The Louvre Agreement includes 14 CS: GO teams and ESL Gaming. Danish org, Heroic is set to join in the second half of 2022. The agreement extension will also see a CS: GO focused NFT in the future.
The Louvre agreement, a partnership between ESL Gaming and 14 CS: GO teams, has been extended till 2025, the tournament organizer announced in a press release today.
“Partners the teams have brought the ESL Pro League to a whole new level, and having this agreement extended ensures a balanced governance and decision-making infrastructure for years to come.”
Today’s extension marks a point of confidence and ambition in the Louvre Agreement, and a commitment from all 15 members that this is a venture they want to invest in for the long haul. But it is not only an extension in years; it includes the opportunity for higher revenues for each of the Member Teams and a tangible commitment and redoubling of efforts in the North American scene. The extension also brings a vote of confidence for the recently launched CS:GO Hub, an integrated analysis and coaching tool, as well as a forum where the long-term viability of new joint ventures, such as a CS: GO-focused NFT strategy, can be further discussed.
What is the Louvre Agreement?
The Louvre Agreement is between 14 CS: GO teams and ESL Gaming to govern the setup and revenue sharing from the ESL Pro League and ESL Pro Tour competitions. With teams having a stake in the revenue and the future of the ESL Pro League, they are more invested in the success of the Pro League.
The Louvre agreement added three new teams, Heroic, BIG and FURIA to the Louvre agreement in October 2021. Due to the timing of the ESIC inquiry, Heroic will join the Louvre Agreement in the second half of 2022.
Which teams are part of the Louvre Agreement with ESL?
At the time of writing, there are fourteen teams that have cosigned the Louvre Agreement with ESL Gaming with Heroic set to join the agreement later this year.
“Extending the Louvre Agreement is such a momentous occasion for competitive CS:GO. Not only does it symbolise a commitment by the partner teams to grow the competitive CS:GO space, it’s also a force-for-good in the joint efforts to strengthen the North American CS:GO ecosystem. It’s a display of what we can build together. We play in many different leagues - the LCS, DreamLeague, EPIC League and many more - but for us, the Louvre Agreement is what makes the ESL Pro League special. We built it, we’re part of it, and now we’re watching it grow. It’s a very fulfilling process and we’re excited to see what this does across the industry.”
Victor Goossens, co-CEO of Team Liquid says the fact that they are a part of the ESL Pro league makes it special for teams.
CS: GO teams that are part of the Louvre Agreement are as follows:
- Astralis.
- BIG.
- Complexity.
- Evil Geniuses.
- ENCE.
- FaZe Clan.
- Fnatic.
- FURIA.
- G2 esports.
- Mousesports.
- Natus Vincere.
- Ninjas in Pyjamas.
- Team Liquid.
- Team Vitality.
- Heroic (to join in second half of 2022).
The Louvre agreement already includes most of the top teams in CS: GO. PGL Stockholm winner, Natus Vincere and the runners-up, G2 esports are part of the Louvre agreement.
The Louvre Agreement extension provides a stable esports structure for CS: GO teams. Stakeholder inputs and revenue sharing pave the way for continued growth for CS: GO teams as well as ESL.
“Despite the global challenges and uncertainties of the last 24 months, I’m proud that together we have created something so dynamic for the CS:GO ecosystem. The Louvre Agreement is a manifestation of a joint desire to create a sustainable yet ambitious framework within CS:GO - one that can serve to positively impact and influence the rest of the ecosystem.
This extension was agreed on unanimously, which reiterates the partner's joint dedication to our goals of a peerless competition for fans, a stable environment for teams and players, and an attractive destination for investment. There is so much we can achieve now that we are working on a time scale of 2025 and beyond.”
ESL recently also announced IEM Katowice 2022 will feature a $1.5 million prize pool. It will also have a live audience at the Spodek Arena.
Stay tuned to esports.gg for the latest CS: GO news and updates.