CHRIS DEAPPOLONIO HIRED TO EXPAND REACH OF EVIL GENIUSES
Seattle-based esports team Evil Geniuses is bringing aboard Chris DeAppolonio for the newly created role of chief innovation officer, as it looks to expand into other areas of gaming and tech. EG is one of the original esports organizations in North America, having been founded in 1999, and it now has a team in the League of Legends Championship Series, among other titles. The organization is now looking to tap into areas like non-esport games, collegiate esports and streaming, and DeAppolonio will head up those efforts.
DeAppolonio, who previously ran the Houston Outlaws of the Overwatch League, started his new role Monday. He will relocate to Seattle as part of the move. EG was acquired last year by Chicago-based Peak6 Investments, and since then has increased hiring and gone through a major rebranding. “Evil Geniuses has built itself on a legacy of esports excellence and competition; it has the title and prestige to go along with it, and from that point of view, that doesn’t stop,” said DeAppolonio. “But my role is to further expand the Evil Geniuses brand and business across gaming, technology and esports — so looking to further new business initiatives to grow our influence, fanbase and find alternative revenue streams.”
Peak6 has grown to around 75 employees on the business side — up from around a dozen when it first acquired EG — with CEO Nicole LaPointe Jameson at the helm. DeAppolonio says he will work with Peak6 to utilize data and analytics more in EG’s decision-making. While esports will remain a core focus, DeAppolonio noted that there are also opportunities to “bring the EG brand to new fans and exposure with different communities, working through new titles that may not have a competitive focus to them.”
DeAppolonio was president of the Houston Outlaws team from August 2019 through March of this year, and his prior stops also include Jack Morton, Genesco, and Infinite Esports & Entertainment.
