TriplePoints of Interest – Week of Sept. 26th

In this week’s TriplePoints of Interest the NBA becomes esports’ greatest ally, indie game Firewatch is heading to movie theaters, and Battlerite is Steam’s current top seller and newest MOBA. 

Immortals eSports Team

The NBA Enters Esports
The NBA is making inroads into esports – this week alone three NBA owners bought stakes in esports franchises. The Daily Dot reported on Monday that the Philadelphia 76ers acquired majority stake in two organizations, Team Dignitas and Team Apex. Team Liquid’s big announcement came just a day after the 76ers’ news. The esports franchise sold controlling interest to an ownership group which includes influential names in traditional sports, such as former NBA player Magic Johnson. On Wednesday Stephen Kaplan, co-owner of the Memphis Grizzlies, increased his stake in esports franchise Immortals and joined the company’s board.

Good Universe, Campo Santo Team Up for Video Game, Movie Slate
Another video game is headed to the big-screen! In an exclusive interview with The Hollywood Reporter, video game developer and publisher Campo Santo announced that they are teaming with Good Universe to create a film adaptation of Firewatch — and more. The two companies will create a home for talent to develop projects that can “bridge both the video game and feature film worlds.” As for the partnership’s first project, there are no directors or actors attached to the Firewatch film yet, nor any mention of a release date.

Even Among Giants Like League of Legends, Battlerite Thinks it Has a Strong Chance
The MOBA market has become quite saturated over the past couple of years, with TriplePoint client Riot Games and its League of Legends leading the pack that includes Dota 2, Heroes of the Storm, and Smite, to name a few. But Swedish company Stunlock Studios has came out with a new early access MOBA called Battlerite, a MOBA in its purest form with a focus on direct player versus player combat. Before Battlerite, Stunlock created another multiplayer arena game in 2011 called Bloodline Champions. It was received well by critics and won several game awards, but it never really took off. Stunlock hopes to leave its mark with Battlerite within the growing esports environment, and sure enough the game is well on its way based on positive Steam customer reviews, says Twinfinite.