ESL FACEIT group acquire Vindex in a bid to expand capabilities to build worlds beyond gameplay in physical and virtual environments.
The ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) announced its acquisition of Vindex today. Vindex is a global leader in esports technology and infrastructure. The acquisition is meant to strengthen the capabilities of EFG to unify and engage more fans, players, and creators around the games and esports they love across geographies. Vindex and EFG will be leveraging both their expertise and complementary skills to drive innovation for publishers, brands, and video game communities globally.
The transaction closed on February 17, 2023. Financial terms were not disclosed. Goldman Sachs acted as the exclusive financial advisor to ESL FACEIT Group and Savvy Games, the parent company of ESL FACEIT Group, on the transaction. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC acted as financial advisor to Vindex LLC.
“The unmatched expertise and talent of our combined teams are the catalyst to drive our mission to build worlds beyond gameplay around the games fans love.”
Together, they are well-positioned to accelerate global growth and level up both brands' infrastructure and production capabilities.
“By joining forces with EFG, we are bringing together the best of video games and esports under one roof. EFG is the global leader in the industry and being part of the ESL FACEIT Group will allow us to not only expand our global footprint but also leverage our complementary technology stack to deliver a comprehensive suite of products and services to drive engagement.”
Benefits of the partnership between EFG and Vindex
The proposed benefits of the acquisition for both parties include:
- Combined expertise in building innovative video game ecosystems will unite players, fans, teams, and creators.
- Strengthened geographic footprint of event production and studio capabilities across the United States, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Japan will drive modern engagement of the digital generation.
- Added expertise to build out and grow DreamHack festivals in the United States.
- Deepened broadcast and consumer insights through VIP to inform and better design content and experiences for gamers globally.
- As part of the transaction, Belong Gaming Arenas will become a stand-alone entity and will continue to operate independently.
- Vindex companies Esports Engine and Vindex Intelligence Platform will be part of EFG and continue to provide existing world-class solutions and services to their partners and clients and will benefit from additional resources leveraged from the wider ESL FACEIT Group.
Mike Sepso will continue to serve as CEO and Sundance DiGiovanni as Chief Strategy Officer at Vindex while taking on leadership roles within EFG.
Who is Vindex?
Vindex’s portfolio of esports infrastructure companies offers end-to-end solutions to serve the video games industry.
Their two major products are Esports Engine and the Vindex Intelligence Platform. Esports Engine leads in video games, esports, and creator-driven content production across broadcast, physical, and metaverse events and Vindex Intelligence Platform provides brands, publishers, and creators with robust omnichannel consumer data and analytics.
The ESL FACEIT Group
The ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) is the leading esports and video game entertainment company dedicated to creating worlds beyond gameplay where players and fans become a community. EFG is built on a legacy of world-renowned brands including ESL, FACEIT, DreamHack, and DreamHack Sports Games, providing innovative ecosystems for global communities of players, fans, and creators around the games they love.
Working alongside leading partners, brands, and global IPs, EFG operates an unmatched portfolio of live events, digital platforms, and developer tools that reach and engage millions of gamers worldwide.
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