Global esports tournament organizers ESL and DreamHack have merged their operations into one single company, called ESL Gaming, both companies announced today.
Although the companies have merged, the brands will continue to operate in the same way they’ve done for years. DreamHack festivals will remain under the DreamHack name, while ESL’s esports tournaments will keep the ESL name.
The companies said the move will accelerate their mission to “shape the future of esports and gaming.” DreamHack and ESL already share a parent company in Modern Times Group (MTG) and operate an open CS:GO circuit called the ESL Pro Tour, which features small, medium, and big ESL and DreamHack tournaments.
ESL Gaming will be led by co-CEOs Craig Levine and Ralf Reichert, according to a report by The Esports Observer. Both names have a vast expertise in esports. Reichert also helped found ESL in 2000.
The companies don’t intend to change any of their products, the festivals, and the tournaments but want to improve the experiences instead. “Together we will push forward new innovations to engage with fans and communities across all of our events, platforms, formats and game titles,” the announcement reads.
