PEA, Professional Esports Association, has been announced and will begin operation as an esports league for Counter-strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO). The goal of PEA is to establish an proper league in the “Wild West” of esports that currently exist. This is something other leagues, such as ESL attempted at with WESA. That attempt ended horribly and continues to hurt ESL as they continue to try and revive it. This league will operate similarly to ones that currently exist; weekly matches over the course of 10-week seasons, tournaments, large $500k USD prize pools, etc. There are many difference, however, that make the PEA very different. This is great. There is no need or really any room for an esports league that doesn't do things differently. Let’s just can accomplish their goals by January 2017, when season one commences.

To start, PEA is manage and founded by seven major teams from the North American region. By doing this, they hope to alleviate some the current problems that other league and esports in general face. Such as salaries, representation, and exclusivity. We will get to all those later in this discussion. The founding PEA teams consist of Team Solomid (TSM), Cloud9 (C9), Team Liquid (TL), Counter Logic Gaming (CLG), Immortals, NRG eSports (NRG), and compLexity. Most of these teams are newly founded CS:GO organisation will little VALVE minor and major tournament experiences.

Jason Katz, the commissioner of PEA and COO of Azuba, an issue I see coming in the near future. Is proud that PEA represents something new. A league of top teams that will be “running their own league and sharing the profits”, yes they are sharing profits. Competing teams, are expected to work together to share profits among one another. By doing that, Katz thinks that it will allow PEA to “build a stable, healthy, and long-term environment”, depstie the team actively competing for the number one slot and for the $500k USD prize pool in season one. Since the teams will be running this league, I’m assuming along side the administration that consist individuals such as Katz, how the structure be establish among the teams themselves? Will the owner have more power than its players? Do the player actually have power or a voice in decisions? What about the player’s contract with their respective team, how will that sway their judgment? By establishing a league in this manner, these are questions that will constantly be asked. For the outsider, they will never know the dealing that happen behind close doors, so this “healthy” structure for PEA could just be a façade.

An immediate issue I see PEA facing and its participating teams, is the idea of exclusivity. There is wording all over the document that alludes to teams being exclusive to PEA. In an attempt to end the “Wild West” days, as Jack Etienne (CEO of C9), to create stability among the teams and the league teams are making long-term commitments to be a part of PEA for their indefinite future. An indefinite future worries me since they make no mention to whether this only affects the teams participating or the players of those teams as well. In terms of ending the disruptive ‘Wild West’ nature of esports that Etienne views, how does creating a league that consist of only North American teams that many don’t even consider tier one teams any different? PEA is limiting the great potential that esports provides by allowing anyone with talent to form a team and compete. Esports has existed for a long time without a league like PEA and might very continue to exist without it. With all the organisations being financially invested in PEA, its success, and its management, what makes any other esports organisation begin to think they will ever have a chance at participating in this league when adding another team to the pool will only reduce the potential profit for other organisations and individuals. This doesn’t give me any confidence in PEA’s success and may very well be the beginning of its end.

Despite my negative view of PEA due to its ambiguous press release and its flawed structure, there are some good things coming with it, hopefully. PEA is promising players of these teams benefits. Such as a 50% equal share in profits, assuming for example its setup as such; of the total profits 50% is given to the owner and of the 50% left, it is split by the x number of players. You have to make sure the owner makes their money from all this right? They continue to say that among that player will also be given a “suite of financial benefits”. What this said ‘suite’ of benefits contains, we will have to wait and see. Services like retirement planning, investment opportunities, and health insurance are also some of the benefits players will receive. PEA is trying to turn being an esports athlete in a proper job, receiving benefits that a normal athlete would also receive.

Going back to the power structure of PEA, there is some confusion. PEA is setup to be an opportunity for player, owners and the administration to “work shoulder-to-shoulder”. Despite that, working shoulder-to-shoulder does not mean equal say, and that needs to be made very clear. We already know that there will be a direct power dynamic between the owners of the seven founding teams and its players. That will always be there unless you have a team such as Godsent or Astralis, those are two of the more successful player owned organisations that are considered tier one teams. With the already existing power dynamic, you bring in the financial difference as well. This isn’t any different than what already exist, owners naturally will make more than its players from the league. From that we know the players will have a much smaller voice when compared to the administration and its owners, and we still don’t know have the administration will actually operate and what it is compromised of. All we know is Jason Katz is the commissioner of PEA. Though how small is the voice of the players actually? PEA says that its player will have an “authoritative voice” among the league and how it operates. That makes you assume that player will be able to directly represent themselves and their interest, correct? Well if you thought that, as I did, you would be wrong as well. Players will have representatives voice for them and sit on both the Rules Committee (establishes competition format, guidance on important issues, playing rules, and prizing distribution) and Grievances Committee (responsible for making sure player concerns are heard and resolved). This begs the question, how will these player representatives be chosen; will the organisation owners pick, players, do the administration choose, or are they elected?

PEA currently sounds like a league with very large expectations and a lot of hope for success. As it currently stands I don’t see much success actually coming from. It will end up being more disruptive and amplifying the ‘Wild West’ nature of esports that currently exist. Courage to trying something new doesn't means dividing away from the pack is the solution. PEA is offering some needs changes in esports by giving player benefits, though that is about it. Exclusivity has been met will huge amount of backlash, WESA is a perfect example. Opportunity for new organisations and players to enter the vast world of esports is diminished with PEA’s financial structure. As co-CEO Steve Arhancet of TL said, “Publisher and third-party tournament organizers aren't sharing profits with players and teams”. As PEA currently stands, it is a financial solution for team owners to tap into the money that can be made from a league or tournament. PEA is not a solution for players nor is it one for the community that is the patron for esports to exist.

If you would like to read the press realese announcing PEA for yourself, here is the link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ptxpf1ybnaa9nx3/PEA%20Launch%20Announcement%209_8_16.pdf?dl=0