Neil Leibman, co-owner of the MLB’s Texas Rangers, has acquired a majority stake in OpTic Gaming and will be moving the long-standing esports organization to Dallas, according to a report by Sports Business Daily.
OpTic will be a part of Leibman’s newly found esports holding company, Infinite Esports & Entertainment, which will be based out of the new Dallas headquarters alongside several other esports ventures.
OpTic has reportedly secured a spot in Riot Games’ North American League Championship Series, the official and newly franchised league for North American League of Legends players. They also have a team in Blizzard’s Overwatch League, the Houston Outlaws, with the preseason getting underway next month.
By buying OpTic, both Leibman and co-investor Chris Chaney have immediately secured a stake in both of the biggest esports ventures out there. OpTic’s NA LCS team, OWL team, and the original OpTic Gaming will all be subsidiaries of Infinite—where Leibman and Chaney will be the chair and president respectively. Operations for both the OWL and NA LCS teams will move to Dallas as well.
These new league ventures come at a cost however. The joining fee for the new NA LCS is $13 million, while OWL comes with a price tag of $20 million. The capital gained from Leibman’s investment will also fund OpTic’s expansion into new games.
