JMW Solicitors' Chris Deeley explains what makes esports businesses special as employers – and what many of them need to do better
Following the pandemic-induced boom in esports viewership, and the steady deluge of non-endemic financing that followed it, the industry now appears to have slowed to take stock. FaZe Clan and The Guard are only the most recent among a slew of big-name organisations making layoffs, and the broadcast side of the industry has faced a similar fate. Clearly, the age of esports as a profit-driven business is firmly upon us.
Despite this rise into mainstream legitimacy, it is easy to get the sense that some organisations do not fully appreciate their legal duties as employers. Esports stands as potentially unique among entertainment industries in that a significant number of the biggest businesses will have spent long periods as bedroom projects, or been birthed out of online forums or Discord servers. The consequence is a lack of corporate polish, which is responsible for giving esports much of its charm and community feel, but also enables more questionable practices to slip by.
To date, these have gone relatively unchecked before the courts. However, if esports is to cement itself as a pillar of the entertainment industry, it will be crucial for its endemic businesses to mature in their approach to employment.
From my point of view as an employment lawyer, esports is also a fascinating case study. The profiles of the people involved (particularly...
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