Gfinity Plc (LON:GFIN) has added another major esports franchise to the line-up for the third season of its Elite Series gaming tournament.
Hashtag United – which was founded in 2016 by FIFA gamer and Youtube star Spencer Owen – has acquired its place on the roster for the event which is due to kick off next month.
The franchise and Owen’s own Spencer FC Youtube channel have a combined audience of 2.3mln, while the BBC reported in 2016 that United’s games were watched on a weekly basis by more than half-a-million viewers.
Latest top-tier name to join
More than 9mln gaming fans from around the world tuned into the first two seasons of the Elite Series, and that is expected to grow once again this time around.
AIM-quoted Gfinity has increased the number of teams to ten and attracted some top-tier names in the world of esports, including ARES, Fnatic and Elite Series two franchise winners Reason Gaming.
The addition of popular football game FIFA to the list of games, which also includes Rocket League and Street Fighter V, is also expected to drive interest.
Challenger Series first though…
Before Hashtag United’s first match though, dozens of amateur gamers will take part in the six-week-long Challenger Series with the top 40 players earning a place in the Elite Draft.
Each of the ten professional teams then drafts two players to become part of their active roster.
Once that’s out of the way the Elite Series can begin. The franchises will compete against one another in a five-week regular season as they look to make the play-offs which will be played over a three-week period from the Gfinity Esports Arena in London.
New addition will be ‘highly attractive’ to commercial partners
The signing of Hashtag United is further evidence of the success of the Elite Series and its appeal to multiple communities from real-world football to gaming,” said Gfinity chief executive Neville Upton.
“Hashtag United has a huge fanbase with incredible reach and the chance for amateur gamers to join their ranks and be part of their next venture is something that will excite all players who are competing in the Challenger Series and will prove highly attractive to prospective commercial partners.”
Spencer Owen of Hashtag United added: “I can't wait for this to start and for Hashtag United to be part of the Elite Series, hopefully picking up some trophies along the way!”