UK-based esports organisation Guild Esports have announced their move into Apex Legends with the announcement of a new team roster.
The Apex team is comprised of Slovenian player MaTaFe, Finnish player Silta and UK player Horizxon.
The team will represent Guild for the first-time in the Apex Legends Global Series, which kicks off on October 16th 2021.
The team was launched through an announcement unveiling MaTaFe, whose iconic red bandana was a central part of the launch video.
Guild have also announced the signing of their first ever performance manager, Edgar Chekera, who joins the David Beckham co-owned esports organisation to lead the holistic out-of-game development of their esports athletes.
In his role, Chekera will focus on one-on-one sports psychology work with Guild’s players, including team sessions on communication and feedback methodology. He will focus on physiotherapy, strength and conditioning, nutrition and mental wellbeing.
Chekera joins Guild with almost a decade’s experience in the industry, having applied his mental performance coaching at top-tier esports orgs including Manchester City, Hashtag United, Petersfield RFC, AS Roma, Fnatic and Excel. He’s also been a guest lecturer at various universities.
Grant Rousseau, director of esports at Guild, said: “Edgar is a hugely exciting addition to the Guild organisation and he joins us at the very forefront of his field in esports performance management. We can’t wait for him to get started with our teams and continue to help us build and improve our exciting roster of talent.”
Guild Esports has been making moves in developing their professional rosters since launching in June 2020, and have secured major trophies in the Fortnite Championship Series (FNCS) and Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS).
The news comes after Guild announced their all-female Valorant team, Guild X, last month.
Kal Hourd, Chief Executive at Guild Esports, said: “From the beginning, our goal has always been to bring together the best and most entertaining esports players to build an organisation that excites fans, attracts brands and provides teams with the opportunity to develop into champions.
“Our new Apex team incorporates this ambition entirely, allowing us to continue disrupting the industry with advancements into new tournaments and representing Europe as a true force in Apex Legends.”
“I’ve been a big fan of what Guild has been doing in the industry for a long time, so when I was given the opportunity to be part of its first-ever Apex Legends team it was a no brainer.”
MaTaFe, Guild Esports
Guild Apex Legends player MaTaFe added: “I’ve been a big fan of what Guild has been doing in the industry for a long time, so when I was given the opportunity to be part of its first-ever Apex Legends team it was a no brainer.
“Together with Silta and Horizxon, I’m excited to push the team to new heights and compete at the highest levels in the scene. With Guild’s unique training offerings such as the Guild Academy, I’m confident that the organisation will only continue to get stronger and I’m looking forward to being a part of that journey.”
Earlier this year, Guild launched an apparel line with Fergus Purcell and an official Guild Esports jersey.
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
