Arce, who previously held the position of Operations Manager at XSET, will now be responsible for overseeing the franchise’s competitive vertical, which includes teams in popular esports titles such as Valorant, Rocket League, Call of Duty: Warzone, Apex Legends, iRacing, and fighting games.
Arce brings a wealth of experience to the role, having previously served as Co-General Manager at Ghost Gaming, where he was responsible for managing over 60 professional gamers and coaches. He also has experience as a caster, working with companies such as Epic Games and Alienware, Dell’s gaming division, covering their various events.
Arce has a strong history of climbing the professional ladder, starting with entry-level positions at McDonald’s and working his way up to management while also taking care of his family. He has now turned his attention to the gaming and esports industry, where he strives to stay ahead of the curve by making sure players not only participate in games but are also given the opportunity to shape the culture.
In addition to his management, operations, and development experience in esports, Arce is also a Partnered Broadcaster on Twitch TV, where he streams a variety of content, from casual and competitive gaming to casting and entertaining in different series on his own channel.
In a statement, Arce expressed his desire to ensure players are not just present in games but are also given the chance to shape the culture. Arce mentioned that he has succeeded by building genuine connections and staying true to his goal of taking care of people in the gaming world. He added that XSET operates in a similar manner and takes care of their fans and players, and also aims to change the way organizations operate.
��I care about being ahead of the curve in the gaming and esports industry. For me, this means making sure players don��t just exist in games, but that they are given the opportunity to shape the culture,” Arce said.
��I��ve prospered by building genuine connections and staying true to my intentions of taking care of people in the gaming world. XSET functions the same way I do, they take care of their fans and players, and strive to change the way organisations operate.��
The appointment of Arce as Head of Esports comes a few days after XSET announced the hiring of David Luce as its new Chief Content Officer. Additionally, Co-Owner and Chief Experience Officer Rob Martin recently left the organization, indicating that XSET is currently undergoing a restructuring phase.
XSET Co-founder and CEO Greg Selkoe spoke about the appointment of Arce, stating reasons why he was the best fit.
��Jacob has already proved himself to be an essential part of XSET��s development during his time as Operations Manager,�� Selkoe said.
��Jacob��s authentic love for gaming and ensuring that players are able to thrive is exactly what we believe in at XSET. His authenticity, combined with his knowledge and strong work ethic, makes Jacob the right person to take on the role of Head of Esports as we continue to add some new teams and players to our roster in 2023.��
We��re pleased to announce the promotion of @Jacob_MvPR to Head of Esports at XSET.
"Jacob's authentic love for gaming and ensuring that players are able to thrive is exactly what we believe in at XSET.�� – CEO @Selkoe#RepTheSet
https://t.co/6G6QaFhc8r
— XSET (@XSET) January 12, 2023
As Head of Esports, Arce will play a crucial role in shaping the future of XSET’s competitive efforts. With his extensive experience in the industry and passion for gaming, it is expected that he is well-suited to lead the franchise’s teams to success in the years to come.
]]>In a LinkedIn post, Martin announced his departure from XSET but did not provide specific reasons. He reflected on his time with the franchise and his personal journey in 2022.
“I had an incredible 2022 as a Co-Owner and Chief Experience Officer with XSET,” he said.
“Producing impacting activations, creating marketing strategies, creating opportunities for partners, developing talent as well as introducing non endemic companies to the gaming industry.
“Educating them on how to connect with the culture and community to elevate their brand and objectives authentically.
“Together the amazing team of Greg Selkoe, Wil Eddins, Clinton Sparks, Steve Birkhold, Erin Ashley Simon, my best friend Lonnie Anthony, and I developed XSET into the worlds most diverse gaming org. I appreciate these wonderful humans for trusting me to build this game changing company alongside them. I also thank them for understanding my reasons for stepping away.”
In his statement, Martin expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to be a part of XSET and to work with such a talented team. He also thanked collaborators, gamers, external partners, and mentors and requested that anyone with an opening that suits his skill set should not hesitate to contact him.
