Akatsuki Inc. has announced that they have brought PEL in as a subsidiary company, which operates the League of Professional Esports (LPE), meaning Akatsuki will provide support for the LPE, which already features FC Barcelona, Ajax, Galatasaray, Santos FC, Real Sociedad, and Villarreal.
The first season of the competition will start in 2019 with teams competing for a maximum prize pool of $500,000 USD, with the aim "to build an esports league that fosters mutual competition at the professional level between leading sports clubs while emphasizing core values of gender equality, inclusion, transparency and professionalism. The LPE will not accept games with graphic violence, instead focusing on wholesome, positive games to foster a league where players and fans can get excited for the enjoyment of the games," as the press release explains.
We also have a trailer for the league, as you can see below. Could this be a big step in bringing esports to the attention of traditional sports teams?