LONDON, UK: Guild Esports, a global team organisation and lifestyle brand, announced the creation of its sixth professional team with the signing of a top-tier roster to compete in Apex Legends, a free-to-play hero shooter game.

The team is ranked within the top ten in Europe and comprises Matej Fekonja ‘MaTaFe’ (Slovenia), Juho Sillanpää ‘Silta’ (Finland) and Younes Elkherrat ‘Horizxon’ (United Kingdom). All three players have signed one-year contracts with an option to renew for another year. They will each receive an annual salary with performance incentives.

They will kick off their career under the Guild banner by competing in the newly established Apex Legends Global Series, which will start on 16 October 2021 and has a prize pool of USD $5 million. The team will benefit from Guild’s proven world-class coaching and development.

Viewership for the Apex Legends Global Series has been increasing rapidly over the past 12 months and the competition has consistently ranked in the top five most-viewed on Twitch. Players of the franchise surpassed 100 million in 2020 (Source: EA) and Guild believes there is potential for the Apex Legends ecosphere to see significant growth. As a result, the Company believes that its investment in this team will contribute to a further increase in its network audience and open up multiple new revenue opportunities for the long term.

Kal Hourd, Chief Executive at Guild Esports, said: “From the beginning, our goal has always been to bring together the best and most entertaining esports players to build an organisation that excites fans, attracts brands and provides teams with the opportunity to develop into champions. Our new Apex team incorporates this ambition entirely, allowing us to continue disrupting the industry with advancements into new tournaments and representing Europe as a true force in Apex Legends.”

Guild athlete MaTaFe, said: “I’ve been a big fan of what Guild has been doing in the industry for a long time, so when I was given the opportunity to be part of its first ever Apex Legends team it was a no brainer. Together with Silta and Horizxon, I’m excited to push the team to new heights and compete at the highest levels. With Guild’s unique and personalised academy training programme, I’m confident that the organisation will only continue to get stronger and I’m looking forward to being a part of that journey.”