clan has closed its latest funding round, which was led by entrepreneur Jimmy Iovine. Perhaps known best for being the co-founder of both Beats Electronics and Interscope Records, Iovine led the round alongside NTWRK — a platform he’s invested in that his son, Jamie Iovine, co-founded. Following the investment, NTWRK has acquired the global direct-to-consumer product rights for FaZe Clan. The platform has previously released limited-edition merchandise for the likes of LeBron James and Billie Eilish.The amount raised in the funding round was not disclosed, nor were any other contributors. In January, FaZe Clan entered into a $22.7 million (£17.4 million) convertible loan facility with Canaccord Genuity serving as the exclusive financial advisor.

Updates

Bugsplat and EQU8 Anti-Cheat Partner to Offer a Pre-Release Package

There’s a lot to consider when you’re building a game, but one thing that a team shouldn’t have to worry about is expensive and difficult to maintain tools. That’s why BugSplat and EQU8 have partnered to offer a pre-release package to aid in the development and launch of new games. Through this partnership, studios and developers building a new game get access to a package tested to work well together of world-class bug reporting and anti-cheat tools for a significant discount compared to comparable technologies. BugSplat helps you better understand what happens when your application crashes during use. EQU8 is a client-centric anti-cheat system for online PC games built on three major cornerstones; user-friendliness, a flexible & accurate management system, and lightweight anti-cheat technology.

Facebook Gaming Launches Esports Tournaments

Facebook Gaming is launching tournaments for esports amateurs today in early access across the globe. In the era of social distancing, Facebook believes that games can bring us together. While the tournament feature was in the works for a while, Facebook decided to release it early to help people cope better while in isolation because of the coronavirus, said Mina Abouseif, the head engineer behind Facebook Gaming tournaments, in an interview with GamesBeat. Facebook continues to roll out more gaming features as they look to keep their 1B DAUs even more engaged.

Call of Duty League Resume COD League

The Call of Duty League has announced it will be returning in an online format this weekend. Matches will continue to follow the mini-tournament format last seen during the Los Angeles Home Series won by the Dallas Empire on March 7–8. The league will then run a new mini-tournament every two weeks until July 10, when weekly tournaments will begin for the remaining three weeks of the schedule. The new schedule will mark the first time Call of Duty League will compete on Fridays instead of only Saturday and Sunday.

Twitter: @taylor_konvoy