Paris Legion and Paris Eternal set for Vegas relocation

Following months of speculations, DM Esports has announced plans to relocate its Call of Duty League and Overwatch League franchises from Paris to Las Vegas in 2023. This marks the first major esports franchises to find a home in the world’s capital of entertainment. 

The announcement confirms rumours that have persisted since the company allowed its Paris-centric trademarks to expire in 2021 and filed Las Vegas-centric trademarks in March 2022.

Paris Legion and Paris Eternal moving to Vegas

DM Esports owns two major esports franchises – the Call of Duty League’s Paris Legion and the Overwatch League’s Paris Eternal. DM Esports is owned by Drew McCourt, the son of Frank McCourt. Frank McCourt is the former owner of the LA Dodgers and current owner of the French football club, Olympique de Marseille. DM Esports acquired an expansion team in the Overwatch League for a reported $20,000,000 in 2018 and joined the CDL as a founding member in 2020.

While the Eternal have found modest success in the OWL, especially during the 2020 season, the Paris Legion are widely considered one of the worst teams in the CDL. The team’s extended silence on social media during the 2021 offseason led to a popular meme that the team had simply been abandoned. This was exacerbated when trademarks for the team were not renewed for 2022.

In March 2022, media outlets uncovered new trademark filings by DM Esports for the Vegas Legion and Vegas Eternal, sparking rumours of future relocation. The move was confirmed on June 1, with posts appearing on the social media of the two Paris teams.

Las Vegas — next esports destination?

Las Vegas has become an increasingly popular place to move a sports team to. In 2017, the National Hockey League added an expansion team in the city. In 2020, the National Football League’s Oakland Raiders moved to Nevada to become the Las Vegas Raiders. The Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball have also been linked with a move to Las Vegas. However, the Legion and Eternal will mark the first major esports franchises in the city.

The move will likely occur in early 2023, ahead of the Call of Duty League and Overwatch League seasons.

Header: Thomas Wolf, DM Esports