Version1 allegedly looking to sell Minnesota RØKKR

A few hours ago, it was revealed that Version1, the parent company of Call of Duty League team Minnesota RØKKR, is considering selling the team because it is not in their long-term plans.

According to different reports, Version1 explores different options for the organization’s future. In addition, there is talk of a possible merger with another esports organization. However, if these plans do not materialize, they will likely sell the team playing in the Call of Duty League.

Version1 would be analyzing a future without Minnesota RØKKR

Version1, which owns the Minnesota RØKKR franchise in the Call of Duty League, is exploring different options for the future of its organization. Recall that, in recent months, there has been an increase in inflation, and many organizations are not prepared to take on all the expenses. However, in an interview, Version1’s Brett Diamond told FOX 9 they had very productive conversations with other esports organizations.

However, Diamond stated that none of the organizations with which a conversation was held belonged to the CDL. Remember that no organization can have more than one quota according to the Call of Duty League’s general regulations. On the contrary, if a team comes into the hands of an organization with a CDL slot, it will be given considerable time to secure a buyer

Without going too far afield, recall that Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, The Guard’s parent company, had to put the Los Angeles Guerrillas up for sale in mid-February. As a result, if a buyer is not found by the end of the season, the organization will be removed from the CDL.

In addition to Minnesota RØKKR, Version1 has one of the best VCT Game Changers teams on the North American scene and a men’s Rocket League roster that finished 5th-6th place at Worlds in the 2022 season.

Entering the CDL is a huge investment

Many organizations want to enter the Call of Duty League to become part of the Call of Duty League franchise system. However, there is a $25M entry fee that not every organization can afford. As a result, everything has been reduced to a money game, as players now have a rather large salary, different sponsors, and many more things regarding the monetary issue that nowadays have more priority than the love for the game.

In today’s world, this is completely understandable, as in the esports scene, it is practically impossible to sustain an organization without a large pool of financial resources. It’s no secret that esports teams are often not very profitable, so it makes sense that everyone wants to make as much money as possible.

Can the competitive Call of Duty scene recover?

So far this season, we have seen the Call of Duty League’s viewership increase so much that records have been broken in different matches. In addition, news recently broke that the CDL was nominated for Emmy Sports awards, which could help the scene in sponsorship matters.

However, that seems out of the question for Version1, as they need to make a 180° change for the company to “survive.”

On the other hand, the current situation of the RØKKR in the Call of Duty League is not all that good, and, no doubt, this could be one of the reasons why Version1 wants to sell the team. Minnesota currently sits in eighth place in the overall CDL standings.

While they are still among the teams that could qualify for the 2023 World Championship, the team has shown no signs of improvement through the first three stages of the season. In addition, the team had a terrible streak of eight consecutive series losses, something we had not seen for many years in the CDL.

Header: Minnesota RØKKR