Dignitas (esports)

Dignitas is an American esports organization based in Newark, New Jersey. It was founded by Michael "ODEE" O'Dell in 2003 as a merger of two top Battlefield 1942 clans. Dignitas was acquired by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016 and is now a part of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment. The team is best known for its League of Legends, Rocket League, Fortnite, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive squads.

Dignitas
Divisions
Founded9 September 2003 (2003-09-09)
LocationNewark, New Jersey
OwnersHarris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment
CEOMichael "Prindi" Prindiville
General managerJames "Bakery" Baker
Partners
Parent groupNew Meta Entertainment
Websitedignitas.gg

The organization rebranded in October 2018, dropping "Team" from its name and replacing its old "alien" logo with an owl logo.[1] In January 2021, Dignitas once again replaced their logo, returning a modernized version of the original "alien" design and introducing it as a mascot named Digi.[2]

Achievements

Since the organization's inception in 2003, Dignitas have won 18 world championships and competed in 35 different titles.[3]

2003 to 2009

Dignitas' first world championship came in 2005, when Chris Bullard won the FIFA Interactive World Cup.

In 2006, Dignitas' Battlefield 2 team was chosen as the Team of the Year by Geeksnet.org.[4]

In May 2007, British Counter-Strike 1.6 news website UKCounterTerrorist.com ranked Dignitas as the number one team in Great Britain.[5]

Freek "XeNoGeaR" Molema won the Trackmania Nations tournament and $10,000 at the 2007 Electronic Sports World Cup (ESWC).

August 2007 saw Dignitas' Enemy Territory: Quake Wars team claim victory at Quakecon 2007, taking home $22,000.[6]

Shaun "Apollo" Clark, representing Dignitas, placed first in Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars at the World Cyber Games 2007.

Dignitas' World in Conflict team was nominated for the 2007 eSports Award as "eSport Team of the Year".[7]

At World Cyber Games 2008, Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath player Pascal "Dackel" Pfefferle would win gold for Dignitas.

2010–present

At the 2010 World Cyber Games, David "DaveySkills" Kelly won the Forza Motorsport 3 championship.

In January 2011, Dignitas player Jeffrey "SjoW" Brusi won $7,500 after placing first in the Starcraft 2 IEM European Tournament.[8]

From 2010 until the organization's departure from the scene in 2016, Dignitas housed multiple TrackMania world champions. This began with Fredrik "Bergie" Bergmann's win at ESWC 2010. Then, Tim "Spam" Lunenburg and Carl-Antoni "Carl Jr." Cloutier placed first and third respectively at ESWC 2012 tournament. Most notably, Carl-Antoni "Carl Jr." Cloutier won three consecutive TrackMania 2 Stadium titles at ESWC 2013, 2014, and 2015.

Led by British team captain James "Bakery" Baker, Dignitas finished second at the 2015 Heroes of the Storm World Championship, and went on to win 4 of the 5 European Championships the next year.

In 2016, Dignitas was acquired by Philadelphia 76ers owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer, who merged them with Apex Gaming while keeping the Dignitas branding.[9] Now a part of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, Dignitas formed a parent company, New Meta Entertainment, in 2019 after merging with Clutch Gaming with investments from Fertitta Entertainment, Susquehanna Private Capital, Delaware North, and Steve Rifkind.[10]

Continuing on form in 2017, the team won IEM Katowice. In 2018, the team won the first international tournament of the year, making the team three-time IEM Katowice champions. Dignitas' Rocket League team, consisting of ViolentPanda, Turbopolsa, and Kaydop, won the RLCS Season 5 Finals in June 2018, becoming world champions. Dignitas' Counter-Strike: Global Offensive women's roster won the annual GIRLGAMER Esports Festival back-to-back in 2017 and 2018, and the Intel Extreme Challenge Katowice in 2018 and 2019.

League of Legends

After being rejected as a franchise partner for the NA LCS in 2017,[11] Dignitas returned to League of Legends in 2019 by acquiring Clutch Gaming.[12] Under Dignitas' coaching staff, Clutch the team climbed from ninth place at the end of the 2019 LCS Spring Season to qualifying for Worlds 2019 as North America's third seed. After Worlds, Clutch Gaming officially rebranded under the Dignitas banner.

