Halo

Gamers First Makes Strategic Staff Cuts in June

Women’s Carball League owner makes adjustments to staff to hire leaders for various business verticals.

Published by
James Fudge

The Esports Advocate has learned that Austin, Texas-based esports organization Gamers First, Inc. (G1) made several strategic staff cuts in the month of June.

Three employees were let go during the month of June including Executive Assistant / Manager Yasmin Schancer, Director of Event Operations Jackie Wolfram, and GM of Esports/ Director of Optimization Marcus Lovejoy.

G1 CEO and Founder Kenny Vaccaro told TEA in an emailed response on Friday that these cuts were strategic, as the company looks to fill important leadership roles:

“The layoffs were very strategic,” Vaccaro tells TEA. “We are scaling and need to hire a few C suite/VP level personnel that can lead each vertical within our Gamers First umbrella company.”

In case you are not familiar with G1, it was founded in December 2021 by former NFL safety Kenny Vaccaro (Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints), Hunter Swensson, and Cody Hendrix. The Austin-based esports organizations currently fields teams in Halo, Rocket League, and Trackmania, and serves as the official home of multiple content creators.

More importantly, G1 is best known as the organization that kept Women’s Carball League (WCB) alive. Kansas City Pioneers acquired WCB in late-2021 and helped grow it into a viable league for women to compete in a professional Rocket League circuit safely. While KCP managed to help grow the league, it also struggled to pay for it near the end of 2022, and in January it announced that it would be forced to pause Season 5 gameplay to find a buyer or secure some other type of funding. At the end of February, G1 announced that it had acquired the league for an undisclosed amount of money and had taken over for the 2023 season.

Share
James Fudge

With a career spanning over two decades in the esports and gaming journalism landscape, James Fudge stands as a seasoned veteran and a pivotal figure in the evolution of esports media. His journey began in 1997 at Game-Wire / Avault, where he curated gaming and community news, laying the groundwork for his expertise in the field. In his more recent roles, James cemented his status as an authority in the esports business sphere as Senior Editor Esports at Sports Business Journal and The Esports Observer between 2018 and 2021.

Recent Posts

Kosovo to Host the IESF European Esports Championship 2025

The International Esports Federation (IESF) announced this week that the European Esports Championship 2025 will…

21 hours ago

FATAL FURY Joins the 2025 Esports World Cup Line-Up

The Esports World Cup Foundation announced this week that it has signed a three-year partnership…

22 hours ago

Emirates Esports Federation Seeks Partners for E Gaming League

The Emirates Esports Federation (EEF) and its partner ITW Universe, launched what it calls an…

2 days ago

AT&T Joins Esports Trade Association’s Preferred Partner Program

The Esports Trade Association announced this week that U.S.-based telecommunications company AT&T has joined its…

2 days ago

ESL FACEIT Group Renews Multi-Year Partnership With Intel 

Global esports tournament organizer ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) and international technology company Intel announced Tuesday…

4 days ago

Riot Games Launches Valorant Champions Tour 2025 Season Capsule

  Riot Games announced Monday first details on the Valorant Champions Tour 2025 Season Capsule,…

5 days ago