Update: ITB have also joined the UK Esports Team Committee, as the London Royal Ravens (now the Carolina Royal Ravens) and LDN UTD have been removed.
Original article: UK esports organisation Into the Breach (aka ITB Esports) have acquired part-ownership of UK esports club and tournament operator The Goose House (TGH).
They have bought the shares of Dan ‘eLSD’ Ellis, and have become co-owners alongside David Taylor and dËk.
The news comes one month after several streamers and staff at The Goose House left amidst accusations against former co-owner Dan Ellis, and TGH was removed from the UKETC.
ITB said in an announcement that it will act as a support networking for the community to grow, and that ‘The Goose House will remain largely independent and focused on what made it great – community engagement, a place for people to socialize, have fun, and make friends through gaming’.
ITB, founded by Sam Macedonio, will offer background support related to business development, finance, visuals/graphic design and general administration.
ITB’s subsidiary company ‘beCosy’ fashion will also become a sponsor and official clothing line for TGH – this’ll include a cash injection to bring paid staff and new community initiatives, including an ‘Evolution’ tournament.
Into the Breach said they plan to publish a clear process for people to express grievances or concerns about anyone on The Goose House team, and that they want it to be ‘a community everyone can feel safe in’.
Esports News UK also understands ITB will not field teams to compete in The Goose House tournaments, as these competitions will focus solely on Riot-based games like Valorant, which ITB have no plans to enter.
“We will be bringing in a paid, experienced industry professional with extensive experience in TGH as a consultant, providing valuable support and guidance with the implementation of safety protocols. Additionally, we will be expanding our team with new female members in leadership roles, ensuring increased representation in high-level decision-making across the business,” ITB said.
“We’ll also be bringing in a dedicated Streamer Engagement team member, who will be the point of contact to ensure the streamers are supported, happy and thriving. She is familiar with the nature of streaming and can relate to the intricacies of the environment, while becoming a key stakeholder of the implemented safety processes and being in control of relaying these effectively to the creators.”
That dedicated streamer engagement team member is Raine, who added: “Alongside the restructure I have been brought in as a point of contact for TGH creators – old, returning and new. As a woman in esports myself, I want to play my part in making this a safe and inclusive space for everyone. Dms open, discord: raine_x”
“Changes will take time to effectively implement, but we are dedicated to doing this right, accurately, and in a way that doesn’t take away from the fundamental objective of TGH – to have a fantastic community where people can create lasting friendships, game happily and have access to great tournaments and esport opportunities.”
ITB Esports
ITB continued: “Finally, we’ll be opening dialogue with the community at large – discussing what needs to change moving forward. Changes will take time to effectively implement, but we are dedicated to doing this right, accurately, and in a way that doesn’t take away from the fundamental objective of TGH – to have a fantastic community where people can create lasting friendships, game happily and have access to great tournaments and esport opportunities.”
The org also added in a tweet: “We’re reviewing everything from the bottom up, instituting new protocols, paid staff, and several other initiatives to ensure clear processes and community safety. It’s priority number one, two and three.”
Recent ITB news: Into the Breach sign new CS players including Major winner after Thomas steps back
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.