On 3 June 2021, Dignitas announced a naming rights deal with digital bank company "QNTMPAY". Under this four-year partnership, Dignitas' LCS and LCS Academy teams renamed to "Dignitas QNTMPAY" and "DIG QNTM Academy" respectively.[13]

LCS team
Dignitas League of Legends roster
PlayersCoaches
Role Handle Name Nationality
Top Armut İrfan Tükek Turkey
Jungle River Kim Dong-woo South Korea
Mid Blue Gören, Ersin Turkey
Support Biofrost Wang, Vincent Canada
Head coach

Ilias "Enatron" Theodorou

Legend:
  • (I) Inactive
  • (S) Suspended
  • Substitute player Substitute
  • Injured Injury / Illness
  

Roster updated May 18, 2022.

Academy team
Dignitas Academy League of Legends roster
PlayersCoaches
Role Handle Name Nationality
Top Lourlo Jackson, Samson United States
Jungle Akaadian Higginbotham, Matthew United States
Mid Yusui Bloomquist, David United States
Bot Spawn Kerr-Taylor, Trevor Canada
Support JayJ Guibert, Juan Canada
Head coach
  • Gabriel "Invert" Zoltan-Johan
Legend:
  • (I) Inactive
  • (S) Suspended
  • Substitute player Substitute
  • Injured Injury / Illness
  

Latest roster transaction: 5 January 2021.

Rocket League

Dignitas originally entered the Rocket League competitive scene with the pickup of the amateur North American team "Applesauce" on 23 January 2018.[14]

On 22 May 2018, Dignitas announced that they parted ways with their North American team and signed the roster of Gale Force Esports, the defending Rocket League world champions.[15] In February 2022, Dignitas signed NFL player Boston Scott as a content creator and substitute for their Rocket League roster.[16]

Current roster
Dignitas Rocket League roster
PlayersCoaches
Handle Name Nationality
Andy Nolan, Andrew United States
Evoh Manley, Jordan United States
dreaz Jordan, Andres United States
B0ston Substitute player Scott, Boston United States
Head coach
  • Vacant
Legend:
  • (I) Inactive
  • (S) Suspended
  • Substitute player Substitute
  • Injured Injury / Illness
  

Latest roster transaction: 30 September 2022.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Dignitas has fielded Counter-Strike teams since 2004, but joined the Global Offensive scene on 8 March 2013 with the signing of Torqued.[17] Dignitas dropped this squad on 8 August 2013[18] and took a brief leave from the scene until 16 February 2014, when they announced their pickup of the Danish team über G33KZ.[19] This roster achieved some notable results, including 3rd-4th-place finishes at both the EMS One Katowice 2014 and ESL One Cologne 2014 majors. This roster would later be transferred to TSM in January 2015.[20]

The day after the TSM transfer, Dignitas announced that they acquired the Danish roster of "Deponeret".[21] This roster would also achieve impressive results, with the most notable being an upset win at EPICENTER 2016. On 19 December 2016, Dignitas mutually parted ways with this second Danish squad as well, stating "Team Dignitas and the Philadelphia 76ers are committed to building our next elite, international Counter Strike: Global Offensive team based in North America."[22]

March 2017 saw Dignitas an international team featuring three former members of FaZe,[23] with the roster disbanding in January 2018 after failing to qualify for the European CS:GO Minor.[24] Later, in February 2018, Dignitas announced a North American roster, but dropped them in August after being relegated from the ESL Pro League.[25]

Finally, in January 2020, Dignitas unveiled the signing of the ex-Ninjas in Pyjamas roster and Håkon "hallzerk" Fjærli.[26]

On 17 August 2020, esports betting company VIE.gg acquired naming rights of Dignitas' Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team, with the team rebranding to "Dignitas VIE" and sporting an alternative red and black version of the Dignitas logo.[27]

Last roster
Dignitas Counter-Strike: Global Offensive roster
PlayersCoaches
Handle Name Nationality
f0rest Lindberg, Patrik Sweden
friberg Friberg, Adam Sweden
hallzerk Fjærli, Håkon Norway
HEAP Alonso, Ludvig Sweden
Lekr0 Olofsson, Jonas Sweden
Head coach

Faruk "pita" Pita

Legend:
  • (I) Inactive
  • (S) Suspended
  • Substitute player Substitute
  • Injured Injury / Illness
  

Latest roster transaction: 7 March 2021.

