The World Esports Association, or WESA, has announced that esports organisations SK Gaming and Renegades have joined them as full members, something which may pose a problem for the former, as both them and Virtus Pro are owned by the same company, ESForce Holdings, which violates WESA's Multi-Team Ownership Prohibition.
"We're thrilled that SK Gaming and Renegades have elected to add their esports brands to the growing collection of leading teams that comprise WESA," said Ken Hershman, the Executive Chairman and Commissioner of WESA. "These teams will be a positive influence within WESA, and their contributions in the months and years ahead will be an important part of enhancing our collective vision for the organisation."
"We have been looking for ways to partner with the leading organisations in order to both professionalise the industry, as well as grow our profile. We believe that the organisation fits our strategic goals with the collection of teams within WESA," said CEO of SK Gaming Alex Muller. "We look forward to working collectively with all of the other WESA members to take esports mainstream."
"We have had very open communication with WESA and they have been very transparent about what they have planned in the future," added SK Gaming player Gabriel "Fallen" Toledo. "As a team, we believe that some regulations are needed in the CS:GO landscape and are happy to contribute and make ourselves heard in the process. We believe that SK Gaming will be a valuable asset to the association and are looking forward to working with everybody involved on growing the game we love."
The owner of Team Renegades, Jonas Jerebko, seems just as positive about the move. "To reiterate what I said when I purchased Renegades a few months back, I plan to operate our organisation in the same fashion that NBA teams function — with respect and support for the players and an appreciation for the fans," he said. "The esports industry is evolving and the parallels to mainstream sports are becoming clearer. My experience in sports can positively impact Renegades and, in turn, the esports industry, and I firmly believe that WESA is the right association to help realise those goals."
It's not been all smooth sailing for WESA and the teams they've been associated with, however, as FaZe Clan parted ways with them last year due to the "challenges" WESA needed to overcome. Hopefully SK Gaming and Renegades can find a good relationship, even if SK need to comply with the Multi-Team Ownership Prohibition rules. How important is it that organisations like WESA work with teams?