Hi {{first_name | there}},

June wasn’t about fireworks—it was about foundations.

We established the Collegiate Advisory Committee—a major step in deepening collaboration with universities across Ireland—and continued building behind the scenes ahead of a major shift: the upcoming reveal of our new Irish brand. It’s a move that will unify our Schools, Collegiate and Company series under one clear and connected system.

Elsewhere, momentum is quietly building. Our academy programme is expanding, our player community is growing and the numbers behind our marketing engine are pointing in the right direction. More on all that below—but let’s just say, the pieces are clicking into place 👇🏼

🗞️ In Focus – FIFA is doubling down on esports. After its high-profile separation from EA in 2022—the result of licensing challenges that resulted in EA rebranding as EA Sports FC  —FIFA has been rebuilding its digital and competitive strategy. Their legacy with FIFAe World Cup tournaments is evolving, but we believe their future focus is on mobile and multi-title reach.

The summer launch of FIFA Rivals on mobile marks a significant pivot: arcade-style PvP built for quick matchups, dream-team construction and live global competition. Developed by Mythical Games, the free-to-play title features blockchain-powered collectibles and integrates leagues like the FIFA Club World Cup, pointing to a fresh, digitally agile playbook for FIFA esports.

This isn’t the first step in FIFA’s post-EA journey. They’ve recently extended their partnership with Konami which bought eFootball into their tournament circuit, while expanding FIFAe into new titles like Rocket League and Football Manager. What’s emerging is a diversified, multi-gen platform strategy—reinforcing FIFA’s move to stay relevant and competitive beyond the simulation-only space.

For us at Nativz, this evolution is a valuable reference point. FIFA Rivals shows that mobile-first, bite-sized competition tied to major football events and digital asset systems can thrive. Their multi-title approach—eschewing dependence on consoles or one format—mirrors our own multi-league strategy. As we build leagues across Schools, Collegiate and Companies, FIFA illustrates how to go broad, stay interconnected and grow an ecosystem from the ground up.

Here’s our selection of short and long reads from across the esports and gaming media;

🚀 Collegiate Advisory Committee established for the first time EVER. This committee aims to deepen collaboration with our university stakeholders while ensuring the sustainable growth and impact of collegiate esports in Ireland.

🚀 Nativz Esports Academy is now active in four titles as we pick up a new CS2 roster and retained our League of Legends talent. Our focus now shifts to strengthening our local leadership for the club and deepening our integration within Dublin.

🚀 30.9% growth in our marketing database and 16% increase in our social reach over the past year isn’t bad is it. We introduced new products, tested different growth tactics and consolidated of our marketing tools which all contributed to this.

Part 1: Growth brings complexity — and now it needs structure.

With the Collegiate, Company and now Schools Series all building in parallel, we’re hitting an inflection point. Participation is rising, interest is growing and new partners are getting involved. But the more we scale, the more we face this core challenge: how do we grow without fragmenting?

🕹️ Different audiences need different experiences - For example, teachers, student leaders and HR managers all approach esports differently—and each group needs tailored onboarding, scheduling and communication in different platforms.

🕹️ Operational complexity is increasing - Each series runs on slightly different formats, tech stacks and admin flows. That’s fine in a pilot phase, but it doesn’t scale.

🕹️ Our story risks getting diluted - As we expand across sectors and titles, it gets harder to explain what we do, who it’s for and why it matters. Consistency is key if we want to build a movement—not just run tournaments.

Reflections on these points have led to our next structural change:

👉🏼 One brand, multiple pathways - our new vehicle will give us a single, credible front door—while still allowing each series (Schools, Collegiate, Company) to retain its own tone, audience focus and operational quirks.

👉🏼 Centralised systems, decentralised delivery - we’re standardising tournament tools, onboarding flows and communications where it makes sense—so we can operate lean, even as we grow wide.

👉🏼 A platform for national visibility and local ownership - this new ‘platform’ will allow us to speak to sponsors, government and media at scale, while giving participants across Ireland (and beyond) a reason to feel part of something bigger.

Part 2: Not every product is built to profit—some are built to power.

Our Schools and Collegiate Series aren’t designed to be short-term revenue engines. They’re long-game plays—investments in community, infrastructure and future talent. And while they may only break even on paper, they’re the foundation for something much bigger.

Here’s why they matter commercially:

🧱 They build trust – With educators, students, parents and institutions. That credibility gives us a seat at the table when we speak to sponsors, policy-makers and commercial partners.

🔁 They feed the funnel – As players graduate, so do their needs. We’re in the perfect position to support them as working professionals—whether through the Company Series, our consulting services, alumni-driven community products and Nativz Esports Club.

🎯 They unlock sustainable monetisation – The real value of our grassroots ecosystem is what it enables: player retention, brand loyalty, and repeat engagement across life stages. It also plays a vital role as an incubator for our tech development and potentially other ventures looking to test and learn.

That’s the commercial engine behind what is coming next.

As more clubs explore the crossover between physical and digital sports, we’re gathering insights from leaders like you to help shape the next phase of innovation.

The following metrics are for the period of 1-30 June 2025:

Take a look at what we've got coming up:

📅 21 July - Nativz EC League of Legends Academy Team resumed their 4 Nations run

📅 30 August - Office Showdown Winter Series Early Bird Discount Ends

📅 Sep 2025 - Company Series, Office Showdown Winter Tournament Starts

📅 Oct 2025 - Collegiate Series Winter Tournament Starts

Regards,

Kurt & the Nativz Gaming Team