And the big takeovers in the field of international gaming and e-sports continue. For almost 1.5 billion US dollars, the e-sports brands ESL and Faceit change hands – and become one company.

Saudi Arabia’s Savvy Gaming Group is buying German e-sports company ESL. The previous owner of ESL Gaming Group is the Swedish company Modern Times Group. ESL said today that the company will also merge with rival Faceit, which Savvy also acquired for $500 million. Faceit operates a tournament platform primarily for Counter-Strike, but also other e-sports disciplines. According to Handelsblatt, SGG will pay around $1 billion for ESL, as well as another $500 million for Faceit. The complete deal is expected to be signed and sealed by the middle of the year.

ESL ranks as the largest third-party provider of e-sports tournaments in the world. In 2000, the company was founded in Cologne by Ralf Reichert, among others, who will sell his shares after the takeover, Handelsblatt reports. Reichert will remain with the company as executive chairman. The newly formed ESL Faceit will be led by new co-CEOs Craig Levine, previously of ESL, and Niccolo Maisto, previously of Faceit. ESL employs about 600 people. Its best-known events include the IEM in Katowice, Poland, and ESL One Cologne. The tournaments and LAN parties under the Dreamhack brand are also part of ESL.

Of course we will keep our ears open and inform you as soon as there is something new.

Source