Esports organization Fade 2 Karma announced Mike Tyson as a sponsor on Thursday.
With this new addition to its growing family, Fade 2 Karma will be constructing a streaming facility in El Segundo, a city near Los Angeles that’s home to Tyson Ranch, the former heavyweight champion’s marijuana company.
This “Ranch House” will introduce players and staff to private livestreaming rooms, a performance stage for tournaments, space for content production, and even a rooftop party deck. The esports organization will also be connecting an entertainment production studio to the facility.
The day before the announcement, Mike Tyson played Hearthstone with the Fade 2 Karma pros on Alexandra “Alliestrasza” Macpherson’s Twitch channel. While Tyson has played Call of Duty in the past, the famous retired boxer had never played Hearthstone before.
“It was pretty awesome. I had the opportunity to really engage with some millennials, which I never really actually do. We played Hearthstone. I really sucked real bad. You have to start somewhere,” Tyson told ESPN.
Tyson explained that he first got in contact with Fade 2 Karma when he asked his team at the Tyson Ranch to find an opportunity in the esports industry that fit. With a gamer son with an interest in esports, Tyson speculated that the esports industry will be huge.
Fade 2 Karma was founded in 2015 by Hearthstone and Magic: The Gathering competitor Tim “Theude” Bergmann. The organization is best known for its dedication to Hearthstone. Their signed players have consistently placed well at recent tournaments, including a first-place finish at Gamegune Major 2017 after beating Cloud9.
“We couldn’t be more honored to have Mike Tyson in our corner. To all of our family, friends, and community, expect big things. This is just the beginning!” Fade 2 Karma said on Twitter.
