esports

Brothers Behind Dallas-Based Psychedelic Games Raise $3.5M for Pirate MOBA Golden Tides

by | Apr 9, 2026
The multiplayer online battle arena genre has played by the same rules for 15 years, CEO Devin Richman says. This pirate-themed game throws them overboard.
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Game On: UTD Opens One of Nation’s Largest Gaming, Esports Centers
by | Mar 5, 2025
Called Comets LANding, the newly constructed, two-story facility is roughly 16,000 square feet and houses more than 100 PCs. “We may not have football, but we have one of the best esports programs in the country,” a UTD esports manager said.
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With $3M+ in Prizes, Fortnite and Rocket League World Championships Coming to Fort Worth in September
by | Aug 6, 2024
Nearly 150 top esports players from 35 countries will compete at Fort Worth's Dickies Arena from September 7 through September 15. Competitors will include Texas-based Fortnite players Cooper and Clix and Rocket League players ApparentlyJack and Hockser.
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OpTic Gaming CEO Hector Rodriguez Joins Dallas Sidekicks Ownership Group
by | Oct 30, 2023
A lifelong soccer fan, Rodriguez is now one of the owners of the Dallas indoor soccer team. Sidekicks President Jesse Llamas hopes the Frisco-based esports pioneer will help his team "unite the physical and digital realms, creating an immersive journey that resonates with fans of all ages."
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From SaaS to Coding to Social Impact, See What Awaits You at Dallas Startup Week

by | Aug 2, 2022
Dallas Startup Week is only days away. In addition to three big summits, the DEC Network's flagship week-long event will offer sessions on 21 different "tracks." From social impact to startup funding to esports and emerging tech, here's a look at what the week holds in store.
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Frisco’s OpTic Gaming Acquires Dallas Streamer Tool Startup Botisimo
by | Jul 19, 2022
Frisco-based OpTic Gaming—which rebranded from Envy Gaming last month following its November merger with OpTic—has acquired Dallas streamer tool startup Botisimo.

Botisimo's tools reach more than 36 million unique viewers each month for 30,000+ streamers including Snoop Dogg, Monstercat, and Dude Perfect. OpTic believes it's "one of the most powerful tools a creator can use to engage with their audience," said OpTic CEO Adam Rymer, who joined the startup's board last year.
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The Last Word: Jordan Fisher On Becoming Part Owner/Creator at Complexity Gaming
by | Jul 18, 2022
Jordan Fisher has done everything from winning ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" to acting in "Hamilton" on Broadway to being a music artist to starring in movies like Netflix's "Work It."  Now he's going big with gaming. Fisher recently became part owner and content creator at Complexity Gaming, the esports organization headquartered at The Star in Frisco. As a part owner, he has good company: the Dallas Cowboys' Jerry Jones and investor John Goff are part owners, too.
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Longstanding Dallas Esports Franchise Takes on a New Name
by | Jun 28, 2022
Envy Gaming, a well-known name in the esports space, is retiring its branding but the competitive action will continue on.
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North Texas Video Game Developer Worldspark Studios Lands $3M for Metaverse Platform

by | Feb 28, 2022
The blockchain gaming studio's first title is Edenbrawl, a tech fantasy-style online multiplayer battle game. Within the game, players will be able to purchase and trade NFTs tied to things like character skins and weapons skins.
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OpTic Gaming Merges With Envy Gaming to Form a Combined North Texas Esports Powerhouse
by | Nov 8, 2021
The deal brings together Hector “HECZ” Rodriguez and Mike “Hastr0” Rufail—the leaders of OpTic and Envy, respectively—who have been longtime friends and esports rivals.
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Learn-and-Earn: Here’s How Esposure’s CEO is Championing Future Careers in Esports
by | Apr 7, 2021
Through its "learn-and-earn" model, Esposure is helping gamers, students, and entrepreneurs learn about the business of esports. Now, Co-founder and CEO Danny Martin is spreading his expertise through a new virtual Esports Business Management course at SMU.
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Envy Gaming owner Mike Rufail
The Founder of Envy Gaming Says the Popularity of Esports Is ‘Enormous and Growing’ in a Virtual Pandemic World and Beyond
by | Feb 18, 2021
2020 was "really an opportunity for esports to shine with traditional sports on hiatus" says Mike Rufail. The esports innovator talks about the team's new HQ in Victory Park, the pandemic's impact on esports, efforts to "get out the gamer" vote, and what's next.
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DeSoto-Based Geekletes Rebrands as Full-Service Education Hub For the Competitive Gaming Community

by | Nov 23, 2020
Now known as Esposure, the company provides a learn-and-earn model for gamers at any level. The STEM courses also focus on the business behind esports: production, marketing, management, and more.
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‘Y’All Aboard’: Dallas‑Fort Worth’s VC Activity Gaining Steam
by | Nov 19, 2020
The focus was on the Dallas region for the final leg of the Texas Startups Roadshow. Here's a rundown.
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#WeAreHEWMAN: Dallas Citizen Science Effort Crowdsources Gamers to Help End the COVID-19 Threat
by | Apr 27, 2020
BALANCED Media|Technology and Complexity Gaming have launched a citizen science effort that will test drug compounds against coronavirus. Now, the Dallas organizations are asking the video game community to join in.
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Unicorns Can Happen Here. Why Dallas-Fort Worth is Fertile Ground for Tech Startups
Dallas-Fort Worth's strength in diverse industry hotspots such as fintech, AI, and life sciences make it a seedbed for billion-dollar players to emerge.
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