07/27/2026
EsportsNext Magazine — Summer 2026 is out.
A Guess or a Bet. More than 1.7 million fans played Riot's Crystal Ball and Pick'Ems at MSI without staking a dollar. One click away: $10.7B in annual wagering on LoL and VALORANT, a four-year ban for a CS2 player who kept walking into fires, and a legal map that redraws itself at every state line.
Renting Attention, Buying Belonging. Lamborghini and DHL pass the test the industry now applies — take the brand out, and see if a fan still wants what's left. Six weeks after Lamborghini signed, EA switched on advertising across a billion matches a month. Both are betting on the same audience. Only one is trying to be loved.
Outplayed by a Nut. A California pistachio grower bet the orange-dust gamer snack stereotype was wrong. Three years into its run at Combo Breaker, there's still no stunt and no capsule drop — just a sampling booth and the discipline to keep coming back. The proof shows up in a currency no brand can buy: attendees who stop by to say they're glad it's back.
Engagement isn't purchased. It's designed.
Read the full issue at esportsta.org/magazine
06/11/2026
The Long Game — the new strategic report from the Next Gen Esports Leadership Lab, powered by SHI and Intel — is here.
Most academic esports programs feel stable. New programs keep opening, scholarship dollars keep growing, and the headlines are mostly good news.
So why did the field just record its first net decrease in collegiate programs?
The report brings together administrators, faculty, coaches, students, and industry leaders to answer the question the field has been putting off: not how to launch an esports program, but how to make one last.
Read it here → https://esportsta.org/resources/the-long-game/
05/04/2026
The Spring 2026 issue of EsportsNext is here.
Inside: how BLAST's Austin CS event drove $102M in economic impact, the ESTA Award winners redefining the industry, and the cities, companies, and builders setting the terms for what comes next.
Download your copy today at esportsta.org/magazine
04/09/2026
The next esports capital isn't waiting to be discovered — it's being built right now.
Drew Hays, Executive Director of the Fort Worth Sports Commission, is taking the stage at EsportsNext — powered by GameSquare — to explore The Regionalization of Esports: why local markets are the next frontier of competitive gaming and how cities are turning regional advantages into global stages.
As the leader who helped establish Fort Worth as a nationally recognized sports destination — attracting 90+ events a year and hosting world-class competitions across the sports spectrum — Drew knows exactly what it takes to put a city on the map. Now he's bringing that playbook to esports.
📅 April 29–30 | Fort Worth Botanic Gardens
🎟️ Every ticket includes a 1-Day Pass to BLAST Premiere Rivals
Learn more & register → esportsta.org/esportsnext
04/09/2026
Esports didn't just grow — it built an entirely new world. And the best are still just getting started.
Jorrel Batac, Founder & CEO of SXNGA, is taking the stage at EsportsNext — powered by GameSquare — to explore The Evolution of Esports: how gaming culture's unique DNA — community, interactivity, and creator economies — is reshaping entertainment for a digital generation.
With 20+ years of ecosystem-building experience spanning gaming, education, and international governance, Jorrel brings a rare global lens to the conversation — one that goes beyond the highlights to examine the frameworks and cross-border alignment that make esports growth sustainable and scalable.
📅 April 29–30 | Fort Worth Botanic Gardens
🎟️ Every ticket includes a 1-Day Pass to BLAST Premiere Rivals
Learn more & register → esportsta.org/esportsnext
