How to Legally Make an Esports Team

If you’re looking to start an esports team, there are a few things you need to do to make sure you’re operating within the law. Here’s a quick guide on how to get started.

Introduction

The esports industry is growing rapidly, and with that growth comes new opportunities for aspiring esports teams. But before you can start your team, there are a few legal considerations you need to take into account. In this article, we’ll walk you through how to legally make an esports team, so you can hit the ground running.

The first step is to choose the right business structure for your team. There are a few different options available, but the most common for esports teams is the Limited Liability Company (LLC). This structure will provide protection for your personal assets in case the business is sued.

Once you’ve chosen your business structure, you need to obtain the proper licenses and permits for your team. Depending on your location, there may be different requirements, but in general, you’ll need to obtain a gaming license and a business license. You may also need to register your team with the local city or county government.

Once you have all the necessary licenses and permits, you’re ready to start recruiting players and building your team. Remember to follow all the rules and regulations set forth by the various esports organizations, so you can avoid any legal trouble down the line.

What You Need to Know Before You Start

Before you start to form your esports team, there are a few things you need to know to ensure that you are doing it legally. First, you will need to choose the right business structure for your team. You will also need to get the proper licenses and permits for your team. Finally, you will need to make sure that you have the proper insurance for your team. Let’s get started.

The Different Types of Esports Organizations

Esports teams come in all shapes and sizes, from the grassroots community team powered by volunteers, to the well-oiled machine run by a professional organisation. Here’s a quick overview of the different types of esports organisations you might come across.

Amateur teams are usually made up of players who all play for fun and don’t get paid to do so. These teams are often sponsored by companies who want to support grassroots esports.

Semi-professional teams are usually made up of players who are paid to play but don’t make a living from it. These players might have day jobs or be studying at university, for example. They often compete in online tournaments and LAN events in their free time.

Professional teams are made up of players who are paid to play and make a living from doing so. These players will usually have managers, coaches, analysts and support staff working alongside them to help them improve and succeed in competitions.

The Esports Industry

The esports industry is booming with no signs of stopping. In 2019, the global esports economy was valued at $865 million and is expected to grow to $1.79 billion by 2022, according to a report from Newzoo. Of that $865 million, 30% came from sponsorships and advertising, making it the largest source of revenue for the industry.

With such a large and growing industry, it’s no wonder that people are interested in learning how to start their own esports teams. Before diving in headfirst, there are a few things you should know about the esports industry and how to start an esports team.

The first thing to know is that the term “esports” covers a wide range of games, from first-person shooters (FPS) like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) and Overwatch to real-time strategy (RTS) games like StarCraft II and Warcraft III. There are even mobile games like Clash Royale and Vainglory that have professional leagues and tournaments. Basically, if a game can be played competitively, there’s a good chance it falls under the “esports” umbrella.

One of the most important things to understand about the esports industry is that it is still very much in its infancy. Unlike traditional sports which have been around for centuries, esports is still finding its footing in terms of structure and regulations. Because of this, there are no hard and fast rules about how to start an esports team. In traditional sports, there are well-established organizations like the National Basketball Association (NBA) or Major League Baseball (MLB) that act as governing bodies for their respective leagues. These organizations create rules and regulations that teams must follow in order to participate in their leagues.

The same can’t be said for esports. There is no central organization governing all of esports; rather, each game has its own individual governing body. For example, CS:GO has the Esports Integrity Coalition (ESIC), Overwatch has Blizzard Entertainment, League of Legends has Riot Games, etc. These organizations create rulesets for their respective games which dictate things like how many players can be on a team, what formats tournaments must be played in, etc

How to Legally Make an Esports Team

If you’re interested in making an esports team, there are a few things you’ll need to do to get started. First, you’ll need to choose a game that you want to compete in. Once you’ve chosen a game, you’ll need to find players who are skilled in that game and who are interested in joining your team. You’ll also need to create a logo and a name for your team. After you’ve done all of that, you’ll need to register your team with a gaming organization.

Choose Your Game

The first step in starting your own esports team is to choose the game you’re going to compete in. While there are many different games out there, not all of them are suitable for competition at a professional level. You need to choose a game that is popular enough to attract sponsors and build a following, but not so popular that the competition is too stiff.

Once you’ve chosen your game, you need to start building your team. You can do this by finding other players who are interested in competing, or by recruiting people who are already good at the game. If you’re going to be recruiting people who are already good at the game, you need to make sure that they are committed to practice and willing to put in the work required to be successful.

Once you have a team of committed players, you need to start practicing together. This will help you learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses and develop strategies for playing as a team. You should also start attending local tournaments, which will give you experience competing against other teams and help you gauge your skill level.

As your team starts to improve, you may want to consider hiring a coach. A coach can help your team fine-tune their strategies and provide valuable feedback on their performances.

Finally, once you feel like your team is ready to compete at a professional level, you need to start looking for sponsors. Sponsors can provide funding for travel and tournament fees, as well as offer other forms of support such as product discounts or promotion. To attract sponsors, you need to have a strong social media presence and be able to demonstrate that your team is worthy of their investment.

Find Players

In order to find players, you will want to hold tryouts or contact professional players directly. Tryouts will help you get an idea of each person’s playing ability as well as their commitment to the team. You can hold tryouts online or in person. If you are holding them in person, you will need to rent out a gaming space and advertise the event ahead of time. Once you have a list of potential players, you will need to do your research to make sure they do not have any current contracts with other teams.

Create or Join an Esports Organization

Depending on your goals as an esports organization, you may want to look into joining an established organization or creating your own. There are a few things to consider before making this decision, such as the size of the organization, its geographical location, and the types of games it competes in.

Joining an Esports Organization
The first step to joining an esports organization is finding one that is a good fit for you. Many organizations have different requirements for their members, so it is important to do your research and make sure that you meet all of the requirements before applying.

To get started, you can check out websites like Liquipedia and Esports Organisation Finder, which maintain lists of active esports organizations. Once you have found a few organizations that you are interested in, reach out to them and inquire about joining.

Some larger organizations may have tryouts or other competitive processes that you will need to go through in order to be considered for membership. If this is the case, make sure that you are prepared for these tryouts by practicing regularly and honing your skills.

Creating Your Own Esports Organization
If you’d prefer to create your own esports organization, there are a few things that you will need to do in order to get started. First, you will need to come up with a name for your organization and create a logo. You will also need to decide on the structure of your organization, such as whether it will be for-profit or non-profit.

Once you have these basics down, you will need to start recruiting members for your organization. You can do this by reaching out to players and teams who are looking for a new home, advertising online, or holding tryouts.

It is also important to start building relationships with other esports organizations, as this can help you secure sponsorships and partnerships down the line. Attend industry events and network with other professionals in order to make these connections.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are a few key components to putting together a legal esports team. You need to have a business entity set up, obtain any necessary licenses and permits, and put together contracts for your players, coaches, and other staff. While it may seem like a lot of work upfront, taking the time to do things the right way will pay off in the long run.

Esports is a rapidly growing industry and there are many opportunities for those who are willing to put in the time and effort to build a successful team. We hope this article has given you the information you need to get started on your journey to creating a legal esports team.