“As I move on to the next chapter of my professional life, I am beyond grateful to the XSET brand for bringing so many incredible people into my life and giving me the opportunity to lead, teach and learn every day,” Martin said.
“To my teammates, my extended family at Drai’s Enterprises and Dustin Drai himself, the athletes, collaborators, gamers, external partners and mentors, I thank you! Earning your trust and friendship over the years has been my greatest accomplishment! I encourage all of you to reach out to me if there is an opportunity that fits my skill set. Any recommendations are also welcome. My goal will remain the same, which is continuing to push the culture forward through marketing.”
During his tenure at XSET, Martin played a key role in shaping the team’s marketing efforts, as well as managing partnerships and talent. Despite stepping down from his position at XSET, Martin indicated that he is open to exploring new opportunities within the esports industry.
In 2022, XSET experienced several significant events. In July, the company successfully completed a $15 million Series A funding round.
Additionally, XSET hired Tim Mulligan, a former executive at 100 Thieves, as Head of Sales. However, in November of that year, co-founder Marco Mereu left XSET and founded his own esports organization called M80.
XSET competes in many different esport games, including Fortnite, Valorant, Rocket League, Call of Duty and PUBG.
]]>The franchise made the announcement via Twitter.
“Hey XSET fam! We have a lot of exciting announcements coming up in 23′ regarding 3 new esports teams – so keep your eyes peeled,” the North American franchise said.
“With that being said, XSET has decided to no longer participate in Rainbow Six Siege and we are exploring a new Rocket League roster. We truly appreciate both the R6 and RL teams commitment to XSET and wish them the best going forward. Here’s a little teaser – with our most recent signing, we’ll be entering Apex Legends with a badass sqaud! Stay tuned and rep the set!”
As XSET will officially be leaving the competitive R6S scene, their North American League roster has been disbanded. They have also released their 2022 Rocket League roster, bidding farewell to Oliver “percy.” Ortiz, Jalen “rapid” Parker, Jordan “Evoh” and Canadian coach Trey “Trey” Hubatsch.
XSET first entered the Rainbow Six Siege competitive scene in 2020, quickly establishing themselves as a formidable team in the North American region. Over the past two years, they have consistently placed in the top tiers of various tournaments, including the Six Invitational and the North American League.
XSET’s withdrawal from the Rainbow Six Siege scene may be related to the recent unveiling of the Rainbow Six Esports Global Circuit, which will include a closed North American league starting in 2023. Given they qualified for both Majors and the Six Invitational, which is scheduled for February 2023, the team’s departure is sure to leave a void in the competitive landscape.
Recently, XSET have scaled back their involvement in various esports titles. The organization has disbanded its main VALORANT team and Game Changers roster after failing to secure a VCT partnership for 2023. In the summer, the entire Halo roster also departed the franchise. Currently, the organization only fields active rosters in Apex Legends and Splitgate, but it seems likely that this will change in 2023.
Although it has a limited number of active esports rosters, XSET has a large number of streamers and content creators, including some well-known sports stars and musicians. The organization has also participated in games such as Fortnite and CS:GO in the past.
]]>This roster consists of the American in-game leader Brandon “Nocturnal” Singer, Brandon “FunFPS” Goombridge, Nicholas “Sikezz” Odom, and coach Haris “Hodsic” Hodzic.
The gang's all together.
— XSET (@XSET) December 16, 2022
The organization stated in a press release that they have always wanted to make headway in the Apex Legends scene, and hence this newly acquired team is a good fit as they are one of the best Apex Legends teams in North America.
“We��ve seen the rapid growth of the Apex Legends Global Series League, we knew we had to participate and make a huge impact if we were to enter,” the team said.
“Since the beginning of XSET, we��ve always wanted to cultivate a winning culture no matter what game or collaboration we entered. With Nocturnal, FunFPS, Sikezz, and Hodsic leading the charge into Apex Legends, we��re only going to continue that tradition.”
