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- Sentinels will no longer manage the Overwatch League’s Los Angeles Gladiators, according to a report.
- The separation comes following a suit filed by Sentinels CEO Ron Moore alleging that he was cut out of a prospective franchise deal following a verbal agreement to oversee Kroenke’s esports efforts.
- Kroenke Sports & Entertainment will reportedly build its own management team, while Sentinels plans to expand into new games.
Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) will no longer partner with esports organization Sentinels to manage its Los Angeles Gladiators Overwatch League team, according to a report.
ESPN reports that the separation is mutual, following the settlement of a lawsuit filed by Sentinels CEO Ron Moore against Kroenke Sports & Entertainment. The suit was filed in the wake of Kroenke’s attempted purchase of Echo Fox’s League of Legends Championship Series franchise spot, as Moore alleged that he had not been made aware of the prospective acquisition despite a verbal agreement to oversee all of KSE’s esports initiatives.
The Echo Fox deal ultimately fell through following the lawsuit filing, but KSE has since acquired a Los Angeles franchise spot in the upcoming Call of Duty Global League.
According to ESPN, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment will create its own in-house team to manage the Gladiators and the Call of Duty franchise. KSE executive Josh Kroenke, president and governor to both the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, is overseeing that process with real estate investor Michael Neary, the report claims. One potential listed target is former Echo Fox president Jared Jeffries, a former NBA player who also formerly worked for the Nuggets.
Moore told ESPN that he plans to build upon the Sentinels (formerly Phoenix1) brand following July’s $3M USD Fortnite World Cup Solo victory by player Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf, and expand into further games. Sentinels also currently competes in Apex Legends and Hearthstone.
The Esports Observer reached out to a Kroenke Sports & Entertainment representative for confirmation and additional information, and will update if we hear back.
