Designed to empower the next generation of esports talent
Four rising stars have already been selected for the academy in Lukasz “mwlky” Pachucki, Mārtiņš “shadiyy” Gūtmani, Brajan “DGL” Lemecha, and Rokas “EspiranTo” Milasauskas.
GUCCI GAMING ACADEMY
Gucci and FACEIT have joined forces to launch the Gucci Gaming Academy, a new programme designed to support the development of up-and-coming gaming talent and help accelerate their career path. Beginning with CS:GO, four promising players have already been handpicked from FPL to take part, and their training is well underway.
Players will receive full-time mentorship from coaches, mental health support, world-class hardware and access to many other programmes which help enhance in-game performance and well-being.
The Gucci Gaming Academy programme will strive toward supporting aspiring talents until they get a professional contract. When approached by other professional and academy teams, players will be free to go anytime they want.
THE FIRST MEMBERS OF THE ACADEMY
The first wave of players who have been selected by Gucci and FACEIT are Polish prodigy Lukasz “mwlky” Pachucki (18), Latvian Mārtiņš “shadiyy” Gūtmani (19), Brajan “DGL” Lemecha (24) from Poland, also the highest active member on FACEIT, and Lithuanian Rokas “EspiranTo” Milasauskas (20). Beginning with these four rising stars, the goal is to continue growing the programme, with candidate selection based on in-game performance, as well as interviews to assess applicants’ personal values, including their aptitude for teamwork and approach to conflict resolution.
GUCCI GAMING ACADEMY AMBASSADORS
Representing the values of the Gucci Gaming Academy are the ambassadors, commentator James Bardolph, pro CS:GO legend Christopher “GeT_RiGhT” Alesund and trailblazer for women in esports Stephanie “missharvey” Harvey. The ambassadors will offer mentorship through monthly 1-on-1 sessions with players.
PLAYER SELECTION
Using advanced analytical tools, FPL coaches are scanning millions of active players on the FACEIT platform, every day, from all corners of the world to find up-and-coming talent with great potential. Players will be scouted in the FACEIT Matchmaking, FPL Challenger and FPL.
Once scouted, coaches will initiate interviews and perform additional reviews to further inspect the talent. Once the players are selected for the Academy, they will get access to all Academy player perks.
PLAYER SUPPORT
Gucci Gaming Academy comprises of group and individual activities to improve the esport athletes’ skills, within and outside the spheres of their respective game titles, as well as additional benefits, such as:
- Monthly financial support for as long as they are part of the academy
- Access to professional coaches who will mentor the player in and outside the game server.
- Top-of-the-line hardware and gaming PCs and monitors from Dell Alienware and personalized selection of computer electronic peripherals from Logitech G for high-level gameplay and to facilitate learning
- The World Health Organization (WHO) to provide expertise and support on health topics
- Sessions facilitated by psychologists who specialize in esports; topics include “Performance under stress”, “How to deal with the spotlight”, “Teamwork” and more
- Digital training plans designed specifically for each player, supplied via the Gucci Education platform, and community-driven experiences coordinated through the Gucci Changemakers Volunteering programme
- Access to the vast Gucci and FACEIT esports network for the players’ entire careers
Gucci Gaming Academy will act as the next step to FPL, designed also to provide support and enhance soft skills, and help the next generation of esports stars navigate the mental and physical issues coming from the pressure of in-game performance and online scrutiny.
Gucci Gaming Academy has been designed by Gucci and FACEIT alongside some of the world’s leading mental and physical health organizations and legal minds to ensure every element of the curriculum has been informed by experts. The programme will provide young esports players with access to individual and group psychological support through Mindwork, which has experience with Gen Z and professional athletes. The esports industry’s leading talent agency Prodigy, and independent lawyer Billy Jenks, are also on board to educate players on brand building, and legal protection.
Nicolas Oudinot, EVP New Business and Gucci VAULT CEO said “Gucci is at the forefront of the luxury industry’s foray into the world of gaming and as part of our mission to build meaningful relationships with communities in a genuinely authentic way, we are dedicated to supporting the up-and-coming generations of players to help manage the challenges they may face as a result of participating in esports. Understanding the issues that are relevant to them and learning about these from the people they affect are at the core of this collaboration.”
“We are proud to announce the launch of the Gucci Gaming Academy. Together, we identified a need to create a new initiative that would aid the development of new talent. The Academy will offer a clear path to pro structure connecting the dots between the FACEIT Pro League, education and well-being,” commented Co-Founder & CBO of FACEIT, Michele Attisani. “The physical and mental demands on players looking to compete at a professional level are high. Players have rigorous training schedules, compete in high-pressure tournaments and immense pressure from fans, so it’s important that new talent entering the space are equipped with the right support structure at an early stage in their development. Supporting and empowering young esports talent is at the core of FACEIT’s values and through our shared vision with Gucci, we hope the Academy helps equip the role models of tomorrow.”
“We welcome efforts by Gucci and FACEIT to encourage their large online communities to take the necessary steps for better health and well-being,” said Andy Pattison, Team Lead of Digital Channels at the World Health Organization. “We need to continue to reach people with lifesaving health messages where they are, in the palms of their hands.”
For more information please visit the Gucci Gaming Academy website.
About Gucci
Founded in Florence, Italy, in 1921, Gucci is one of the world’s leading luxury brands, led by President and CEO Marco Bizzarri and Creative Director Alessandro Michele. Following the House’s centenary, Gucci forges ahead into the next hundred years, continuing to redefine luxury while celebrating the creativity, innovation and Italian craftsmanship at the core of its values. Gucci is part of the global luxury group Kering, which manages the development of a series of renowned Houses in fashion, leather goods, jewelry and watches. Discover more about Gucci at www.gucci.com.
About FACEIT
FACEIT is the leading competitive platform for online multiplayer games, with over 26 million users. Through FACEIT, players, organisers, game developers and brands can access a dedicated platform that empowers the development of the competitive gaming ecosystem through play, structured tournaments and social features.
By covering the whole spectrum of competitive gaming from grassroots up to the professional level, the platform is the biggest of its kind and already has a long-standing partnership with the most important gaming publishers in the industry.
For more information, please visit www.faceit.com.
