To start out, let me address our old logo, which some loved, some hated. What makes the logo "good" is that it's aesthetically pleasing, it's very readable (you can tell it's a lion), and it's recognizable. However, it uses color gradients (shades of different colors throughout), doesn't look very good when shrunk down, isn't very versatile in its use, and looks "okay" on clothing.

On the business side, because there are so many colors and shades in that logo, it's considered a 5-8 ink print (different printers gave me differing estimates), which means that when we get t-shirts printed, we have to pay a much higher price because it requires the use of a lot of inks.

Long story short, it's a cool graphic, but not a great logo. We decided on the logo we did because it hit the mark on the key qualities that have proven to be hallmarks of a great logo.

Not so surprisingly, these things are often overlooked/ignored/not considered in the world of esports. Some of the qualities are:

Simple, Clean & Readable

Versatile - Can be used in many ways, sizes, formats, on merchandise, avatars, etc.

Memorable

Colors - 3-4 or less, and have bi-color and single color options

Appropriate - Meaning it's not overlay violent or 'adult' in the esports world

Our old logo had some of the above, but definitely failed on the versatility and color fronts. And remember, the above is only a small number of traits that make a great logo, but those are traits that almost all great logos have. I was also surprised to learn that a lot of organizations choose the same colors-- in fact, something like 1/3rd of companies use blue, and almost 1/3 use red... kind of a snoozer, and that helped shape the decision to keep our main color theme.

Another key thing to remember is that the logo isn't the end-all-be-all. The real value of the logo is what it comes to represent, as Michael Beirut puts it "[logos are] empty vessels in a way, and you pour the meaning into them". (Who is Mr. Beirut? The designer behind the logos of United Airlines, Billboard, Hilary Clinton's campaign, Verizon, and countless other major brands.)