Evil Geniuses and Thunderpick initially inked a partnership to support the team’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive roster. Today, they’re expanding that partnership to their Dota 2 team ahead of The International 12, which will take place in October.
“We’ve been so happy with Thunderpick as our presenting partner on the Counter-Strike side, and are thrilled to harness this support for our Dota 2 team,” said Leonard Edwards, head of global partnerships for Evil Geniuses in a statement to Dot Esports. “This collaboration has been mission-aligned from the start to bring esports experiences to wider audiences and support players.”
Nearly a year ago, Evil Geniuses made the controversial decision to drop their roster of North Americans and move into the South American region. For nearly a decade, EG sat atop the heap as one of the best teams in North America, and the decision to abandon the region was met with outrage from fans. In March, former EG Dota 2 star Syed “SumaiL” Hassan sued the organization, according to documents obtained by Richard Lewis. The case is set to go to trial in November.
Thunderpick has been slowly making their mark in esports as well. Their CS:GO Thunderpick World Championship has seen solid rosters participate, and the online cryptocurrency casino has also sponsored Twitter gaming personality Jake Lucky.
Several have pointed out that Thunderpick holds a Curacao gambling license, which does not allow for betting in the United States or the United Kingdom. This is especially pertinent when considering that EG is based in Seattle.
“This news reflects Thunderpick’s commitment to supporting the global growth of esports,” a spokesperson says in an email to Dot Esports. The partnership will be highlighted in “exclusive team content,” and additional fan experiences, which were unspecified.
