IMAGE: IPSY IMAGE: V5.21 PATCH NOTES | NOTES V5.21 PATCH MAY 2021 REPORT NEW OWNERS, CELEBRITIES AND MORE BIG TAKEAWAYS PAGE 3 A quick summary of what stood out to us TABLE OF TRENDING PAGE 4 Trends we saw in the past month and the impact we expect them to have BRAND ACTIVATIONS PAGE 9 Interesting activations from some nonendemic brands OTHER IMPORTANTS PAGE 12 A hodgepodge of information from data to missteps PAGE 2 BIG TAKEAWAYS Large developers look to expand notoriety beyond their primary titles. Gaming organizations focus on diversity with new owners and partnerships. Industry events contemplate online versus in-person conventions as COVID-19 restrictions ease. MAY 2021 Celebrities from outside of gaming are using Twitch MAY 2021 to connect with new fans. IMAGE: NINTENDO MAY 2021 MAY 2021 PAGE 3 TRENDING NO.001 SECTION WHAT’S INCLUDED A collection of new and interesting things that caught our attention last month. IMAGE: 100 THIEVES EPIC GAMES PLANS FOR THE FUTURE IMAGE:EPIC GAMES WHAT HAPPENED Fortnite has made Epic Games one of the most well-known names in WHY IT MATTERS video games. While that continues to be true, Epic has no interest in If we just look at Fortnite we’ll see an ecosystem that’s built on experimentation being a one-hit wonder. They launched their Steam competitor in 2018 and a keen understanding of what the modern gamer wants. And while Fortnite along with securing a flurry of exclusive titles. Steam remains the 001 is the most well-known game in Epic’s arsenal, it’s not alone in that approach. dominant marketplace on PC, but Epic has made recent acquisitions That’s because Epic understands that gaming is moving more quickly than ever NO. to strengthen its offering. Itch.io, the popular indie game marketplace, and in order for them to compete with the likes of Steam, they’ll need to create will be available in the Epic Games Store as a download. Epic also and adapt faster and smarter than anyone else. While Steam takes a 30% cut of purchased ArtStation, an artist community, that has a heavy focus on every game they sell, Epic only takes 12%. While other developers are creating 2D and 3D gaming art. Epic has an uphill battle to overtake Steam, but generic character skins, Epic is partnering with popular companies so fans can they are making a stronger push now than they have in years past and play as some of the most iconic characters around, like The Mandalorian and especially when compared to others in gaming. NBA players. One thing is certain, this battle will be decided by the fans, and Epic has proven to be a leader in cultivating and curating gamer fandom. TRENDING PAGE 5 IMAGE: TONIC GAMES VALKYRAE: 100 THIEVES CO-OWNER WHAT HAPPENED 100 Thieves continues to make headlines by making two of their longstanding members, Rachel “Valkyrae” Hofstetter and Jack "CourageJD" Dunlop, owners. Both individually have massive audiences and have helped WHY IT MATTERS develop large portions of the content 100 Thieves puts on its channels. It is a Esports and gaming, in general, are in desperate need of more diversity. There have been significant accomplishment for both Valkyrae and Courage, but Valkyrae's strides made that are moving the space in the right direction, but it is dominated by white presence in esports as a woman of color is a huge victory for diversity in the men. That isn’t even taking into consideration the increased levels of toxicity and harassment space. Valkyrae has ascended rapidly in popularity including some highlight that women in gaming have to deal with. One of the reasons we love this story is because the moments recently when she streamed with Congresswoman Alexandria 100 Thieves organization first made a conscientious effort to bring her on as one of its Ocasio-Cortez and won Content Creator of the Year at the 2020 Game premier content creators, then soon realized how she could help better shape its future and Awards. quickly made her a co-owner. Hopefully, Valkyrae’s growth can carve a path for other women to do the same. It will take more organizations like 100 Thieves to prioritize these opportunities and make esports more reflective of the actual gaming audience. IMAGE: VALKYRAE NO. TRENDING 002 IMAGE: 100 THIEVES IMAGE: VALKYRAE PAGE 6 ESPORTS TRAINING GAINING MOMENTUM WHAT HAPPENED Japan is opening its very first gym for esports training featuring rental PC setups and professional coaches available for practice sessions. It is called Esports Gym. While not the most creative name, it is a huge step in esports becoming commonplace to the general public. Asia has been a major driver for esports over the past several years. The latest reports have Asia making up for over 50% of esports viewership in 2019. These gyms signal