XSET IGL Nocturnal also stated that they are optimistic about their new organization, and assured everyone that they will maintain their winning streak under their new banner.
“We��re really looking forward to a new scenery and new faces to call a family and home. Happy that this was incredibly smooth and looking forward to be able to play our own game without any worries anymore. We��re here to stay as a team and here to continue dominating under XSET,” Nocturnal said.
In an early news release, Team Liquid released a press release, stating their exit from the game due to financial constraints.
“On the financial side of things, the ALGS and how it is moving forward with monetization for teams simply doesn��t fit with our operations, and so we need to take our leave, though we take no pleasure in doing so.”
The organization noted that parting with the team was a very difficult move for them, and they regret letting go of the super team, which have brought them countless highlights.
“In stepping away, we had to make tough decisions that unfortunately caused our team to get less coverage than they deserved. We fielded a roster that grew into a world-class competitor – led by what could be the best coach and IGL in Apex history – and as they grew we were scaling up our Apex content team to match them,” Team Liquid’s press release read.
“We had a number of great content pieces planned that would let the squad��and their fans��shine. We had to cut these pieces down early due to the shift in direction of the ALGS. We do regret missing the opportunity to highlight this superstar squad��and our talented Apex staff.”
The new XSET team had already qualified for the LAN before the transfer. Under their new banner, they will be making their debut on December 18 at the upcoming regional finals to qualify for the Split One Playoffs LAN, which is scheduled for next year.
XSET will rise to the absolute top of the Apex esports scene right away. The new team is currently ranked second overall in the NA Pro League. This have made XSET’s purpose of winning more realistic.
Also, after Storm Point was included in the ALGS, Team Liquid was the first team to develop gameplay for it. They have also survived many metas while keeping their dominance on the map.
Prior to this comeback into the Apex Legends scene, XSET had since left the scene last in July 2022. The esports organisation had acquired the current free-agent North American squad SZN, although their run last season was not successful, as they only earned a few top spots and minor events and did not make the top 10 teams of the ALGS Pro League.
]]>Mereu made public his decision to leave the franchise via his Twitlonger page. Having shared how proud he was to have been one of the four founding partners of the organization, he stated that his journey with XSET was over and wished them the very best for the future.?
?��Wanted to announce that in early August I left @XSET and for me that amazing journey has come to an end,�� he wrote.? ?
��A little over two years after co-founding one of the fastest growing organizations in esports I am proud of the work we did and the success of our many talented esports teams and creators who make the brand so special. @XSET was a labor of love and I wish them the best in the future.��?
READ: XSET release Valorant roster after Riot Games snub
?Mereu also took out time to pen a thank-you message to the employees of the organization, the players, and the fans.
?��I wanted to also take a moment to say how proud I am of the many employees and team members at @XSET for elevating their work above and beyond what was expected and being the catalyst for our success. Will miss working with many of them,�� he continued.? ?
��To every player who has worn an @XSET jersey I wanted to say thank you for coming along on this ride. Many of you have become lifelong friends and I will always be here to support you and watch you compete.
��To the fans, thank you for your support from day one and always repping the set. I appreciate the support for our organization, players and teams and hope you will continue to support @XSET in their future endeavors. As for me, excited for what is next and the future. Stay peeled.��?
Mereu was formerly an executive with FaZe Clan before founding XSET alongside Clinton Sparks, Greg Selkoe, and Wil Eddins, who were fellow former FaZe members.? Founded in July 2020, the organization has enjoyed rapid growth within the North American esports scene, garnering around 800,000 followers across social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.? ?
During his two-year stint with XSET, Mereu served as the organization��s Chief Operating Officer (COO). In his role as COO, he was tasked with overseeing the day-to-day operations and finances of the company and its 10 competitive teams across various esports titles.
