ALGS Partnership programme unveiled – EA seeking to up support

EA has officially unveiled a revamped ALGS Partnership Programme ahead of ALGS year 4. The announcement comes in the wake of several notable organizations departing the scene, all citing a lack of support and financial issues.

The programme, which includes 12 teams, may calm recent criticism leveled at EA and the ALGS about a lack of support for organizations. It includes a financial stipend, as well as media and content support.

EA were keen to express that this programme has existed since the start of the esport, but that they "feel like this is the right time to elaborate further on our commitment to the ALGS, and the players and teams that make this esport so special."

The programme will be open to 12 teams. EA selected these teams after an application process.

"The 12 teams ultimately selected were chosen based on a number of factors, including their commitment to the ALGS ecosystem, past competitive performance, and their overall willingness to continue partnering with us in new and interesting ways to grow the ALGS."

Notably, these organizations have all held ALGS teams for some time, with the exception of Disguised who first picked up a team before the ALGS Championship this September.

While the programme has existed in the past, EA are touting some additional aspects we have not seen before.

A notable one is the opportunity to host licenced tournaments. If organizations were to hold their own events more often, with support from EA, that would address another common complaint about the esport.

Additionally, content is becoming more and more important in esports. The programme is clearly identifying that EA and ALGS can do a lot to support teams and allow them to reap the benefits of their roster. There is no doubt that some of the big personalities in the game can be underutilised at times.

Also key, is the financial stipend that the ALGS will be providing to the partner teams "in order to help them establish a stable base on which to build their competitive programmes."

Disguised Toast had recently revealed that his organization was looking to pick up a new ALGS team ahead of Year 4. The organization signed DNO ahead of the ALGS Championship, but only on a short term basis. It is likely that their acceptance onto the programme is a key factor in keeping one of the most fashionable and exciting teams in the esport.

Commenting, Jeremy “Disguised Toast” Wang, CEO & Founder, Disguised said: "When I tuned into the ALGS Championship a few months ago, I started to get very invested in the games, the players, and the scene in general. The fanbase is incredibly passionate and the watch parties were so fun to host. It's an esport I can see us being in for a long time with the support of EA, and I'm excited to have Disguised as a partnered team for 2024."

The fact that the secretive Partnership Programme is being more formally discussed by EA shows that they are taking seriously the number of organizations that have left the ALGS. Team Liquid, Cloud 9, Spacestation Gaming, G2, NRG, KCP and most recently 100 Thieves have all cited very similar reasons for their departures.

There is no doubt that the existence of the programme is a good thing for the ALGS. Keeping those core organizations that have formed the heart of the ALGS in the esport is key and to lose even more big names would have been catastrophic for the scene.

However, this programme does not have any new organizations (perhaps with the exception of Disguised) and clearly it was not enough to convince teams like NRG and 100 Thieves to stay around.

Another notable factor is that the vast majority of these teams are from North America. There is a distinct lack of organizations, especially in the EMEA region. Clearly, there is work to do here to strengthen smaller regions.

The hope from EA must be that publicly discussing this programme will allay concerns of players and fans. It might also show organizations that are considering entering the ALGS that there is a programme they could earn a spot on in the future.

Undoubtedly, this is progress for the ALGS and will provide a strong foundation throughout ALGS Year 4.

The 12 ALGS Partnership Programme teams will begin their campaigns when the Pro League starts in January. In the meanwhile, track all roster changes ahead of ALGS returning with our handy roster tracker. Then, for more coverage of the ALGS, stay with esports.gg.