Shopify announces new esports organization in StarCraft 2

Olivia Richman Published 24/02/2021

The esports industry is continuing to grow, and outsiders want in. 

Shopify might be best known for being an e-commerce company. But now it has started its own esports organization called Shopify Rebellion. The brand new esport organization revealed itself on Twitter along with its first team, which will compete in StarCraft 2.

This impressive team includes former champion Byun Hyun-woo Julian “Lambo” Brosig and popular Canadian player Sasha “Scarlett” Hostyn, the first woman to ever win a major international event in the game. It’s an impressive squad that’s definitely given Shopify Rebellion some credibility in the esports world. 

The announcement also noted that the trio are going to have a chance to prove themselves at IEM Katowice. This is part of the ESL StarCraft 2 Pro Tour, an online event that began February 20 and will conclude on the February 28. This major event has a $250,000 prize pool on the line. It’s time to see if Shopify Rebellion has what it takes to not only infiltrate the esports world, but dominate it. 

Shopify’s CEO Tobi Lutke is no stranger to esports. He’s been a long-time fan of StarCraft 2. He’s even streamed the game on Twitch. Lutke has also donated money to the prize pool at various Starcraft events. This includes doubling the prize pool of the HomeStory Cup XX to $50,000. 

“I just realized that my favorite StarCraft tournament is this weekend. I love StarCraft and esports, so I’ll double the prize pool to 50K,” Lutke announced on Twitter, asking event organizers to contact him. 

Last September, StarCraft veteran Dario “TLO” Wunsch left Team Liquid to become Shopify’s esports program manager. This was a curious move at the time, but now it seems to all be coming together. And it’s just in time for a potential StarCraft 2 resurgence after Activision Blizzard uniting with ESL and DreamHack to bring back the game’s competitive side. 

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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