long-term potential for esports as younger gamers will have a more formal path to improving and going professional. The next step is this concept expanding to North America and Europe. WHY IT MATTERS Esports has a ton of promise, but still faces hurdles. The career of an esports pro is limited compared to other major sports with the average professional lifetime lasting just over a year. The success of the leagues depends so much on continued development and updates from the game’s studio. Many competitors have left their respective esport due to the overwhelming commitment necessary. At the moment, it is easier to be a Twitch streamer or YouTuber making your own content than deal with the stressors of being a professional. On the flip side, more high 003 schools and colleges now have esports teams and even if young gamers don’t expect to go pro, they still might want to improve their skills to better compete against their rival schools. Much NO. like other sports, we expect esports to see similar infrastructure becoming more prevalent from training facilities to youth leagues to amateur tournaments. TRENDING TRENDING IMAGE: ESPORTS GYM PAGE 5 ALSO NOTEWORTHY 07. G4 adds CodeMiko Virtual streamer CodeMiko is heading to G4 with her own show. The plan is to take her interview ALSO NOTEWORTHY style beyond other Twitch streamers to bigger ALSO NOTEWORTHY names in the gaming industry. 08. PlayStation lands deal with Discord After rumors that they were going to be purchased by Microsoft, Sony made an investment in Discord, which ensures the audio chat platform will come to PlayStation and most likely prevent a Microsoft deal. 09. GeoGuessr takes off One of the more popular games of quarantine? A gamified version of Google Maps. It has become a IMAGE: BRIE LARSON content machine for streamers, a challenge for speedrunners and loads of fun for geography nerds. 04. Gaming NFTS run wild The NFT madness is continuing. 100 Thieves, Tfue, Hasbro, and Atari are all entering the NFT space in different ways. As long as the money keeps coming in, the NFTs won’t stop. 05. Brie Larson schools Tessa Thompson in Fortnite Fortnite is inevitable. Marvel stars Brie Larson and Tessa IMAGE:IMAGE: DRAGON CODEMIKO AGE 4 Thompson squaded up to play some Fortnite together on Larson’s Youtube channel. Quarantine has made gamers out of all of us. 06. Microsoft lowers sales cut to 12% The revenue split between digital store owners and developers has been a hotly contested topic. Microsoft lowering their percentage shows they care about keeping devs happy and could pressure others like Steam. IMAGE: TECH GAMING REPORT BRAND ACTIVATIONS NO.002 SECTION WHAT’S INCLUDED Nonendemic brands that decided to get in on the esports action last month. IMAGE: LIL NAS X DOJA CAT EMBRACES TWITCH ACTIVATION NO. 001 WHAT HAPPENED IMAGE: DOJA CAT Popstar Doja Cat is crushing it on the hottest social media platforms. She has built a large following on TikTok and Twitch that shows a great WHY IT MATTERS understanding of how to connect with her fanbase. She isn’t the first traditional entertainer to find themself on Twitch, but she is one of the Doja Cat’s presence on Twitch is impressive as she is using it in the most traditional sense. She logs largest celebrities to use livestreaming as more than a stunt or on, starts playing a game of her choice, and interacts with her audience. And while that might not promotion. She hasn’t made it a frequent occurrence, but she sound groundbreaking, it does show a nuanced understanding of how to use different platforms in understands the constant reinvention required to be successful. Other their intended way. She recognizes how gaming can bridge the gap between music and other athletes and celebrities have also begun to use Twitch and hop into entertainment. No, she probably won’t go on to be a professional gamer or perhaps even a regular games with some of the more popular Twitch streamers and we expect streamer, but other traditional celebrities will certainly follow her blueprint, meeting audiences where this trend to continue. they are, in the way they want to engage rather than forcing them to adopt to their behaviors. PAGE 10 OTHER BRAND ACTIVATIONS LIL NAS X RELEASES HIS OWN VIDEO GAME No stranger to controversy, Lil Nas X has released his own video game about twerking. This follows up his recent blood-infused shoe and string of controversial music videos like “Montero (Call Me By Your Name).” NO. 002 IMAGE: NYX TETRIS TACKLES MAKEUP IN LATEST INSTALLMENT NO. NYX cosmetics created a bold, Tetris-themed eyeshadow 003 and lipstick palette. It is a smart nostalgia play that will further connect lifestyle and gaming and might even IMAGE: RACHEL LUNA result in some new makeup trends.