To further expand its esports division, French football club Paris Saint-Germain announced a partnership with Chinese team LGD Gaming. This marks the first time that a major European football club has invested in a Dota 2 team. The team will now compete under the name “PSG.LGD” and wear official PSG jerseys at all LAN appearances. The decision to enter the MOBA genre is part of PSG Esports’ strategy to target the Asian market.
Fabien Allègre, director of merchandising and diversification at PSG, expressed his excitement about being the first major European football club to invest in Dota 2. Dota 2 is one of the most popular esports games, particularly in Asia. PSG Esports sees Asia as a strategic region for their expansion.
LGD Gaming has already achieved success in recent Dota 2 events, including placing second at the Dota 2 Asia Championships. They are currently considered the top team in China and a strong competitor worldwide. PSG.LGD will be competing at the upcoming Epicenter XL, a Dota 2 Pro Circuit Major in Moscow. With a $1 million prize pool and 1500 Pro Circuit points at stake, PSG.LGD will aim to solidify their position on the Pro Circuit leaderboard and extend their lead over rival team Evil Geniuses.