Former Soccer Star Nicklas Bendtner Acquires Danish Esports Organisation Team Singularity
In a significant move blending traditional sports with the burgeoning esports industry, former professional soccer player Nicklas Bendtner has acquired 100% ownership of the Danish esports organisation Team Singularity. This acquisition is part of Bendtner's growing involvement in the esports sector through his investment and management company, Legendary Gaming Group.
From Soccer Fields to Gaming Arenas
Bendtner, who once graced the fields of top-tier clubs like Arsenal and Wolfsburg, announced his retirement from football three years ago. Since then, he has pivoted towards esports, a realm that has captivated his interest and where he now sees a future rich with opportunity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bendtner began playing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO), a move that eventually led him to own a small CSGO team, Prosapia Esport. His passion for gaming was further highlighted when he participated in a showmatch at the Blast Premier Fall Finals at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen in November 2022, representing Team Denmark.
Expanding the Legendary Gaming Group
The Legendary Gaming Group, founded by Bendtner, is aimed at revolutionising esports by offering cutting-edge gaming experiences, elite talent development, and thrilling events. This ambition is supported by notable figures in the esports arena, including Team Singularity founder Atle Stehouwer, Tricked Esport founder Morten Jensen, Stephen Shine, and Jonas Rosbech.
"I am really pleased with the team we have assembled at Legendary and look forward to being part of something bigger in an industry I am fascinated by," said Bendtner, expressing his enthusiasm for the journey ahead. Stehouwer, who has been instrumental in bringing Team Singularity under the Legendary Gaming Group, shares this vision. "For the past two years, after being passive in Team Singularity’s operations, I’ve been in talks with numerous potential partners about various opportunities in the market and potentially starting something new. I’m thrilled and honoured to have found a proper home for Team Singularity under the Legendary Gaming Group wings and to have been able to bring a strong ownership group together to form the foundation of Legendary Gaming Group," he stated.
Legacy and Future Aspirations
Team Singularity has a storied history in the UK League of Legends (LoL) scene, being part of the old ESL UK Premiership since as early as 2017. Despite the closure of Tricked Esport last year, both Team Singularity and Tricked have been notable competitors in the UK/Nordics League of Legends NLC. The transition of Team Singularity into the Legendary Gaming Group marks a new chapter for the team, with a significant announcement teased for August 1st, 2024.
The esports landscape is a rapidly evolving one, and Bendtner’s full acquisition of Team Singularity signifies a growing trend of traditional sports professionals investing in this competitive field. It’s a move that symbolizes not just a convergence of different sporting worlds but also a recognition of the massive potential within esports.
A Royal Connection
Bendtner's unique and colorful past adds an intriguing dimension to his current ventures. Once romantically linked to Caroline Luel-Brockdorff of Danish royalty and famously dubbed "Lord Bendtner" after a Danish tabloid bought him a square foot of land in Scotland, Nicklas Bendtner's larger-than-life persona continues to captivate both football and esports fans alike. His record for the fastest goal scored by a substitute in Premier League history, clocked at 1.8 seconds against Tottenham on December 22nd, 2007, remains a highlight of his soccer career.
Arsene Wenger, Bendtner’s former manager at Arsenal, recently ventured into esports as an ambassador for a new $100,000 FIFAe World Cup of Football Manager esports tournament. This transition by established sports figures underscores a broader, industry-wide trend of crossover between traditional sports and the digital competitive arena.
As Bendtner continues to shape his role at Legendary Gaming Group, he acknowledges that his exact title is still under consideration, contingent upon the roles of other incoming sports profiles. "My own role in the company will be an active one, but what the exact title will be is not 100% decided yet, as it also depends on what roles the other sports profiles coming in will have," he remarked.
The future looks promising for Bendtner and his burgeoning esports empire under the Legendary Gaming Group, as they aim to set new standards in the world of competitive gaming.