In a recent video, popular YouTube broadcaster Ludwig made a huge statement: he has officially signed the Moist Esports company and is now a co-owner with Charles “Cr1TiKaL” White Jr. A few of Ludwig’s followers could be taken aback by the news, considering the YouTuber’s history of bashing esports leagues and businesses. In his introductory video, Ludwig mentions this, then promises to “burn money” if necessary to set Moist Esports apart from competitors.
In 2021, Ludwig, a popular YouTube producer, announced that he had turned down an attractive deal from an esports company to cooperate with them for a year—a deal worth $1 million. At the moment, he stated that he would “probably never” join forces with an esports team since it wasn’t a “me” move. He appeared to dislike the idea because of how much effort it would entail, especially in comparison to other things that were more important to him.
It seems like Ludwig has changed his mind about esports leagues. Ludwig shames esports companies sponsored by venture capital firms in a brief video posted online, arguing that these groups would lose interest after three to five years of losing money. Cr1TiKaL, CEO of Moist Esports, walks in, carrying hardware commemorating the team’s victories. When Ludwig wonders whether Cr1TiKaL “burns a lot of cash to win so much,” Cr1TiKaL reminds him that YouTube President Susan Wojcicki gave him a lot of cash to squander.
From the looks of the video, Moist Esports has joined forces with Ludwig’s own team, Mogul Moves. Therefore, Nick Allen, chairman and COO of Ludwig’s Mogul Moves has joined Cr1tiKaL as a co-owner of Moist Esports. That is to say; this is a strategic commercial move of far more significance than first meets the eye. And Ludwig isn’t just signing up with any esports team. In tandem with Allen, he will be the company’s future leader.
We don’t know what Moist Esports will do next. Cr1TiKaL has claimed in the past that he incurs a loss whenever he invests his YouTube as well as Twitch earnings into the business. In the video announcing Moist Esports, Ludwig suggests that he may follow suit and “burn money” for kicks. This week, though, Ludwig posted a not-so-coincidental clue about how he intended to monetize Moist via endorsement deals, product promotions, and the cultivation of esports talent for sale to other companies.
You can watch the clip here.
The future might be bright if Ludwig and Cr1TiKaL team together to take Moist Esports to the next level. Even though Ludwig has joked in the past that Moist Esports is supported by investment firms or supported by cryptocurrency, the reality is that it is very difficult to establish a successful esports company. It needs to be seen where Ludwig and Cr1TiKaL put their money and efforts and in what path Moist Esports ultimately goes. To put it mildly, that’s an unusual decision on the part of the YouTuber.
