• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechGaming

Amazon’s Twitch Expands eSports Portfolio With New Mobile Game Deal

By
John Gaudiosi
John Gaudiosi
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
John Gaudiosi
John Gaudiosi
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 31, 2016, 10:06 AM ET
Super Evil Megacorp

Amazon-owned Twitch is doubling down in eSports. On the heels of its partnership with game development studio Psyonix on Rocket League, the streaming company has inked a three-year deal with developer Super Evil Megacorp on the mobile game, Vainglory.

The collaboration encompasses a multi-million dollar investment from each company as well as a multi-pronged program across sales, promotions, broadcasts, and live events in North America and Europe.

Vainglory is a mobile, multi-player online battle arena (MOBA) game in which teams of players compete in a fantasy setting. Currently, the most popular eSports title in the world is another MOBA, Tencent-owned Riot Games’ League of Legends for PC.

Kristian Segerstrale, COO and executive director of Super Evil Megacorp, says Twitch will dedicate a team to help run online qualifiers and live Vainglory eSports competitions.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

“We will be collaborating with Twitch’s resources for websites, merchandise sales, sponsorship sales management, and more,” explains Segerstrale. “This will provide more resources for (professional eSports) teams to grow their followership, and to connect them with more fans, as well as to help support the growing amateur scene to help build the most sustainable long-term framework possible for Vainglory eSports.”

Mobile devices make up 35% of Twitch’s viewership, according to Nick Allen, director of eSports operations at Twitch.

“Vainglory’s popularity on Twitch has skyrocketed,” Allen boasted. “With 150 million minutes viewed, it was the fastest growing mobile game on Twitch in 2015.”

The mobile eSport will see its prize pools swell as a result of this deal. Super Evil Megacorp gave away $350,000 last year. The larger pot of prize money is already attracting more professional teams such as TSM, SK Gaming, Team Secret, and G2 eSports.

“Our first major eSports initiative of this size and scope was the Capcom Cup, and it has been a successful venture to date and helped us shape the projects we’re doing with Rocket League and Vainglory,” reflects Allen. “It also helps that the collective teams behind these events have extensive backgrounds in eSports with tight ties to the community.”

In addition to the official Vainglory Championships, the companies are hatching additional plans to support competitive Vainglory over the next three years. Segerstrale sees the company’s eSports program expanding with more pro teams, more sponsors, more prizes, and more excitement from its community to be able to participate and watch in new ways.

Investors seem excited about prospects in this gaming market as well. Super Evil Megacorp has raised $41 million in funding from backers including General Catalyst, Index Ventures, Signia Venture Partners, Korea Investment Partners, CrossCut Ventures, Initial Capital, The Raine Group, ZhenFund, Yuri Milner, and Jim Breyer of Breyer Capital.

“If you think about the fact that there are more than three billion touchscreen devices out there, compared to 700 to 800 million gaming capable PCs, one could assume that touchscreen eSports have the potential to be five times larger than they are on PC right now,” Segerstrale suggests. “And with the accessibility to view and play on mobile devices anywhere, anytime, the opportunity looks even more exciting.”

About the Author
By John Gaudiosi
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Geoffrey Hinton gestures with his hands up
Successthe future of work
‘Godfather of AI’ says Bill Gates and Elon Musk are right about the future of work—but he predicts mass unemployment is on its way
By Preston ForeDecember 4, 2025
14 minutes ago
Wells, Grant
EuropeSocial Media
Australia wants to end the era of kids on social media with international ban hailed as ‘first domino’ in global movement
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 4, 2025
48 minutes ago
SuccessWealth
Meet Luana Lopes Lara: The 29-year-old ballerina spent summers working for Ray Dalio—now she’s the youngest female self-made billionaire
By Orianna Rosa RoyleDecember 4, 2025
2 hours ago
christmas
Arts & EntertainmentSpotify
From Spotify Wrapped to YouTube Recap to Amazon Delivered, the holidays are becoming a time of year for our tech to tell us who we are
By The Associated PressDecember 4, 2025
2 hours ago
Matt Rogers
CommentaryInfrastructure
I built the first iPhone with Steve Jobs. The AI industry is at risk of repeating an early smartphone mistake
By Matt RogersDecember 4, 2025
2 hours ago
work
Future of Work
AI is reshaping the rhythm of the workweek–and leaders need to pay attention
By David ShimDecember 4, 2025
2 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
North America
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos commit $102.5 million to organizations combating homelessness across the U.S.: ‘This is just the beginning’
By Sydney LakeDecember 2, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Two months into the new fiscal year and the U.S. government is already spending more than $10 billion a week servicing national debt
By Eleanor PringleDecember 4, 2025
5 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Ford workers told their CEO 'none of the young people want to work here.' So Jim Farley took a page out of the founder's playbook
By Sasha RogelbergNovember 28, 2025
6 days ago
placeholder alt text
North America
Anonymous $50 million donation helps cover the next 50 years of tuition for medical lab science students at University of Washington
By The Associated PressDecember 2, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Scott Bessent calls the Giving Pledge well-intentioned but ‘very amorphous,’ growing from ‘a panic among the billionaire class’
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 3, 2025
22 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Innovation
Google CEO Sundar Pichai says we’re just a decade away from a new normal of extraterrestrial data centers
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 1, 2025
3 days ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.