Denmark’s Largest Soccer Club and Major Media Organization Launch Esports Organization
Denmark’s biggest soccer club and one of Scandinavia’s largest media organizations have teamed up to create a new esports organization called North.
North’s Debut at ELEAGUE Major with Former Team Dignitas Roster
North aims to become a leading esports organization in the Nordic region and will start with the former Danish Counter-Strike: Global Offensive roster from Team Dignitas in 2016. The roster will make its debut at the ELEAGUE Major on Jan. 22 and has been signed for a two-year period. This roster includes the same players who won the $500,000 EPICENTER event in Russia last October.
New Base of Operations at F.C. Copenhagen’s Telia Parken
F.C. Copenhagen’s home court, Telia Parken, will serve as North’s new base of operations and esports training facility for their CS:GO team.
Ambitious Plans for North in the Nordic Region
North’s director of esports, Jacob “Maelk” Toft-Andersen, expressed excitement about the organization’s ambition to compete with the best in esports. He believes that with the support of F.C. Copenhagen and Nordisk Film, North will have a strong platform to succeed.
Unlike other major football clubs that have invested in esports, such as Paris Saint-Germain, Schalke ’04, and Manchester City, North is the first organization led by a soccer team to have a roster in CS:GO.
Team Dignitas CS:GO Roster Finds New Home in North
When the Danish CS:GO roster, including Mathias “MSL” Lauridsen, Kristian “k0nfig” Wienecke, Ruben “RUBINO” Villarroel, René “cajunb” Borg, and Emil “Magiskb0Y” Reif, announced their departure from Team Dignitas at the beginning of 2017, speculation arose about their next move. This was particularly interesting since Team Dignitas had recently been acquired by the NBA team Philadelphia 76ers.
TSM CEO Andy “Reginald” Dinh claimed, in an interview with Duncan “Thorin” Shields, that North offered the roster a monthly salary of $20,000. If true, it’s clear that North is determined to be a major player both regionally and globally.