Global Gaming League ramps up with major publisher agreements

The Global Gaming League (GGL), a celebrity-focused esports competition, has secured licensing agreements with six major game publishers.

The partnership will allow the games to be used during the GGL during its first season, SZN Zero, which is kicking off on August 23th, 2025.

Publishers partnering with the GGL include Activision Blizzard, Bandai Namco, Capcom, EA, Tetris, and Ubisoft. The GGL pits celebrity-owned teams of four against each other across four game titles, each from a different genre, ranging from sports, FGC, racing, shooter and ‘classic’.

Taking place at The Campus by Vū in Las Vegas, Nevada, the league is described as “the NFL meets WWE”. It will include global personalities such as former pro wrestler Rick Flair, Public Enemy’s Flavor Flav, TikTok content creator Bryce Hall and rapper Faheem ‘T-Pain’ Rashad Najm, the latter of whom is also the league’s Executive Director of Strategy.

Earlier this year, the company took headlines when it raised $10m (~£7.8m) in a funding round to operate the league and launch GGL Academy, an education initiative to develop career pathways and scholarships within the gaming, entertainment, and technology industries.

According to a press release, the Global Gaming League has had over 250,000 signings for its inaugural season, giving gamers the chance to play for teams owned by celebrities and take advantage of their influence.

Clinton Sparks, Founder and CEO of the Global Gaming League, commented on the announcement: “Everyone gets excited and understands the impact GGL will have after I explain the vision. Gamers come in all ages and there hasn’t been anything that brings games and gamers from different generations together, until now.

“With these partnerships, we are able to bring game titles from different genres and eras that attract everyone to the same place. This League will uplift the whole industry, showcasing every aspect of the gaming world from publishers, to those that make the actual hardware, to sponsors, and most importantly, to the gamers among us, everywhere.”

Sparks, a former DJ and record producer, is no stranger to the esports industry, having entered the scene in an official capacity as FaZe Clan’s Director of Business Development in 2018. He left the organisation in 2020 to co-found XSET.