eSports
CEOs of GameStop, FansUnite, ESE and Activision Blizzard Driving New Trends in E-Sports, I-Gaming and Digital Entertainment

Wall Street Reporter, the trusted name in financial news since 1843, has published reports on the latest comments and insights from leaders at: GameStop, ESE Entertainment, FansUnite, and Activision Blizzard, Inc.
The global video gaming industry took in an estimated $180bn in 2020 – more than sports and movies worldwide. Wall Street Reporter highlights the latest comments from industry thought leaders:
Activision Blizzard, Inc. CEO Bobby Kotick: “Billion Dollar Entertainment Franchises – With Momentum”
“…There are few entertainment franchises that generate over $1 billion in annual net bookings. And today we operate three of them: Call of Duty World of Warcraft and Candy Crush. And each has clear opportunity for sustained growth…For the balance of this year, we’re raising our outlook and we believe we will continue connecting and engaging more players than ever before in 2021.”
“…Call of Duty is the first community to benefit from our pursuit of this franchise based strategy. With over 100 million monthly players, the Call of Duty community is larger than ever before. And with expansion across all platforms the franchise has transformed into a truly social experience that engages and connects our players in truly epic ways. By expanding to mobile, we’ve brought in tens of millions of new players in countries far beyond our traditional audiences. With the game now in final large-scale testing in China and over 50 million players already preregistered, we see a clear path to continue growing Call of Duty’s reach, engagement, and player investment on mobile in the largest mobile gaming market in the world.”
ESE Entertainment CEO Konrad Wasiela: “E-Sports M&A Pipeline w/ $100 Million Revenues”
ESE Entertainment CEO Konrad Wasiela, a featured presenter at Wall Street Reporter’s NEXT SUPER STOCK investors livestream conference, recently updated investors on his goal of building ESE into a billions dollar global enterprise. Wasiela shared that “ESE now has a growing M&A pipeline with over $100 million annual revenues” and expected to close a significant number of these potential transactions in the coming months. ESE’s stated goal is to build a global E-Sports business with a valuation of $1 Billion+.
In his interview with Wall Street Reporter, ESE CEO Konrad Wasiela, says the company is now ready to scale – expanding its global footprint, with new partnerships with global brands like Porsche, driving revenue growth with aggressive focus on top line sales and margin expansion, and M&A opportunities. ESE is now rapidly expanding, with multiple revenue streams including, E-Sports infrastructure software powering global tournaments, exclusive digital media distribution, broadcast rights, and owning world-class leagues and teams, including its K1CK global E-Sports franchise.
FansUnite “Positioned for Exponential Revenue Growth in iGaming, E-Sports, Online Sports Betting”
In their latest presentation at Wall Street Reporter’s NEXT SUPER STOCK livestream, FansUnite (OTC: FUNFF) (CSE: FANS) CEO Scott Burton, and President Darius Eghdami explained how FUNFF’s latest distribution deal with a online casino games aggregator, sets the stage for exponential revenue growth opportunities. In the next 12 months, FUNFF plans to expand its current line from three games to twelve – while adding multiple aggregators for each game – reaching millions of new online casino customers worldwide. With each game generating as much as $500,000 in revenue per month for FUNFF – per online casino – and the potential to be in hundreds of online casinos – these numbers can quickly add up.
January 11 – FUNFF closes an oversubscribed C$13.4 million private placement driven by strong investor demand. “The successful closing of this upsized financing provides further validation that the global gambling market is seeing a resurgence in demand from investors,” said Scott Burton, CEO of FansUnite. “Despite the headwinds caused by the global pandemic in 2020, we saw consumers adopt and embrace online betting for its ease of access and simplicity. With our seasoned team of gaming operators, global B2C brands, and our industry adopted B2B technology platform, we were able to execute on multiple milestones that delivered value to our customers and shareholders. As we now look to advance our operations globally, we believe this additional capital will allow us to explore strategic initiatives and execute on our vision of becoming a globally recognized iGaming leader.”
December 16 – FUNFF gains first-mover advantage into the U.S. esports betting market, as it’s long-term partner GameCo joins US Bookmaking and Sky Ute Casino to establish the first dedicated esports sportsbook in the United States. FUNFF wholly-owned subsidiary Askott Entertainment will supply its iGaming platform, Chameleon, as part of a fully integrated esports betting solution. Through GameCo’s partnership with Sky Ute Casino and US Bookmaking, FansUnite will be the first iGaming solutions provider to receive significant exposure in the U.S. esports betting market.
