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UK esports organisation Bulldog Esports have returned after a dormant spell and will compete in the UK/Nordics League of Legends NLC in 2025.
They have acquired a spot from Irish esports organisation Nativz, who are stepping away from the NLC.
Long-running org Bulldog were acquired by Isle of Man esports organisation X7 in September 2021, with Bulldog founder Tony ‘Newts’ Newton becoming their director of esports.
However, X7 closed down in December 2022 and Newts went on to set up Fourth Wall with Alfie Wright, Robinho and Oldboy in early 2023. Now, NLC Division 2 side Fourth Wall will be closing, and Newts is returning to his roots with Bulldog.
Alongside Newts is content creator NAWI, who has become Bulldog Esports co-owner and CCO, and Jolly, who is COO, handling partnerships and marketing.
Esports News UK also understands Robinho is also working with Bulldog, as well as coach Kybet.
NAWI spoke about how getting into gaming was a way to connect with others, and said: “I feel so proud to say I’m going to be working alongside some amazing, incredible people to capture all the memories and give you guys the behind-the-scenes and raw moments along the way. I know how important it is to feel included and I will do my best to give you guys the same community experience that I was so luckily blessed with.”
The news comes at what looks like an exciting time for the NLC, with Caedrel and DonJake looking to put together some superstar rosters. The former’s Los Ratones roster features Thebausffs, Velja, Nemesis, Crownie and Rekkles, while the latter is said to be bringing together Perkz, Jankos, LIDER, Jackspektra and Nash, according to Sheep Esports.
‘There’s no place like home’ – Bulldog Esports founder on the org’s return
Bulldog founder Tony ‘Newts’ Newton said in the below video on the Bulldog X account: “I know when I joined X7 I was ready to put this behind me, and to be honest at the time, I was. But after a period of time away, working with some good people and learning some good stuff, the reality is there’s no place like home.
“And also speaking to people throughout that time, there are people that have connections with their childhood or their formative years and this organisation, and good memories. Seeing it sit dormant just didn’t feel right with me.
“So we’re back. I’ve got another couple of co-owners, one works in marketing and another is a full-time streamer who you’ll definitely be seeing more of!
“We’re going to give this a good go, and hopefully we can make the Bulldog family proud once again.
“If you have questions, you know where to find me, and I just hope you can get behind us like you did before, and show us some love.”
Update (March 20th 2025): Bulldog have announced that Seckooh, ScarletHawks and Fairygee have joined as content creators.
Nativz on leaving the NLC and refocusing on Irish esports talent
The Irish esports organisation said: “We have made the difficult decision to leave the NLC, a decision that wasn’t made lightly. This marks the start of our reset, a commitment to fostering local Irish talent and reshaping the future of Nativz Esports Club.
“Our focus now shifts to rebuilding from the grond up, starting with talent cultivated through our Ireland Esports Collegiate Series. This grassroots approach aligns with our vision of creating a pathway-to-pro for aspiring Irish players and support staff.
“For our League of Legends community, we’re now building an all-Irish roster to enter the 2025 4 Nations tournament. Beyond LoL, we’ve begun expanding into the game titles we offer in Ireland Collegiate starting with CS2, Valorant, Rocket League, TFT, FC 25 and F1 24 will follow.
“We want to extend our gratitude to the NLC organisers and the incredible organisations we’ve competed alongside. We look forward to seeing your efforts turn around the NLC ecosystem. Best wishes go to Bulldog Esports as they take over our sport in the NLC. This is not the end, but a fresh start for Nativz Esports Club. Bring on 2025.”
Their departure means there will be no Irish representative in the league going forward. The community bid their farewells to Nativz and reacted with sadness, but also welcomed Bulldog into Division 1 and expressed their excitement for the future.
‘Bulldog will bring motivation and competitive eagerness to the division’ – NLC
NLC said in the following statement: “For the 2025 NLC season, we will see a change in the team list, as Nativz has decided to step down after two years in the top division.
“Bulldog Esports has roots dating back to the early days of the UK League of Legends scene and will be entering the NLC with several UK veterans in charge of the management.
“We believe Bulldog Esports will bring lots of new motivation and competitive eagerness to the NLC division, and are excited to see their impact on the ecosystem moving forward. Bulldog Esports will enter the league from the beginning of 2025.
“Please welcome Bulldog Esports to the NLC family.”
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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.
