The inaugural NBA 2K League season is booting up and ready to tip-off in May 2018. The official name of the team that will rep Cleveland on the virtual court is Cavs Legion Gaming Club (GC). In addition, Anthony Muraco has been named Director, Gaming Operations and HOT POCKETS© signed on to be the first founding partner of Cavs Legion GC. Cavs Legion GC is one of 17 NBA 2K League teams participating in the inaugural NBA 2K League season.
The Cavs Legion GC official team colors are wine and gold, consistent with the look and feel of the Cavaliers NBA team franchise. The official team logo features a contemporary adaptation of the Cavalier profile, set above the team name in a sharp typeface that’s inspired by the edges of a sword.
“The team’s name, colors and logo honor the heritage of the organization, yet reflects the bold new territory of esports and the renegade nature of a Cavalier,” said Tracy Marek, Cavs Chief Marketing Officer. “This results in an edgy, new-age version of the iconic Cavs brand that fits within the current esports landscape. We are excited for the opportunity to bring the same energy and passion we put into our other properties to Cavs Legion and the entire esports community.”
The Cavs Legion GC name and logo was developed and chosen with the help of RARE Design out of Hattiesburg, Miss., who collaborated with each team in the NBA 2K League on their respective brand.
The NBA 2K League, a joint venture between the NBA and Take-Two Interactive, is a professional esports league that will feature the best 2K players in the world. Anyone across the world who owns NBA 2K18 (PS4 or Xbox One) and is 18 years or older can try out to potentially be drafted into the league. The NBA 2K League Qualifier will take place from Jan. 1-31, 2018. To qualify to be invited to the next round of tryouts in February, players need to win 50 games in Pro-Am Mode of NBA 2K18 and complete an online application by midnight on January 31st. Brendan Donohue, managing director of the NBA 2K League, held a Reddit AMA (ask me anything) last week regarding the first round of tryouts. Click HERE to read the forum discussion.
In March, each of the 17 NBA 2K League teams will draft five players. The teams will live in each respective market during the season and play the game using unique characters. The games will be played in one or two central studios throughout the season.
Muraco, a native Clevelander, joined the Cavaliers from the Dallas Mavericks organization where he served as Esports Manager. Teaming up with Muraco is Halina Malik, who will join Cavs Legion GC as Manager, Content & Marketing. Both Muraco and Malik are veterans in the esports landscape and are deeply involved in the gaming community. To round out the full-time staff, Tom Bogomolny will shift his focus to managing corporate partnership for Cavs Legion after previously serving in a similar role for the Cavaliers.
The partnership with HOT POCKETS© will touch virtually every area of Cavs Legion GC. This will include branding in the Cavs Legion GC home NBA 2K virtual arena, similar to partner activation inside an actual NBA arena. The HOT POCKETS© logo will also appear on the upper right chest of the team’s virtual jersey. Other elements include robust digital and social media inclusion, and a presence at Cavs Legion GC community activation and events.
Esports are rapidly growing in popularity throughout the U.S. and globally, with the industry expected to reach an audience of 385 million in 2017 and grow to a $1.5 billion industry in the next three years, according to market intelligence firm Newzoo.
About the NBA 2K League
The NBA 2K League is a professional esports league co-founded by the NBA and Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO). Launching in 2018, the league will feature the best NBA 2K players in the world. Each of the league’s 17 teams will draft gamers to compete as unique characters in 5-on-5 play against the other teams in a mix of regular-season games, tournaments and playoffs. The league will host tryouts in early 2018, followed by a draft in March and the season tip-off in May. For more information about the NBA 2K League, visit www.NBA2KLeague.com.