Valorant

Dignitas plunged into the Valorant scene with the signing of an all women's team on 15 May 2020.[28] Kiara "milk" Makua left on 13 April 2021, leaving the team with only four members.[29]

Later, the organization also signed free agent roster Homeless on 20 August 2020.[30] Posting middling results, the team was eventually dropped on 31 March 2021.[31]

Current roster
Dignitas Valorant roster
PlayersCoaches
Handle Name Nationality
EMUHLEET Garrido, Emmalee United States
rain Smith, Amanda Canada
Theia Mundorff, Melisa United States
showliana Maransaldi, Juliana Brazil
Stefanie Jones, Stefanie United States
Head coach
  • Vacant
Legend:
  • (I) Inactive
  • (S) Suspended
  • Substitute player Substitute
  • Injured Injury / Illness
  

Latest roster transaction: 10 May 2021.

References
  1. "Dignitas Brand Refresh". Dignitas. Archived from the original on 31 October 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  2. "Dignitas Launches Rebrand to Revive Historic Logo With a Modern Take". Dignitas. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  3. "Dignitas - About". Dignitas. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  4. "Geeksnet.org 2006 Battlefield 2 Worldrankings". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.
  5. "Counter-Strike 1.6 UK Rankings". UKCounterTerrorist.com. May 2007. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 8 September 2008.
  6. "The Quakecon 2007 winners".
  7. The nominees for the eSports Awards 2007 Archived 6 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Esports-award.org. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  8. Intel Extreme Masters: Season 5 on Archived 30 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Esl-world.net. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  9. Rovell, Darren (26 September 2016). "76ers acquire esports teams Dignitas and Apex". ESPN. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  10. Takahashi, Dean (26 September 2019). "Esports group Dignitas raises $30 million and forms parent company New Meta Entertainment". Venture Beat. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  11. Wolf, Jacob (14 October 2017). "Sources: Dignitas' League of Legends Championship Series franchising application declined". ESPN Esports. ESPN. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  12. "Dignitas return to LCS with acquisition of Clutch Gaming". ESPN.com. 6 June 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  13. Stubbs, Mike. "Dignitas Signs Major 'League Of Legends' Naming Rights Deal With QNTMPAY". Forbes. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  14. "Welcome Team Dignitas Rocket League team". Dignitas. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  15. "Team Dignitas welcomes former Gale Force Esports Rocket League team as new CEO joins". Dignitas. 22 May 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  16. McManus, Tim (3 February 2022). "Philadelphia Eagles RB Boston Scott adds Rocket League pro gamer to résumé, signs with Dignitas". ESPN.com. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  17. Mira, Luís. "Dignitas pick up Torqued". HLTV. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  18. Mira, Luís. "Dignitas release CS:GO squad". HLTV. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  19. Mira, Luís. "Dignitas sign über G33KZ". HLTV. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  20. Tomi, Kovanen. "Team SoloMid pick up dignitas". HLTV. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  21. Mira, Luís. "dignitas unveil new team". HLTV. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  22. "Team Dignitas Parts Ways With CSGO Players, Will Build NA Based Team". Dignitas. 10 February 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  23. Mira, Luís. "dignitas release Norwegian trio". HLTV. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  24. Mira, Luís. "dignitas release Norwegian trio". HLTV. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  25. Mira, Luís. "Dignitas drop male CS:GO team". HLTV. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  26. "A New Dynasty". Dignitas. 21 January 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  27. Murray, Trent (17 August 2020). "Esports Betting Operator VIE.gg Secures Naming Rights for Dignitas CS:GO Team". Esports Observer. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  28. "DIG Fe thrives on challenges and the team is excited to take on their next". Twitter. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  29. "Thank you @BasedGodMilk. 💛". Twitter. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  30. "Welcome our new @PlayVALORANT team!". Twitter. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  31. "Dignitas has made the difficult decision to no longer field one of our two VALORANT rosters..." Twitter. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
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