- The financial services company has announced the Mastercard Gamer Academy
- It will provide networking opportunities and first-person experience to participants
- “We celebrate the incredible growth of esports,” said a Mastercard representative
Ten players from around the globe will receive trips to League of Legends Worlds 2024 and VALORANT Champions, as well as mentorship sessions thanks to Mastercard’s new esports project.
Mastercard Reveals New Project
Over the years, esports have become a global phenomenon, and more and more organizations that are usually outside of gaming started to make forays into the field. This also includes the financial services company Mastercard, which has recently announced the launch of Mastercard Gamer Academy.
This is a development program that aims to provide connections, skills, and mentorship to a select group of esports and gaming enthusiasts. Mastercard is not cutting any corners in this new project as it is entering into a collaboration with two big names – European esports organization G2 Esports and game developer Riot Games.
The choice of G2 should come as no surprise, as the organization already has an established relationship with Mastercard, which is one of its sponsors. For their part, the esports group will provide Academy participants with networking opportunities and first-person experience in all segments of the esports industry.
Speaking of the participants, Mastercard Gamer Academy will be available to any player above the age of 21, regardless of their geographical location, with a total of ten spots being available. Participants in the project will have many benefits, including all-expense paid trips to League of Legends Worlds 2024 and VALORANT Champions and access to G2’s headquarters, where they will be provided with mentored sessions and an educational curriculum.
Mastercard has also worked closely with Riot Games since 2018. The group has been deeply involved in sponsoring many League of Legends esports events and has also dipped its toes in the field of competitive VALORANT. As such, it is no wonder that Mastercard has chosen both Riot and the two games for its new project.
“As a global sponsor of some of the biggest, fastest-growing esports, we’ve seen firsthand the incredible passion gaming evokes among players and fans alike,” said Mastercard’s chief marketing and communications officer Raja Rajamannar. “With the Mastercard Gamer Academy, we celebrate the incredible growth of esports — and we are proud to invest in gaming’s dynamic and diverse future.”
Mastercard’s new project is evidence of the huge growth that esports has seen over the past few years, as large companies are not only being sponsors but are starting to get actively involved in the field.
