Esports has become a fundamental part of gaming and will, therefore, be a central aspect of Web3 gaming. Blockchain technology has the power to improve esports in various ways and esports royalty, TSM, has partnered with Avalanche to bring that to life.
This news story can be a little confusing as there are three names you’re going to hear: Swift, TSM, and Blitz. Swift (Swift Media Entertainment) is the parent company of the esports team and organization, TSM (Team SoloMid). Swift is also the owner of the esports platform, Blitz. Blitz is a brilliant piece of software, partially functioning as a game overlay that gives the player advice on game mechanics across a multitude of blue-chip games.
This may not be the first time you have seen mention of TSM and Blitz in Web3 gaming. TSM in particular negotiated a flagship partnership with FTX worth an eye-watering $210 million from 2021 to 2031; needless to say, that has been dissolved. Undeterred by that disaster, it seems TSM and the Blitz platform both see the value in blockchain technology and have partnered with Avalanche.
We're thrilled to announce our partnership with @avalancheavax! Stay tuned for exciting Blitz tournaments and updates. For more details of what's to come check out: https://t.co/01pLckYyIo pic.twitter.com/c9V623h94z
— Blitz App (@theblitzapp) March 7, 2023
The primary interaction between Avalanche, TSM, and Blitz appears to be the building of a subnet on Avalanche that will allow Blitz to use blockchain for TSM events. According to the official press release, TSM will be using blockchain technology to create new experiences for it fans.
The Blitz subnet is a custom PoS blockchain built on Avalanche and TSM will be utilizing it to host tournaments and store digital assets. There will also be the possibility of buying and selling such assets which will be in partnership with Core.
Partnering with TSM brings truly innovative gaming experiences to players around the world […] Avalanche’s fully customizable subnets were created to help organizations like TSM push the boundaries of what is possible for gaming with sub-second transaction speed, scalability, and security for millions of users.
— John Wu, President at Ava Labs
This partnership is far more innocuous than the billboard one forged between TSM and FTX, but markedly more important. TSM and Blitz have the potential to show the value of blockchain technology to not only gaming, but esports. The narrative in traditional gaming has been long-focussed on scams and cash-grabs, but the utility of the technology is absolute and unwavering. TSM and Blitz can combine with Avalanche to exemplify this utility and pave the way for other organizations to follow suit.
Lead image made in part with photo by Yan Krukau
