A familiar face has picked up the former XSET Rainbow Six Siege roster and coaching staff, as well as their qualified spot at the upcoming Six Invitational. The newly formed M80 organization, founded by former XSET COO Marco Mereu, acquired the entire team today.
M80 picked up the NA/Brazilian roster in its entirety: Evan “Yoggah” Nelson, Zachary “SpiriTz” Dionne, Leonardo “Kyno” Figueiredo, Arthur “GMZ” Oliveiram, and Lucas “DiasLucasBr” Dias, in addition to coaches Igor Vivas and Matheus “Budega” Figueiredo.
The roster will compete under the M80 banner at the Six Invitational in Montreal in February, according to Hunter Cooke of the Sports Business Journal, having qualified via points earned from regional league play and both the Charlotte and Berlin Major. M80 has already submitted an application to become a part of Siege‘s North American League, but that application is currently under review by Ubisoft. The NAL is shifting to a closed league format starting in 2023.
The spot in the NAL and the roster’s availability were both created by Mereu’s original organization XSET opting to “no longer participate” in Siege esports. XSET has parted ways with its VALORANT, Siege, and Rocket League rosters over the past couple of months but is looking to add three “new esports teams” in 2023.
This is Mereu’s second big esports team acquisition in the past month after signing a talented NA VALORANT roster comprised of former Ghost, NRG, and Version1 talent to compete in the upcoming NA Challengers League.
Mereu told Cooke and the SBJ that M80 is backed by private funding and VC money, in addition to some personal investment of his own money. He also said that now is the time to “double down” on esports investments, adding that other organizations should spend “more time trying to be like [YouTube influencer] MrBeast.” Coincidentally, MrBeast has expressed his own interest in creating an esports organization, one that would compete in the top tier of League of Legends esports.
The new M80 Siege roster will reportedly boot camp for the upcoming Six Invitational in São Paulo, Brazil.
