PSG enters Pacific Championship Series with Talon Esports alliance

PSG Esports, the esports arm of the French football club, has partnered with Talon Esports to enter the Pacific Championship Series (PCS). 

A combination of the well-regarded League of Legends Masters Series and Legends SEA Tour, PCS is composed of teams from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

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Talon Esports was the PCS champion in the past split. The new team will be called PSG Talon and will have an increased focus on talent development with an athletic approach to competitive gaming. The goal is to secure a spot at the League of Legends World Championship, which is tentatively scheduled to be held in Shanghai starting in September. 

Fabien Allegre, Brand Diversification and Merchandising Director at Paris Saint-Germain, spoke on the deal in a release: “We’re delighted to kick-off this exciting partnership with Talon and to make a return to League of Legends. Esports remains one of the core pillars of the Club’s brand diversification strategy, as we look to enter the next phase of our growth plan.

“As a young and tremendously ambitious organisation, PSG naturally saw Talon as a fitting partner. Whilst this partnership undoubtedly strengthens the Paris Saint-Germain brand visibility in our key markets, and in front of non-traditional football audiences across the globe, we are confident in building a viable Esports business within its own right. Under the leadership of our President Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the Club has long identified the value in Esports and we are committed to investing in the interests of the new generation of potential PSG fans.”

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PSG was one of the first major football clubs to invest heavily in esports. The team previously competed in the EU Challenger Series before dropping its League of Legends roster when Riot Games moved to the long-term partnership model in 2017. This deal is similar to the arrangement PSG struck with LGD Gaming in Dota 2 – which has proven to be successful since it was established in 2018.  

Sean Zhang, CEO of Talon Esports, commented: “We recognize that our fans appreciate performance above anything else, so to partner with a club with the history and pedigree of PSG means taking our game to new levels. We are super excited for the journey ahead and look forward to the success we can create together” 

Esports Insider says: This partnership makes sense for both sides. PSG dropped its Rocket League roster in 2019 and the club’s esports initiatives appeared halted. By bringing on Talon Esports, PSG is able to compete in a strong League of Legends region under a joint banner, with its new partner gaining access to the wealth of resources that come with being attached to a prominent football club.