London-based esports and gaming-focused marketing firm Hotdrop Ltd. has entered liquidation and released its entire staff this week, The Esports Advocate has learned. The news broke on Tuesday as employees began posting on social media that they were looking for work and that the company had shut down.
The timing of this shutdown appears to be sudden, considering that members of Hotdrop were recently conducting business at DreamHack Atlanta promoting a client activation, and at the end of September, company representatives were in Malta supporting ESL FACEIT Group and its partner DHL for the “DHL Ultimate 10 Trilogy.”
Hotdrop was founded on Dec. 16, 2019, by Heather Dower, who is currently the majority shareholder, director, and CEO of the company. Dower, a former co-chair of UKIE Esports Group and marketing director of ESL UK, was also one of the listed officers and directors of Promod alongside Robert Black (CEO and founder). It’s interesting to note Black’s connection to Hotdrop, as he was appointed as a company director in November 2022, and remained in the role until September 2023, according to public filings.
Both Black and Dower were part of Promod when the UK-based tournament organizer laid off all staff and filed for insolvency, leaving players and casters unpaid, in November of 2023–as reported exclusively by The Esports Advocate. Riot confirmed at the time that it had moved on from Promod and found another organizer to handle Valorant Challengers in Northern Europe.
Hotdrop describes itself as a “gaming and esports creative marketing agency built on years of endemic experience, integrity and personality,” and that its “core purpose is to ensure your brand and product activations connect with a gaming and esports audience in meaningful ways.” The company’s list of clients over the years include ESL FACEIT Group, Newfangled Games, Alpine Esports, Epic Games (RLCS), Activision Blizzard (Overwatch 2), and MSI.
TEA reached out to Hotdrop prior to the publication of this story, and will provide an update should we receive a response.
Editor’s note: We thought it was important to note that Robert Black and Heather Dower are married, which explains their connections at both Promod and Hotdrop.