Sentinels co-founder and CEO Robert Moore has sued Kroenke Sports & Entertainment because of the latter’s decision to try and purchase Echo Fox’s League of Legends Championship Series franchise spot. He filed this lawsuit on August 1 in Los Angeles’ California Superior Court.
Sentinels in Overwatch League
The Sentinels, formerly known as Phoenix1, currently operate the Los Angeles Gladiators team of the Overwatch League. It was reported that Kroenke Sports & Entertainment had made the offer to purchase Echo Fox’s LCS franchise spot for $30.25 million after the shareholder scandal. The esports ventures of Kroenke are held under KSE Esports.
In the lawsuit, Moore alleges that Kroenke Sports & Entertainment went after Echo Fox’s LCS franchise spot without notifying him. Because he was not in the loop, this action violated a verbal agreement between him and the company. They had created this verbal agreement because Moore currently acts as the CEO of KSE Esports. Moore also describes how Josh Kroenke has delegated interactions with Moore to another friend of his, Michael Neary. He alleges that Neary has been taking credit for the success of recent esports ventures.
Robert Moore wants majority stake
Currently, Moore holds a 49 percent stake in the Los Angeles Gladiators as the CEO of KSE Esports. Because they cut him out of the verbal agreement, Moore is asking for an increased stake in the Gladiators. The request would push his total share to 51 percent. He also asks for reimbursement for recent out-of-pocket costs he incurred with the joint esports venture.
Under Sentinels’ previous name, Phoenix1 competed in the LCS during its 2016 and 2017 seasons. When League of Legends decided to go through franchising for the North American region for 2018, Phoenix1 was not accepted. As such, the organization rebranded and decided to scout players in other games. Sentinels Fortnite player Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf recently made headlines for his first-place finish at the Fortnite World Cup Finals, where he won $3 million.
OpTic Gaming will rebrand to Immortals and Clutch Gaming to Dignitas during the 2020 LCS season. If Kroenke Sports & Entertainment do succeed in buying Echo Fox’s LCS spot, do you think they will rebrand or stay with the Sentinels name? Let us know in the comments, and keep up with all of the latest League of Legends news and content here at Daily Esports.
