The Global Gaming League (GGL), a new entertainment-focused competition featuring celebrity-backed teams, has secured partnerships with several leading video game publishers for its upcoming inaugural season, SZN Zero.
According to GamesBeat, publishers including Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft, EA, Bandai Namco, Capcom and The Tetris Company have granted permission for their games to be used in official GGL matches. Titles covered in the agreements include Tetris, Trackmania, Call of Duty, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Brawlhalla, Tekken and Rocket League.
GGL matches will be played live in an esports theatre in Las Vegas and streamed globally. Each fixture will feature two celebrity-owned teams facing off across four distinct game titles.
The initiative aims to broaden the reach of competitive gaming by incorporating entertainment and lifestyle elements into a multi-title format. Clinton Sparks, Founder and CEO at GGL, noted that the concept is designed to bring together gamers from various age groups and preferences. “With these partnerships, we are able to bring game titles from different genres and eras that attract everyone to the same place,” he said in a statement.
SZN Zero is set to begin on 23 August, with matches available via the league’s YouTube channel and other streaming platforms. Darin Colucci, Commissioner of the Global Gaming League, described the project as “complementary to esports,” highlighting its intention to provide a more accessible and entertainment-driven format.
GGL positions itself as a hybrid of competitive gaming and mainstream entertainment. The league combines elements from traditional sports structures with the showmanship of live entertainment, aiming to echo formats seen in the NFL and WWE. The organisers say the project is intended not only to appeal to gaming audiences but also to offer a platform that highlights various stakeholders across the industry, from developers and hardware providers to sponsors and fans.
The development comes a few months after GGL announced it had raised $10 million in a funding round led by Solyco Capital. The company was founded by music producer and entrepreneur — and former XSET co-owner — Clinton Sparks, in partnership with music artist T-Pain and technology executive Jeff Hoffman.
