Team Liquid, a prominent esports organization, has unveiled a collaboration with the developers of the NFT game Illuvium, which recently entered early access. The partnership involves testing the turn-based, player-vs-player (PVP) creature autobattler experience within Illuvium. Victor Goossens, founder, and co-CEO of Team Liquid, made the announcement, expressing their enthusiasm for the game’s quality during the initial stages.
Goossens stated in a video, “We’ll be limit-testing and advising them on the PVP aspect of their game. We’ve been incredibly impressed with the quality of the game from what we’ve seen so far.” Team Liquid members, including League of Legends player “Broxah” and content creator “Midbeast,” will be actively involved in exploring Illuvium, showcasing the esports organization’s commitment to embracing new gaming experiences.
Asserting confidence in Illuvium as a game that rewards skill and strategy, Goossens explained, “much like many of the games that Liquid participates in today.” Team Liquid, having secured $35 million in funding last year at a $415 million valuation, is set to collaborate with Illuvium in developing the game’s esports scene and organizing tournaments in 2024, featuring a co-hosted esports tournament boasting a $100,000 prize pool.
As part of the collaboration, Illuvium will release Team Liquid-themed NFTs, comprising character skins and avatars, adding a unique dimension to the gaming experience. Illuvium operates on Immutable X, an Ethereum scaling network dedicated to gaming.
The Illuvium team emphasized the significance of this collaboration in a blog post, stating, “It’s about setting a precedent for Web3 gaming in mainstream esports. It’s about creating a world where gaming achievements translate to the real world, where every move could be the one that lands you something epic.”
Team Liquid joins the ranks of esports organizations like TSM and M80 in exploring potential crossovers with the crypto industry. Ross Groves, Team Liquid’s Web3 Senior Partnerships Manager, previously expressed the organization’s interest in “breaking into Web3 games” during a panel at the 3XP conference earlier this year. Groves highlighted the aim of bringing fans into Web3 and providing a secure avenue for them to explore and engage with emerging games in the space.
