Riot Games acquires stake in Berlin-based e-sports data expert Grid

Riot Games and Berlin-based Grid have signed a multi-year agreement, making Grid the exclusive data provider for League of Legends Esports and the Valorant Champions Tour. As part of the agreement, Riot Games will also acquire an equity stake in the company.

The agreement between Riot Games and Grid eSports builds on an existing relationship. Grid has been Riot Games' exclusive e-sports data partner for the Valorant Champions Tour for the past two years. The results of this partnership seem to have convinced Riot Games, otherwise they would not have added their flagship League of Legends to the mix. According to the official announcement, the new agreement is for a multi-year period and includes both League of Legends Esports and the Valorant Champions Tour.

"At Riot, we believe in putting the player experience first and have found a great partner in Grid to help us unlock the tremendous potential of data for the long-term benefit of our professional esports teams and the broader Riot Esports community. The team behind the GRID Data Platform is as passionate about data as they are about esports, and we share the same values," said Doug Watson, Head of Business Strategy, Global Esports at Riot Games.

Moritz Maurer, CEO and founder of Grid, adds: "Riot Games was the first game publisher to truly invest in esports, understanding its role beyond marketing the games and creating an impressive, unique competitive ecosystem. Grid was founded on the belief that data holds immense potential for such ecosystems. Our mission is to unlock that potential for all stakeholders.

To cement the strategic partnership, Riot Games is also taking a stake in the Berlin-based company. While such an investment is not unusual, it is potentially problematic in the case of Grid. After all, the company also works with a number of other well-known publishers, including Krafton and PubG Studios, as well as Ubisoft.