NRG Esports has announced its acquisition of Canadian esports organization Northern Gaming.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]NRG Esports will own all Northern Gaming’s team and organizational assets, including player and streamer contracts.[/perfectpullquote]

NRG Esports will own all Northern Gaming’s team and organizational assets, including player and streamer contracts. Northern Gaming’s Chance “sodapoppin” Morris, one of the world’s most popular streaming personalities, will join the ownership group at NRG. Mark Maring will transition to a role as Assistant General Manager of Gaming.

Maring took to social media to deliver a statement on the move:

“The biggest thank you, goes to our fans, for supporting us from day one, making our dreams become a reality, and offering us a platform to grow and express ourselves. We have had amazing opportunities because of our fans, and for that we will be forever grateful. Without you guys, this acquisition would not be happening, and all the great memories of Northern Gaming would never have existed. From the bottom of our hearts, we love you all.”

Northern Gaming’s social media and marketing accounts will remain active through the duration of a promotional giveaway celebrating the move. Once that promotion has concluded, these profiles will either be folded into NRG, shuttered, or converted to personal accounts for former Northern Gaming staff.

[perfectpullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]NRG’s co-owner Andy Miller will head up an

Overwatch League franchise based in San Francisco.[/perfectpullquote]

Northern Gaming was founded in May 2016. Based in Toronto, the Canadian esports organization gained notoriety through accomplishments in such games as Overwatch and Rocket League. The merger with NRG comes just over a year after the organization began operating.

NRG Esports was founded in 2015 by Andy Miller and Mark Mastrov, co-owners of the Sacramento Kings NBA franchise. The team is based in Los Angeles, and has notably received investment from such prominent former professional athletes as basketball player Shaquille O’Neal and baseball players Alex Rodriguez, Jimmy Rollins, and Ryan Howard.

NRG has maintained a presence in a variety of esports, including Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Hearthstone. The organization formerly operated a League of Legends team, which disbanded last year after its relegation from the NA LCS. Co-owner Andy Miller is now set to head up a new Overwatch League franchise based in San Francisco, though recent reports indicated the franchise will be required to use separate branding from NRG.