Post Malone is the latest celebrity to jump into the world of competitive gaming. Today, Envy Gaming announced that the pop star had joined as a co-owner, acquiring “an undisclosed equity stake” in the company. Envy operates teams in multiple games, and it owns the Dallas Empire of the Call of Duty League and Overwatch League team Dallas Fuel, which hosted OWL’s first home game in 2019.
“I grew up in Texas and I’ve been gaming my whole life, so this just really felt right,” Post Malone said in a statement. “I have always wanted to be a part of bringing gaming into the professional sports world so to be involved with what Envy is doing in my hometown feels like such a perfect fit.”
He joins a growing list of big stars investing in esports. That includes Offset (Faze Clan), Drake (100 Thieves), and The Weeknd (Overactive Media). Just this week, NBA star Ben Simmons became the latest investor in Faze Clan. This isn’t Post Malone’s first foray into gaming, either, as he also serves as an ambassador for peripheral-maker HyperX and occasionally streams games like Warzone and PUBG. As Twitch streamers and YouTubers become stars in their own right, this kind of collaboration has only become more common.
“It’s about entertainment,” Offset said in an interview with The Verge, when explaining the connection between hip-hop and gaming. “The actual players, they’re like rock stars. They’ve got great followings, they influence kids, and that’s what I do. It was just organic. These guys are cool.”
Envy is one of the biggest names in esports and has been around since 2007. This weekend marks a big moment for the organization: the Dallas Empire are in the final four of the Call of Duty League, with a shot at winning the championship — and a literal throne — on the line.
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