December 7 – FUNFF receives Malta Gaming Service License and Critical Gaming Supply, and will now be able to offer a full spectrum of online gambling services in Europe, covering Casino, Fixed Odds Betting, Pool Betting and Controlled Skilled Games. With MGA approval received, FansUnite will be joining other highly respected gambling companies such as PokerStars, Betfair and Unibet in operating their business within MGA regulations
GameStop Corp. CEO George Sherman: “Goal: Leading Global Omni-Channel Retailer For All Things Gaming and Entertainment”
“…Our goal is simple. We are positioning GameStop to be the leading global omni-channel retailer for all things gaming and entertainment. We are encouraged by our successful efforts in 2020 to begin category and product extensions that increase our addressable market as well as by our customer’s early response to an expanded products and services offering. At the forefront of this strategy is a digital first approach focused on delivering a best-in-class ecommerce experience, along with an optimized retail footprint.“
“Going forward, you will see us leverage our GameStop ecosystem of stores, e-commerce and our app to deliver and enhanced 360 degree experience for consumers with products and services that are more relevant to how they connect and play in devices today and in the future, all with a focus on driving customer lifetime value…Our overarching goal is to leverage the power and competitive advantages of our brand significant loyalty base, dedicated and experienced sales associates and expensive omni-channel capabilities to drive lifetime value across all things, games and entertainment. As customers evolve the way they play, we are evolving with them, expanding our addressable market as we expand our suite of products and services to meet their needs…”
eSports
Emmy-Winning Director R.J. Cutler’s Docuseries Esports World Cup: Level Up Premieres June 6 on Prime Video

Prime Video, one of the leading entertainment destinations, will premiere the five-part documentary Esports World Cup: Level Up on June 6, with new episodes released weekly. Directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker R.J. Cutler (Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, Elton John: Never Too Late and Martha), the series goes behind-the-scenes of the inaugural Esports World Cup (EWC) in 2024 — a defining moment in global esports, where over $60 million in prize money ignited a high-stakes, multinational battle to crown the world’s top esports Club.
The series is produced by This Machine (a part of Sony Pictures Television), with R.J. Cutler directing, John Dorsey serving as showrunner, and Jane Cha Cutler, Trevor Smith, Elise Pearlstein and Mark Blatty executive producing. Level Up will premiere exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
Esports World Cup: Level Up offers a rare look inside a global competition that’s redefining what it means to be a champion for a new generation of athletes and fans. R.J. Cutler and his team of expert storytellers embedded themselves within the eight-week tournament – watched by over 500 million fans globally – to uncover the personal sacrifices, rivalries and stakes driving the action.
Shot in verité style, the series combines intimate home visits from around the world and on-the-ground coverage from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It follows a wide cast of characters – from Club CEOs orchestrating million-dollar strategies to rising stars chasing life-changing wins – while capturing the pulse of elite esports competition.
“What drew me to the Esports World Cup was the compelling human stories unfolding within this high-stakes arena. Level Up isn’t just about the incredible competition and prize money; it’s about the dedication, the passion, and the sheer will of these athletes and teams pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Under high pressure, we discover the true character of the competitors who vie for $60 million, but who also expose their humanity in the process,” said Cutler.
At the heart of Level Up is the “EWC Club Championship,” an unprecedented, multi-title tournament format where Clubs compete across more than 20 games, earning points toward a single leaderboard. Every match, every point, reshapes the race for global dominance. With the highest prize pool in esports history on the line, the EWC is not just a tournament – it’s a proving ground for the next generation of sports icons.
“A win might make the headlines — but the real story is the people behind it. Level Up dives into the human side of esports: the pressure, the ambition, the sacrifices. It’s about what it really takes to compete at the highest level — and why it matters. R.J. is the best at bringing those stories to life, and this one captures the heart of what we’re building,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation.
eSports
Esports Charts Wins “Esports Innovation Award” at the EsportsNext Industry Awards

Esports Charts, a Ukraine-born analytics company that aggregates real-time viewership insights about esports, has won the Esports Innovation Award at the EsportsNext Industry Awards, hosted by the Esports Trade Association (ESTA) in Dallas, US.
