With Vulcun raising over $12 million, AlphaDraft receiving $5 million, and Unikrn having access to $5 million in funding, the Fantasy eSports and betting field is getting crowded. One company that has yet to attract investors is Florida-based Proxy, which offers eSports fans both betting and fantasy options for games like League of Legends, DOTA 2, SMITE, and Heroes of the Storm.
Justin Twohig, CEO of Proxy, said he’s currently talking to investors. Twohig entered the fantasy game late last year. His company allows eSports fans to earn real money and virtual currency through an assortment of fantasy games. Twohig believes users with extensive eSports knowledge will earn more, and faster, than any other fantasy platform. He talks about his metagame, META, and explains why all this venture capital funding is good for the entire eSports ecosystem in this exclusive interview.
What’s the background your company?
Proxy started in late 2014 and provided free betting on eSports. We have since expanded into the fantasy eSport market. We innovated a new fantasy game, META, based around the MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) genre that requires the same knowledge and skills that traditional management fantasy games require.
How did you get involved with eSports?
Esports has been a major part of my life, specifically Starcraft 2. I used to wake up early in the morning and watch GSL (living on the east coast of the U.S.). I created Proxy in 2014 because I felt there wasn’t a good betting platform.
What type of funding has Proxy received and who are some of the VCs involved in these investments?
We cannot comment on specifics at this time. Currently, other platforms have been funded and we are working with investors.
How much money has been given out?
As for how much money we will give away it is contingent on our funding and users. We do not have a set marketing number (“$250,000, $1 million, or $4 million) like one of our competitors.
We provide cash and prizes. The amount depends on the activity of users. We provide virtual currency games and real money contests. Real money contests include free-roll and entry fees just like traditional fantasy platforms.
Can you explain what separates Proxy from Vulcun and AlphaDraft in the fantasy eSports arena?
We support all major eSports. Also, we are an innovative platform that provides users more than just a list of contests. We aren’t just giving users the traditional management system fantasy game. We love eSports and understand that eSports is fundamentally different than traditional sports – so we have designed our platform for eSports.
Explain how META works?
In META, users pick a team of characters that they believe will be picked or banned during the character selection phase. With a user’s knowledge of the eSport and “metagame” they can outwit the competition. Users can play cash or virtual currency contests. Proxy’s virtual currency system allows users to play without real money and still earn great prizes such as gaming mice and keyboards. Currently, META supports League of Legends, DOTA 2, SMITE, and Blizzard’s new Heroes of the Storm.
How did you come up with this idea?
Being fans of the MOBA genre, we found that the pick and ban phase is a very strategic and important part of a professional match. So we designed a fantasy game based on our findings. We still offer the traditional management-style game that fantasy fans are accustomed to.
What type of crossover do you see between META, Daily Fantasy eSports and straight betting like Unikrn?
Our game META, management-style games (such as the one Vulcun offers), and betting will all be part of fantasy eSports. We supply all of these on one platform. Unikrn is currently illegal in many parts of the world, but our virtual currency system is not.
What are the demographics of your players thus far?
Since we have games that are both legal in the United States and internationally, we have users from all over the world. Similar to our competitors, our audience is dominantly males ages 14-49.
How have you worked with Riot Games and other game developers behind eSports titles on this?
Currently, we have not.
Can you run through your launch eSports games and how you plan on ramping up?
We launched late last year supporting all eSports in our virtual currency betting game. You bet on your favorite teams, win virtual currency, and cash that currency in for prizes. We plan to ramp up by adding more games to our platform, and supporting any new eSports that arise. Our goal is to provide an experience to users, not just a transaction like our competitors.
