Brazilian esports organisation W7M Esports has announced its return to Garena’s Free Fire esports scene by unveiling a woman’s team that will play in the Brazil Woman League.
In addition, W7M Esports also disclosed to Esports Insider how much its Brazilian Free Fire League (LBFF) slot was sold for back in August 2021. W7M Esports’ Founder, Felipe Funari, stated that the spot, which was ultimately sold to Bonde, cost around $1m BRL (~£163,000), confirming local speculations on the value.
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According to Funari, the reason for sale is related to certain instabilities that are caused by the LBFF’s tournament model, which has relegation. Esports organisations such as Team Liquid, TSM FTX and FURIA are some high profile names that have suffered relegations within LBFF’s ecosystem.
As such, Funari evaluated that it made sense for W7M to leave the scene — having reached the tournament’s elite division — for an attractive offer. His concerns were seemingly rectified a few months later when Bonde was relegated back to the LBFF B series.
“The LBFF offers a great brand exposure opportunity, but conversions did not justify keeping the spot after that offer,” said Funari.
According to the founder, the money raised through the LBFF sale provided a boost to other projects that were considered more relevant at the current moment, with the Free Fire women’s team being one of them.
W7M Esports’ team, composed of Giovana ‘Medusa’ Silvestre, Cristiane ‘havena’ Stefany, Marcela ‘XavesKa’ Nunes, Ana Beatriz ‘biax2k’ Ferreira and Gabrielle ‘gaabyxL’ Araujo, previously played under the Bloom Line tag. The team will compete in Free Fire’s mobile and emulation scene, the latter of which is where the game is played on PC and has features leagues such as the NFA.
Since the second half of 2021, the organisation has focused on fostering diversity and inclusion initiatives such as supporting the Valkirias Project, which is dedicated to promoting women’s inclusion in the esports scene.
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Funari also revealed how LBFF spot negotiations work in the Brazilian market: “Once there is an opening to sell [the spot], the organisation starts to probe on the market. In our case, we received two other offers besides that one.”
He also alluded to a business model that is being utilised in the lower divisions of the Garena’s league, with people specialised in taking teams from the C to the B series only to make money by selling the spot.
Esports Insider says: Since the esports business grew in Brazil there were many rumours about the value of an elite LBFF spot. There were even speculations in the international market as organisations like TSM FTX entered the scene by purchasing a spot from Black Dragons. The figures may vary from case to case, but there is finally a solid parameter now to rely on.
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