The Esports Innovation Award recognizes an organization or individual that has introduced groundbreaking technology, services, or strategies significantly advancing the esports industry.
Esports Charts was honored for its scalable analytics platform, which provides comprehensive tournament and viewership statistics across more than 25 livestreaming services — helping stakeholders from publishers and teams to fans make smarter, data-driven decisions.
“Winning the Innovation Award from ESTA is an important milestone for us as a leading esports analytics service in the world. Also, we’re especially proud to represent Ukraine-born innovation on an international stage.
“From day one, our mission has been to bring clarity and transparency to the world of esports data. And this recognition from the industry is both an honor and a motivation to keep raising the bar.
“Thank you to our incredible team and partners, who believed in us from the start. This award is a shared success — and we’re just getting started,” Artyom Odintsov, co-founder and CEO of Esports Charts.
eSports
TEAM VITALITY WINS INTEL EXTREME MASTERS DALLAS 2025

Today, leading esports club Team Vitality was crowned champions at the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Dallas 2025, held at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Centre. Most Valuable Player (MVP) Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut guided the team to an imperious victory in Texas, delivering standout performances throughout the tournament, particularly in the Grand Final against MOUZ. With this victory, Team Vitality is crowned the champions of IEM Dallas 2025, bouncing back from a narrow 2-1 defeat in the 2024 tournament, where they finished as runners-up.
ANOTHER TROPHY LIFTED IN TEAM VITALITY’S LEGENDARY RUN
The powerhouse lineup of Dan ‘apEX’ Madesclaire, Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut, Shahar ‘flameZ’ Shushan, William ‘mezii’ Merriman, and Robin ‘ropz’ Kool all shone on the server, defeating several top-tier clubs, with “ZywOo” being named as the tournament’s MVP.
Kicking off their run in Group A, Team Vitality’s first match saw an impressive 2-0 win over South American side Legacy, showcasing their strength on both Inferno and Dust 2. The Upper Bracket Semifinals presented a closer challenge against GamerLegion, yet Team Vitality held firm and secured another 2-0 victory.
In the Upper Bracket Final, the French powerhouse faced Mongolian org, The MongolZ. The series began with a 13-10 Team Vitality victory on Inferno, but the MongolZ answered back with a 13-7 win on Nuke. However, the Bees levelled the series back on Mirage, where flameZ delivered a standout performance, leading them to a 13-11 victory. This victory continued Team Vitality’s 28-game win streak and secured their spot in the Playoffs Semi-finals.
The Semi-Final saw a rematch of the IEM Melbourne 2025 Grand Final, as the Bees faced off against Team Falcons. Dust II went the way of Team Vitality, with a commanding 13-7 win. However, the opposition roared back to take Train 13-6, setting up a grandstand final round on Inferno. Here, Team Vitality rallied together and managed to see off their rivals in close fashion, winning 13-11 to set up the Grand Final against MOUZ.
Team Vitality kicked off the Grand Final with a stunning comeback victory on Dust II, winning 13-11 from being 8-11 down. The Bees continued their early form into Mirage, asserting their dominance early to take a 13-9 win. The French club finished the 3-0 sweep on Inferno, taking a 13-8 win to secure the victory.
TEAM VITALITY EXTENDS THEIR REIGN IN COMPETITIVE CS2
The 2025 IEM Dallas title marks the club’s sixth Counter-Strike tournament win of the year. By defeating MOUZ at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Centre, Team Vitality extends their historic streak – a triumph made even more meaningful by taking place in Dallas, a city deeply rooted in Counter-Strike’s competitive legacy.
Fabien Devide, President of Team Vitality, said: “I’m extremely proud of our CS team for securing yet another major title with this IEM Dallas victory. Team Vitality continues to showcase the strength and excellence of French esports organisations on the global stage, and we have no intention of slowing down anytime soon.”
With the IEM Dallas title under their belt, Team Vitality have established their status as the team to beat for the remainder of the 2025 competitive calendar. Their unstoppable run will continue at the BLAST Austin Major next month, followed by IEM Cologne in July, where the team will look to continue winning trophies. By winning IEM Dallas, Team Vitality has already taken the first step in securing back-to-back ESL Grand Slams, a feat never before achieved by any other esports club.
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