Major publishers are champing at the bit to carve a space in the fledgling (but already very profitable) esports landscape. While the likes of Activision-Blizzard, Riot and Valve have already secured their dominant positions, EA has lagged behind. That might change though, with today's announcement of a new Competitive Gaming Division helmed by superstar exec and former COO Peter Moore.
"As the latest step in our journey to put our players first, [the Competitive Gaming Division] will enable global eSports competitions in our biggest franchises including FIFA, Madden NFL, Battlefield and more," EA CEO Andrew Wilson said, in a statement provided to GamesIndustry.biz.
"EA's CGD will seek to build a best-in-class program to centralize our efforts with new events, as well as the infrastructure to bring you the world's preeminent EA competitive experiences."
Activision-Blizzard launched their own esports division in October, with former ESPN CEO Steve Bornstein recruited to oversee it. Of course, Blizzard's StarCraft 2 and – to a lesser extent – EA's sports titles have long had a presence in the esports scene, but the formation of these new divisions points to dramatic growth over the next few years. Indeed, this year's League of Legends World Championships managed to significantly increase its viewership over 2014.
