ReKTGlobal Acquires Steve Aoki Co-owned Esports Powerhouse Rogue
Esports infrastructure services company ReKTGlobal acquires top Las Vegas-based esports organization.
LAS VEGAS – January 17, 2018 – ReKTGlobal, the fastest-growing business authority in esports and competitive gaming, today announced its acquisition of the Las Vegas-based esports organization Rogue.
ReKTGlobal is an esports infrastructure company that bridges the gap between the multi-billion-dollar business of traditional sports and the burgeoning business of esports and competitive gaming. The company connects professional sports and entertainment businesses – from teams and venues to brands and media companies – with esports leaders, aiming to bring the esports industry to its full potential.
Rogue, known for yielding champions in multiple games—including Overwatch, CS:GO and H1Z1--was founded in May of 2016, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The company quickly became a top esports organization in North America, with a global presence in several of the world’s most popular games. Over the past year and a half, Rogue has strategically expanded its roster to include teams in CS:GO, Rocket League, H1Z1, Vainglory and Rainbow Six Siege.
Rogue’s rapid success and growth attracted an early investment from Grammy-nominated producer, DJ and EDM entrepreneur Steve Aoki. Also a Las Vegas local, Aoki took an active role in promoting Rogue’s teams and brand locally as well as internationally. His massive social media reach and cultural influence helped Rogue continue its upward trajectory and quickly expand its industry footprint, leading to additional investment from the sports, media and technology worlds.
Rogue will now be joining ReKTGlobal, which will provide the necessary resources and infrastructure for Rogue to take its expansion to a new level. The acquisition has already attracted new investors, sponsors and other global strategic partners looking for the right opportunity to invest in esports as it grows into a $1-billion industry. ReKTGlobal will retain all current Rogue employees and staff, and focus on expanding the esports organization’s scope. ReKTGlobal aims to upgrade current teams with top players, enter new games and pursue Overwatch and League of Legends franchises in the future. The organization will expand and share offices from Las Vegas to New York City.
“ReKTGlobal will take Rogue to the next level,” said Rogue co-owner, Steve Aoki. “We share the same passion and vision, and we’re going to continue to build Rogue as an esports powerhouse through new sponsors, partners and by most importantly, winning.”
“The combination of Rogue and ReKTGlobal is unstoppable. We have all the right elements to dominate the industry: a champion esports team, a passionate fan base, exciting and genuine content, events and activations, deep roots in both esports and traditional sports, connections to the right sponsors and partners, and the best management in the industry,” said ReKTGlobal founder Amish Shah.
"Rogue is still a young company, and with all the growth we've experienced over the past year and a half, maintaining a solid infrastructure for the organization will be crucial. ReKTGlobal will provide the resources and opportunities Rogue needs to support what we have already built and expand in the ways we have always wanted,” said Rogue CEO and Cofounder Derek Nelson.
“This is a very exciting moment in the history of Rogue,” said Rogue President and Co-founder Frank Villarreal, an esports veteran who has built championship teams in multiple organizations across every genre of esports.
“Frank Villarreal is known as the ‘moneyball’ guru of esports,” said ReKTGlobal Vice President of Esports Kevin Knocke. “He has a special power and the right formula for creating and sustaining championship teams. Together with ReKTGlobal, there will be no stopping Rogue.”
“With such cohesive teams that have competed at the highest level and won for so long in multiple games, Rogue is the ‘plug-and-play’ opportunity for brands, partners and others looking to enter or broaden their support and involvement in esports,” said ReKTGlobal CEO and Co-founder Dave Bialek. “ReKTGlobal and Rogue offer a dynamic 360-degree solution.”