This year, XSET have made some significant changes to their front office and leadership structure. They include the appointment of Erin Ashley Simon as the organization��s Chief Culture Officer (CCO) and Steve Birkhold replacing Mereu as COO.
?The reason for the restructuring is still not entirely clear, although the franchise secured US$15 million in funding and stated that a chunk of it will go into investing in new executive talent and the creation of a marketing and content development department.
]]>Riot Games previously announced that each team was expected to turn in a roster of around six players, at a minimum. As a result of this, the North American team��s lineup is not yet complete. Sentinels are likely discussing the potential new intakes internally.?
?With the full roster to be completed before the deadline on October 15, Sentinels are still very much in the market for new additions that fit into the franchise’s ethos. It is unlikely that the team��s initial members, Shahzeb ��ShahZaM�� Khan and Tyson ��TenZ�� Ngo, will be a part of the starting roster for the 2023 season. This is mainly because both players’ contracts are set to expire by the end of the year.? ?
Reports suggest that Sentinels are due to make two new signings – former XSET players Rory ��Dephh�� Jackson and Zachary ��zekken�� Patrone.? ?Both Dephh and Zekken were let go by XSET after the team failed to secure a slot in the VCT 2023 partnership.
The two players were integral to XSET’s successes last season, helping them become one of the top teams in North America.? ?XSET also qualified for Valorant’s most prestigious event this year, the Valorant Champions.
Dephh and Zekken are not the only XSET Valorant members added to the Sentinels lineup. On October 4, the NA team revealed that former XSET head coach Don ��SyykoNT�� Muir had joined the team in preparation for the 2023 Valorant Champions Tour. He was with XSET during the team��s Champions run and helped them finish in a top-six position.?
?Sentinels also unveiled Adam Kaplan, the previous coach of Ghost Gaming, as the new strategic coach of the team. While at Ghost, Kaplan helped them to the June VCT NA Stage 2 Challengers playoffs.
?As part of the rebuild, Sentinels also announced the exit of the franchise’s resident coach, Shane “Rawkus” Flaherty.
��It was no easy task but you were up for the challenge. We appreciate your hard work and everything you’ve contributed to Sentinels, thank you coach @Rawkus,�� read the statement on the team’s Twitter page.? ?
��Hate to see you go, but love to watch you walk away.��?
?The VCT 2023 will begin with a three-week kickoff tournament in February, where Sentinels will compete alongside the other 29 partner teams across the three leagues.
]]>It is understood that AYRIN will head down to Seoul, South Korea, in order to participate with the rest of the lineup in 2023. Due to his Canadian nationality, he will be placed in the esports team��s import slot.? ?
In a previous Twitter post, Global Esports used a Valorant edit to tease the signing. The clip did not outrightly reveal that AYRIN was the new team player. However, its content pointed to a player from North America.?
?While neither party has confirmed or denied AYRIN��s signing to the squad, the announcement will likely be made in the next few days.? ?The “soft lock” date for Riot Games�� partnered teams is October 15, and all franchises will need to conclude their roster adjustments before then.
Global Esports were the only Indian team to make it to Riot��s Asian International league. The list of squads in the league includes ZETA Division, T1, DRX, Paper Rex, Talon esports, Team Secret, and several others.? ?
Prior to AYRIN��s inclusion, Global Esports consisted of Ganesh “SkRossi” Gangadhar, Abhirup “Lightningfast” Choudhury, Bhavin “HellrangeR” Kotwani, Jayanth “skillZ” Ramesh, and Akshay “KappA” Sinkar.? Previously, the team had intended to create a 10-man squad for the 2023 VCT Asian league. At the time, Global Esports explained that they would bring in a European or American player as the import and four other players in the region.?
?The highly anticipated 2023 VCT season will commence in February next year with a kickoff event running over three weeks.? ?Besides prize money, the 30 selected teams across the three leagues will be fighting over an additional spot for the champion’s region at the Masters.
