- Esports 360° management company Forevr is unveiled, with OG captain Johan ‘N0tail’ Sundstein and Counter-Strike star Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev among its clients.
- The company is founded and led by music industry veteran Marc Ogihara, and investment/advisement from Astralis Co-Founder Frederik Byskov.
- The agency services include player management, press/marketing/social media management, partnership activation, legal and business management.
Forevr, a 360° management company for esports, was publicly announced today, with some of the best players for Dota 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) in its roster. This includes Johan ‘N0tail’ Sundstein, co-founder and captain of OG, a back-to-back champion team of The International; his teammate Topias ‘Topson’ Taavitsainen, and Natus Vincere’s Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev, currently one of the top-ranked CS:GO players globally.
Forevr’s CEO Marc Ogihara describes the roster as “boutique,” with the agency offering services in sales, social media, content creation, branding, and legal. After spending over eight years in music management, representing artists such as Denmark’s Martin Jensen, Ogihara decided to get into esports just over a year ago after meeting Frederik Byskov, founder of four-time CS:GO Major winning team Astralis.
“He knew from the business that esports players were not represented by full 360° management,” Ogihara told The Esports Observer. “They either had legal representation and a marketing agency, and all these different sources they were speaking to. We wanted to create a management agency that the sports world has, and that I also worked within the music industry.”
Initially self-funded, Byskov joined as an investor and advisor, with Forevr now comprising a small central team working with content teams and legal representatives. “[Players] have a hub they can trust, and they know they can always go to for whatever requirements they have, travel and advancing [their careers] as well,” said Ogihara.
The company has also signed Singaporean streamer and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang player Zxuan “ZX,” and pro-streamer and Genflix Aerowolf brand ambassador Sherlin “SherlinTsu” Susanto a.k.a BabyShark.
The agency forms at a time where individual esports player endorsements are scarce, with brands favoring streamers and content creators over those famous for their competitive ability.
“I believe we’re still at an early stage in the industry for player-focused endorsements,” said Ogihara. “But I also believe that’s because there has not been too much focus on the player brands yet. They have built huge profiles and communities, but the branding has not been done in a too professional or strategized way.”
On top of its player services, Forevr will also offer creative consultancy for brands. While details on specific campaigns could not be divulged, Ogihara mentioned the agency is working with N0tail on content focused on sustainability.
