Les clubs du futur

Esports teams struggle to build a fan base despite competitive success and their players' online presence.

Every club, regardless of the field, needs a hook that makes people want to be part of its family.

• A club's history is a weak argument because it takes 50 years to build • Past victories don't create the sense of belonging that's necessary

True supporters want to attach themselves to a team for personal reasons and feel emotions during matches, not support the strongest team.

Traditionally, geographic attachment creates the bond: Parisians support Paris, Marseillais support Marseille.

Geographic attachment does 90% of the work because it automatically establishes that the club and the person belong to the same family.

All the world's greatest clubs have the heart of their fan base in the city where they're located, because this sense of belonging is very strong.

Esports don't yet have an established geographic attachment, except one publisher had the bad idea of creating one on a game where the graphics obscure the screen.

With Twitch and social media, streamers are supported by hundreds of thousands or even millions of people.

Viewers see the streamer as something very close to a friend, even if they've never met, creating a lasting emotional connection.

When the streamer's team plays, fans support them without asking if the team has a better track record or more budget—typical behavior of true supporters.

The streamer fills the role that geography fills for football clubs: it's the hook that triggers a sense of belonging and attaches people to the team.

Karmine Corp filled Bercy, a first for an esports team in Europe, surpassing the achievements of Vitality and other established organizations.

• No European team had filled Bercy before • Most teams in the French league barely fill halls three times smaller

For 20 years, entrepreneurs created private teams with meaningless names and logos, imagining that competitiveness would create a true fan base—which is false.

Karmine Corp succeeds because people have a personal reason to attach themselves to the team, regardless of competitive results or budget.

Private companies only fill stadiums when they become a region's or country's sole representative in a major competition.

Vitality performs well because it represents France in international competitions, giving it a natural advantage.

Once an official national team is created, private teams like Misfits Gaming lose their relevance and appeal to the public.

The level of play offered matters less than the personal or geographic argument; that's the essence of a team's success in public enthusiasm.

For influence to work long-term, the influencer must own the team, otherwise they'll go use their fame elsewhere.

Karmine Corp has a structural advantage other esports teams don't have: a streamer owner who will stay with the club indefinitely.

• Raising money for top players • Creating nice jerseys • Hiring community managers for Twitter jokes

These efforts mean nothing without a hook that creates a sense of family belonging among a broad audience.

Coy is the second team of this new generation, a Spanish team built around a massive Spanish streamer who will never leave.

Coy generates more viewers than Spanish teams ten years older than it, establishing a natural rivalry with Karmine Corp.

The leaders of both clubs understand that their teams are very similar at a fundamental level and differ sharply from traditional esports teams.

The rivalry is not random but reflects that Karmine represents France and Coy represents Spain, each dominating its region in viewers.

Clubs built on their owner's influence are the only ones with a real chance of success in the medium term in terms of enthusiasm and resemblance to traditional clubs.

This analysis remains valid until Riot Games wakes up and creates franchises based on cities like Paris and Marseille, which would completely change the dynamic.

In the medium-long term (5–10 years), city clubs will likely dominate influencer clubs the same way influencer clubs are currently dominating traditional clubs.

One influencer against a megacity is an unequal fight: Paris's ability to create new young League of Legends fans will always surpass one person's.