Proxy takes a different approach as fantasy esports gets crowded

Fantasy esports might be a relatively new industry, but it’s already growing fast. So fast, in fact, that challengers to the dominance of sites like Vulcun are already being forced to set themselves apart from the herd. New site Proxy is embracing this challenge.

Proxy is run under the notion that the standard fantasy mould employed by such services as Alphadraft and Vulcun isn’t the only workable model. Proxy offers a variety of fantasy games based around guessing such things as which champions will be included in the next League of Legends free-to-play rotation and which champions will be picked and banned in professional games.

Proxy also plans to introduce a team management game. This will give users have a set amount of money which they must dole out to pick the best team possible, providing a more familiar take on esports fantasy.

What Proxy lacks is the immense funding recently given to leading competitor Vulcun: $12 million in total. But the company’s CEO, Justin Twohig, feels confident there’s room for competition in spite of Vulcun’s massive cash splash.

“Funding isn’t everything,” Twohig told the Daily Dot. “I feel that we’ll be more innovative and that we’ll push fantasy esports forward that way, rather than just being a platform you join to try and make some quick money.”

That isn’t to say Twohig’s upset about the funding Vulcun received. He said that the infusion such a high dollar amount brings legitimacy to fantasy esports as a whole, potentially creating future opportunities for services such as Proxy to better succeed.

But as more competitors enter the market, there is a potential for oversaturation. Even with all of the money and attention it now has, the esports industry as a whole is still proving its staying power. A fantasy market based around esports will inevitably face the same challenge.

While Twohig acknowledged that the issue is important, he was confident that the market is still fertile for development.

“I don’t think there’s an oversaturation,” Twohig said. “The esports industry is still growing and is immature, but there’s a lot of room left for it to grow into.”

For Twohig and others like him, that growth is key. As esports continues to ascend at a rapid pace, businesses such as fantasy will continue to form around it and depend on its sustainability. And for his part, Twohig thinks the industry is a good one to be attached to.

“I’m bullish on the growth of esports,” Twohig said.

Image via Proxy