FEBRUARY 23, 2018 - The NBA and Take Two Interactive, publishers of the widely popular game NBA 2K, have joined together to host the first ever NBA 2K esports league. The inaugural season has drawn participation from 17 different NBA franchises who have established their own esports departments in preparation for the excitement to come.
Today, we are happy to announce our venture into this new landscape with Monumental Sports & Entertainment and Wizards District Gaming.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to step into new territory through a partnership with Monumental Sports and Entertainment, the ownership group for a number of D.C.'s sports franchises, including the Washington Wizards, Capitals, and Wizards District Gaming. As the official gaming chair partner of Wizards D.G., we’re excited to show new audiences the quality of our products and the positive impact a great chair will have for the players’ comfort and health. We look forward to this partnership with Wizards District Gaming and anticipate amazing things ahead with the merging of our communities.” – James Vo, Director of Esports, Vertagear
In addition to supplying Wizards D.G. with our vaunted line of Racing Series gaming chairs, we will be taking the extra step to fully support the brand with the creation of a custom SL5000 made specifically for the team.
“We couldn’t be more excited to have Vertagear, one of the most well respected brands in esports, as the official gaming chair partner for Wizards District Gaming. We strive to provide our players with a world class experience, and having Vertagear’s chairs will enable us to create a truly exceptional practice space." - Grant Paranjape, Director of Esports and Team Operations, Monumental Sports & Entertainment
The Wizards will join the 16 other teams at the upcoming NBA 2K draft in March in a bid to acquire a championship caliber roster. With the league set to tip off in May, the next couple months of practice will be absolutely crucial. We're proud to support the upcoming Wizards District Gaming team with the best chairs in the industry in their quest to the top.
About Vertagear
Vertagear is the world's leader in high-end gaming chairs. As gamers and engineers, we love leveling up. The constant evolution of our products forms the foundation of our team. We obsess over every part--every tiny detail--everyday. From utilizing the most premium material to considering the nuances of your day-to-day, we strive to give you the best experience from the first touch.
About Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), located in Washington, D.C., is one of the largest integrated sports and entertainment companies in the country with one of the most diverse partnership groups in all of sports. MSE owns and operates seven professional sports teams: the AFL’s Baltimore Brigade and Washington Valor, NBA's Washington Wizards, NBA G League’s Capital City Go-Go, NBA 2K League’s Wizards District Gaming, NHL's Washington Capitals and the WNBA's Washington Mystics. The company is also co-owner of aXiomatic, which has controlling interest in global esports franchise Team Liquid, and owns and operates Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. Monumental Sports & Entertainment also manages Kettler Capitals Iceplex, the state-of-the-art training facility for the Capitals and EagleBank Arena on George Mason University's campus. The District of Columbia and Events DC are building a new sports and entertainment facility in Southeast DC on the St. Elizabeth’s East campus. The facility will feature a state-of-the art training facility for the Washington Wizards and Washington Mystics and will also include a 4,200-seat arena which will become the new home of the Mystics and Go-Go. The facility is scheduled to open in the fall of 2018. Monumental Sports & Entertainment also co-owns and operates Monumental Sports Network (MSN) with the NBC Sports Group. MSN is the mid-Atlantic region’s top destination for exclusive fan experiences and original sports content across desktop, tablet, mobile and OTT streaming devices. Visit www.monumentalsports.com.
About Wizards District Gaming
Wizards District Gaming is part of the NBA 2K League, a professional esports league co-founded by the NBA and Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO). Launching in 2018, the league will feature the best NBA 2K players in the world. Wizards DG will draft gamers to compete as unique characters in 5-on-5 play against 16 other teams in a mix of regular-season games, tournaments and playoffs. The league will host tryouts in early 2018, followed by a draft in March and the season tip-off in May. For more information about Wizards District Gaming, visit http://www.wizardsdg.com/.