Furia chooses Malta for European esports base

Esports organisation Furia, one of South America’s largest organisations in the sector, has chosen Malta for its European expansion.

The news was announced by Furia co-founder and co-CEO Jaime Pádua via a video call during the ESL Pro League event being held in Malta.

The organisation will be based in Mellieħa and the projected investment for the first six months was said to be in the range of €136,000.

Furia fields teams in all major esports titles with teams often competing in tournaments in Europe. The decision to have its European headquarters in Malta would enable a more efficient solution.

Pádua said Furia is now an active part of the esports ecosystem in Malta. “I’d like to express our gratitude to the Malta government for their assistance in facilitating our investment in this beautiful country. Their commitment to creating a friendly environment and ensuring that our organisation has everything it needs to succeed led us to the easy decision of settling a facility here.”

Economy Minister Silvio Schembri visited the ESL Pro League and welcomed news of Furia's expansion to Malta

Economy Minister Silvio Schembri welcomed Furia’s expansion to Malta, calling it a testament to government’s belief in the esports sector.

“We believed in the potential of esports. This is an industry that globally is worth $1.2 billion and is continuing to grow every year,” Schembri said. He was speaking during a visit to the ESL Pro League tournament.

The tournament boasts 500,000 online users at one go during gaming times, according to ESL Pro League Commissioner Alex Inglott. He said the tournament was spread over six weeks, culminating later this week.

The tournament brought to Malta 338 players and 145 personnel to assist in the production.