Big data esports startup DOJO Madness has acquired esports training marketplace LeagueCoaching.gg, the company announced yesterday.
As part of the deal, LeagueCoaching co-founders, Weldon Green and Joshua Hilton, will join DOJO “in lead capacities,” the company said in a press release.
Both DOJO and LeagueCoaching offer training services to players of all ranks. LeagueCoaching is a platform where players pay for one-on-one and group sessions with trainers, while DOJO uses big data tools to provide players with analysis of their games.
“Having access to DOJO’s data science team means we will be able to provide coaches with key insights about their athletes, while better assessing coach quality, and also tracking the development of the player, making the entire coaching process more transparent,” Weldon Green, who is better known as the current assistant coach for G2 Esports, said.
Hardly any coach in competitive League of Legends is as controversial as Green. He’s previously worked with teams such as Enemy, Counter Logic Gaming, Renegades, Fnatic, Copenhagen Wolves, Ember and Team Liquid, and most recently—before joining G2—TSM.
Touted for his “Weldon effect,” Green was praised for his positive impact on many of the teams he worked with. His reputation came under close scrutiny, however, when he made controversial comments about Korean scrimmage culture after TSM’s disappointing performance at the 2016 World Championship.
Green called Korean players “psycho level [nationalistic],” and strangely referenced the country’s role in the second World War and its conflict with North Korea, which caused a heavy backlash from fans and pundits all over the world. Shortly after, and only four months after signing with TSM, the organization parted ways with the coach.
It’s inarguable, however, that Green found a lot of success with his approach. Both TSM and G2 Esports praised his work and saw significant success during his tenure. His training philosophy has been publicly questioned, however. Yahoo Esports’ Kelsey Moser argued that Green had a “troubling training narrative” that focuses too heavily on the 20-40 minute period.
Regardless, DOJO’s acquisition of Green’s coaching platform strengthen his ties with G2 Esports. DOJO Madness was co-founded by G2 Esports co-owner, Jens Hilgers. As such, DOJO and G2 have a close relationship, including frequent bootcamps in DOJO’s Berlin offices, promotional activities, and G2’s use of DOJO’s data tools.
