- TSM has announced Avalanche as its exclusive blockchain partner as it builds out its competitive gaming platform, Blitz.
- TSM will launch a custom subnet that uses the AVAX token as gas to bring Blitz on-chain and plans to host Avalanche-branded tournaments on the Blitz subnet.
- The partnership aims to onboard millions of esports gamers into Web3 and follows TSM’s November termination of its collaboration with bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, once the largest in esports history.
Esport giant TSM is again making headlines with their recent partnership with blockchain platform; Avalanche as they continue their engagement with the world of cryptocurrency. Although the esports organization faced a setback last year due to the FTX fallout, TSM remains optimistic about the future with this new collaboration.
As stated in the press release, the partnership’s goal is to “create new experiences for players, fans, and creators” and to help “player-first Web3 gaming products become mainstream.”
Let’s dive into the details of this new partnership and what it means for TSM’s future in the gaming industry.
TSM’s Past Dealings and Current Partnership with Avalanche
On Tuesday, Avalanche announced their exclusive partnership with TSM’s gaming platform subsidiary, Blitz, in a competitive gaming partnership across TSM’s organization.
As one of the longest-running esports organizations in the industry, TSM boasts an impressive 12-year track record and currently competes in various popular titles like League of Legends, Apex Legends, Dota 2, R6S, Valorant, and more.
Avalanche will be the exclusive blockchain partner for both TSM and Blitz, with Blitz building out their own designated Avalanche Subnet. TSM plans to host Avalanche-branded tournaments on the subnet to “help gamers improve their skills with performance insights and learning tools.”
This isn’t TSM’s first time dabbling in crypto, as they had previously partnered with FTX in the first-of-its-kind deal during the bull market in mid-2021.
According to John Wu, president of Avalanche’s Ava Labs, “Partnering with TSM brings truly innovative gaming experiences to players all over the world.” Similarly, Andy Dinh, CEO of TSM and Blitz, expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, calling Avalanche “an authentic leader in this space” and adding that the platforms share the vision of creating products that are “authentic and beneficial to our community.”
The Future of Gaming and Esports
Following the FTX fallout, there has been a reset in partnerships and sponsorships within sports and entertainment deals. As a result, brands and talent are more cautious in their crypto approach. However, there is still a great deal of potential for partnerships in the gaming industry with creators and overseers of blockchains themselves, where transparency is more abundant, and deficient actors are easier to spot.
GameFi has been a hot topic in the gaming industry in 2023, with significant gaming, entertainment, and art chains like Avalanche, Polygon, Solana, and Cardano all carving out their lanes in creative spaces around sport and entertainment. For instance, in January 2023, the president of Square Enix announced that the company would not give up its blockchain projects. Also, there have been rumors that Amazon is working on an NFT initiative.
Conclusion
With their new partnership with Avalanche, TSM is making a bold move into the world of Web3 gaming, and they are not alone in their pursuits. The gaming industry is quickly adapting to the crypto world, and TSM is at the forefront of this movement. As we continue to see blockchain technology and gaming intersect, it will be exciting to see what the future holds for esports organizations like TSM.
