One of the founding teams of the Overwatch League is in danger of a major upheaval after the executives threw a nade in the management of the organization.
According to documents obtained by The Blast, Rob Moore filed a lawsuit against KSE, the esports division of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, headed by L.A. Rams owner Stan Kroenke and his Walmart heir son, Josh Kroenke.
Moore, who formerly served as the Vice Chairman of Paramount Pictures, is the CEO of the Sentinels esports team, which was formerly called Phoenix1.
According to the lawsuit, Moore and his management team, was approached by KSE to head up their newly formed esports venture, the Los Angeles Gladiators.
The Gladiators are one of the 12 founding teams for the professional Overwatch League.
Moore says he and his team have given their “time, skill, labor and funding” to the Kroenkes, and Gladiators, over the past 2-years, and have “not been paid a dime” in return.
Moore claims that he and his team tirelessly worked for the Gladiators, despite Josh Kroenke being “preoccupied with overseeing the Kroenkes’ Arsenal Football Club in England.”
Moore says after the first season, he approached Kroenke with different options to continue their partnership, especially since KSE paid nothing for the management for the first year.
Apparently no deal was hashed out, but claims on July 19, Josh sent over a letter minimizing Moore and his team’s involvement in the work they’ve done with the Gladiators.
The lawsuit claims Josh attempted to “rewrite history,” and had the “audacity” to describe Moore’s extensive work as merely, “facilitating certain management functions for the LA Gladiators.”
Moore, and his attorney Bryan Freedman, believe the letter sent by Josh was an attempt at “disregarding the joint venture agreement, and wrongfully characterizing Moore and his team’s full time operational management inaccurately in an attempt to strip Moore and his team of their rightful equity ownership and fair value.”
Moore says he knows his value in the esports community, especially since one of his team Sentinels players, Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf, just won the $3 million prize during the Fortnite World Cup.
Moore is asking for compensatory and punitive damages from KSE, as well as a declaration entitling them to 51% equity interest in all existing KSE esport teams, including the L.A. Gladiators.
Bryan Freedman, Moore’s attorney, tells The Blast, ““Rob Moore and His team at P1 have been successfully and solely running the Gladiators for 2 years. KSE trying to deny that is not only disingenuous but a clear attempt to breach the existing joint venture agreement” Trying to deny Rob Moore and P1 Esports joint venture with KSE is preposterous and intentionally designed to avoid acknowledging Rob Moore’s and P1’s equity interest in the Gladiators. It is no accident that KSE is attempting to avoid its obligations at the same time it is in talks to purchase Echo Fox.”
He adds, “KSE’s motive is transparent.”
