GameSquare Esports Inc (CSE:GSQ) (FRA:29Q1) said subsidiary Gaming Community Network (GCN) has struck an alliance with Black Fire Innovation, a collaboration between the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Office of Economic Development and Caesars Entertainment Inc (NASDAQ:CZR) (FRA:2ER).
In a statement, GameSquare said the partnership is expected to unite GCN’s gaming and esports expertise with Black Fire Innovation’s state-of-the-art facilities.
“The collaboration between Black Fire Innovation and GCN is expected to further esports innovation to create more opportunities and collaboration in the broader video gaming industry,” said Drew Brunson, GCN’s vice president of partnerships and activations, UNLV alumnus, and long-time supporter of Black Fire Innovation.
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Through the alliance, GameSquare said GCN is tasked with driving diverse initiatives, including producing collegiate esports tournaments, hosting and coaching content creators, and developing curriculum as part of a master class series for students to gain real-world insights within the gaming and esports industry. GCN also plans to attract brands to engage with its programs being produced at Black Fire Innovation.
GCN bridges the gap between traditional media and gaming across its proprietary media network that reaches 65 million-plus MAUs (monthly active users) in the US and 115 million-plus MAUs globally.
GameSquare said GCN uses this reach to drive premium content designed to provoke conversations. In partnership with Van Wagner Sports and Entertainment, GCN recently produced its inaugural Collegiate Esports Invitational featuring Fortnite. The event was held at Black Fire Innovation, where colleges and universities from 10 NCAA conferences competed for the national crown, ultimately won by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
“One of the missions of Black Fire Innovation is to advance the hospitality and gaming space as we know it today through creativity, entrepreneurship, and the acceleration of new technologies. GCN is an emerging thought leader in the global esports community, and we are delighted to collaborate with them at Black Fire Innovation,” said Bo Bernhard, interim associate vice president for UNLV Office of Economic Development and executive director of UNLV International Gaming Institute.
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