]]>?The decision was reached owing to their inability to secure a spot in Riot Games�� 2023 partnered league. While several unselected teams allowed their players to explore other options by releasing them from their contracts, others sold their players�� contracts outright.?
?XSET went in line with the former in a bid to afford their talents the opportunity to secure other favorable options. A number of other teams, like G2 Esports, previously released their members into restricted agency, while TSM revealed that they would continue competing in Valorant and would continue paying their players regardless.? ?
XSET parted ways with both of their remaining players – Brendan ��BcJ�� Jensen and Zachary ��zekken�� Patrone – as well as analyst Drew ��DrewSpark�� Spark-Whitworth and head coach Don ��Syyko�� Muir. The NA organization took to Twitter to make the announcement and went on to thank all the previous members of the team for their contributions.
��Today, we announce the release of XSET Valorant’s Zachary ��zekken’ Patrone, brendan ‘BcJ�� jensen, drew ‘drewspark’ spark-whitworth, and Don ��sykko’ Muir from their contracts so that they may freely explore opportunities outside the organization,�� the release read.? ?
��We’d also like to take this opportunity to thank the aforementioned. As well as Jordan ��ayrin’ He and Rory ‘dephh’ Jackson, for their incredible contributions to XSET Valorant, and we wish them the best of luck in the future.��? ?
Former XSET top player Matthew ��Cryocells�� Panganiban was previously transferred to 100 Thieves in order to complete that team��s lineup for next year. 100T took off William ��Will�� Cheng in order to make way for their first squad addition since the Valorant offseason period started.? ?Besides Cryocells, Rory ��dephh�� Jackson and Jordan ��AYRIN�� He were also announced as unrestricted free agents.
While XSET have officially released their Valorant players, they are yet to make known their plans as regards the Valorant esports title.? ?They currently have the options of fielding a lineup in the tier-two scene to participate in next year��s Ascension tournaments, or moving away from the Valorant scene in entirety.?
?XSET put up an admirable performance this year, which led to them qualifying for an international event having been unable to do so for the past two years. The team secured top-10 finishes in both the VCT Masters Copenhagen (7th-8th) and the Valorant Champions tournament (5th-6th).
?As yet, no former XSET player besides Cryocells has announced being picked up by another squad. However, according to previous reports, Syyko was en route to joining Sentinels as the squad��s head coach, while Adam Kaplan from Ghost Gaming would be the team’s strategic coach of the team. Neither party has commented on the matter.
]]>Riot Games chose 10 teams to participate in its partnered Valorant leagues across the Americas, and one of those teams was 100 Thieves. The teams, together with the other nine, are currently in the early part of the offseason, during which they have until the end of October to sign players for the following season.
Since joining XSET, Cryo has established himself as one of the most powerful players in the region. It is said that Cryo and Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker, who recently departed OpTic Gaming, are the two best chamber players in all of North America.
It has not been disclosed which member of the 100 Thieves roster will be replaced by Cryo. In the upcoming season of the international leagues, 100 Thieves, along with the other clubs, will be obliged to have a roster with a minimum of six players and a maximum of 10.
During the course of the negotiation process for the acquisition of previous in-game leader Adam “ec1s” Eccles, 100 Thieves made an inquiry about Cryo more than seven months ago.
The team has found its stride after going through multiple roster changes throughout the course of the year, and 100T finished in the top 12 at Valorant Champions 2022. They were eliminated from the competition after losing to DRX and Fnatic, respectively.
Alongside teams such as LOUD, FURIA, Evil Geniuses, Cloud9, MIBR, Sentinels, KRU Esports, Leviatan, and NRG, 100 Thieves are scheduled to take part in the upcoming season of the Americas international league.
The worldwide leagues will get their start in February with a tournament that will feature all 30 of the franchised squads from the Americas, Asia, and EMEA areas. The event is scheduled to take place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, over a three-week period.
