Martin Marquardt · @MYQ_me
2nd Apr 2018 from TwitLonger
Comments & thoughts on the recent news of SK's Vainglory players - Farewell VG!
A few days ago we have been informed by SEMC that SK will no longer be part of the content/franchise program in 2018. The news came quite unexpected as the partnership has always been highly valued on both ends.
The news came especially surprising because we were about to release the first content pieces and rock the preseason with a newly formed but fully prepared 5v5 roster and additional staffing (KValafar, Tyruzz, Hegman, TetnoJJ, Hundor, Raph, Bayu and MiniMitre).
What does that mean now for the Players and SK?
The Players:
KValafar, Tyruzz, Hegman, Raph, Bayu were released with immediate effect from their contracts and are now free to seek new opportunities.
As mentioned above SK was planning to sign TetnoJJ, Hundor as players and the analyst MiniMitre. The whole squad has been training for almost two months now and have built a strong chemistry. Despite having no real competitive proving ground the results in scrims were more than promising.
The team is now looking to find a new home and will very likely come as a package deal. With still a few orgs out there likely to be part of a content program or such, I am sure the guys will find a good place to stay.
SK:
SK ventured into Vainglory in late 2015 as one of the first believers into mobile esports and its long-term success.
Ever since Vainglory has grown into a showcase model of how to bring a competitive core gaming experience to the mobile platform. Everyone’s got a reality check what can be expected in the future. Many titles now find more and more success in their respective mobile versions and the trend continues.
In 2017 SEMC put a franchise program in place with the focus on content creation to sustainably grow Vainglory as an esport and several new organizations jumped on it and became involved. It was all meant to take Vainglory to the next level, drive installs, create storylines and at last bring stability for organizations and the players. The initial expectations of the program succeeding were high but it shouldn’t be a secret that these expectations couldn’t be met by neither SEMC nor the franchisees.
We’ve been observing the recent actions carefully and seen other organizations already pulling out but still wanted to continue our journey with a great set of players and authentic content around them.
However it’s important to note that receiving financial support from SEMC has become crucial for organizations to run a Vainglory team of highly committed professional players at this point.
Therefore SK will take a step back from Vainglory but will still be involved with other grossing mobile esports titles - stay tuned for what’s coming next!
We are obviously proud of what we have achieved together with our players, the staff, SEMC and the community. The journey has been exciting and the overall experience gained priceless.
We are confident to say: “This is not the end and hopefully see you again soon!”
On a more personal note: It is with a heavy heart to let Vainglory go, in particular because it was the game which eventually was the door-opener for me to work in esports. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity: Vainglory as a game, its insanely creative/cool community, the visionary and smart developers and especially all the talented players I had the pleasure to work with (some of them have become real friends), has given me to prove, that with passion and dedication you can make your dreams come true.
In the present circumstances with SEMC also being under restructuring measures, it will be certainly more difficult for them to successfully make a transition into 5v5. I wish them honestly the best of luck though.
I am eagerly looking forward to a significant increase in player base which hopefully translates someday into an overall growth of interest in the game and viewership. However on short-term I expect the focus will be developing and refining key features of the game and the UI to create an overall better player experience. I am sure, the best years of Vainglory as an esport are yet to come!
Subsequently - Thanks everyone who has been part of this journey!
If you were expecting me to list down any names here - You weren’t ready to get rekt! 😎
Cheers,
MYQ