]]>
XSET vs SONIQS R6S BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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| Best Odds: | XSET $2.10 at GG Bet | SQ $1.66 at GG Bet |
| When: | September 20, 2022 | 11:00 PDT |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/rainbow6) |
XSET got off to a solid start to NAL Stage 3 and crushed beastcoast (7-2) on Tuesday, only to lose against the in-form Parabellum Esports (5-7) on Wednesday. Even though going 1-1 doesn’t look bad, it’s not like XSET have shown much.
Soniqs won against Spacestation Gaming (7-5) on day one, largely thanks to Pablo “Gryxr” Rebeil, who had an excellent performance, with a 1.63 rating and +10 KD. The 2021 NAL Finals MVP couldn’t replicate those figures on Wednesday when Soniqs won against DarkZero, but he still showed up with 1.12 and +2 KD.
Due to their shaky showings in the first week, XSET are rightly priced as underdogs, but it’s easy to forget that this is one of the most stacked rosters in the NAL that should bounce back and compete for a top finish. It’s tough to say when that will happen, but XSET are a good bet at evens or better against Soniqs, who they are 3-0 up in the head-to-head since NAL 2021 Stage 3.
XSET to win
SPACESTATION GAMING vs PARABELLUM ESPORTS R6S BETTING & MATCH DETAILS
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| Best Odds: | SSG $2.10 at GG Bet | pB $1.66 at GG Bet |
| When: | September 20, 2022 | 12:30 PDT |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/rainbow6) |
Parabellum Esports picked up a surprise victory on the opening day of NAL Stage 3, beating Oxygen Esports 7-4 with a solid performance on Border. Although picking Border was a costly mistake from Oxygen Esports, we shouldn’t undervalue what Parabellum showed on the day, especially Alexandre “BlaZ” Thomas (1.75 rating).
BlaZ wasn’t as good on day two, but he still averaged a 1.12 rating in Partabellum Esports’ 7-5 victory against XSET. Notably, Jameson “KoolAid” Lancaster, who had a rough start to the stage, popped off against XSET, with a 1.51 rating and 15/8 KD.
Spacestation Gaming are 0-1-0-1, which isn’t terrible considering they had to play Soniqs (5-7) and Oxygen Esports (8-7). Their win against Oxygen was deserved, but stats-wise, SSG were the worse team, with Alexander “Yeti” Lawson their best-performing player at 1.15 and +2 KD.
For this match, it’s hard to doubt Parabellum Esports, even though you could argue they’ve overperformed. But even if that’s the case, Parabellum have shown a lot more than Spacestation Gaming.
Parabellum Esports to win
ASTRALIS vs TSM R6S BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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| Best Odds: | AST $1.61 at GG Bet | TSM $2.20 at GG Bet |
| When: | September 20, 2022 | 14:00 PDT |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/rainbow6) |
Astralis lost to DarkZero Esports (6-8) on Tuesday, which was quite surprising since it happened on Theme Park, which is one of their best maps. It was a close game, but it’s hard to defend Astralis and Matthew “Dpfire” Macway, who struggled on day one with a 0.78 rating. Moreover, he didn’t show any improvement on Wednesday when he did little to nothing (0.31 rating) in Astralis’ defeat against Mirage (4-7).
TSM enter NAL Stage 3 Playday 3 with a perfect 2-0 record and two commanding victories against Mirage (7-3) and beastcoast (7-1). With such results, TSM can be considered one of the top NA R6S esports teams, but they came out of the gates very hot last stage (2-0), only to lose five of the remaining seven games and finish in eighth place.
It’s also worth noting that TSM had a very easy schedule, so we wouldn’t overreact to their success. However, while TSM still have a lot more to prove, it’s tough to be bullish on Astralis, who lost both of their games, including against Mirage (4-7).
Astralis still have plenty of time to bounce back, but we have to see a bit more from them before we will consider backing them at $1.61 with the top esport betting sites. This could be a close game, so taking overs ($2.00) is not a bad choice, but we like TSM at plus money better.