London-based Guild Esports, known for its previous public trading status and celebrity co-ownership by David Beckham, has formally announced its closure amid insolvency proceedings and an auction of its assets. Over the past week, multiple outlets (including City AM) reported that Guild had been placed on the market via an insolvency platform, with a bid deadline reportedly set for Aug. 15, 2025.
In its own public communication on X (formerly Twitter), the organization stated:
“After careful consideration, we must share the difficult news that Guild Esports & Gaming will be closing.
Despite our best efforts, financial challenges and the current economic climate have made it impossible for us to continue operating.”
The thread continued: “From day one, our mission extended far beyond competition. We’ve been privileged to champion representation and create opportunities within our industry using esports and gaming as powerful tools for inspiration, inclusion, and empowerment.” It added, “We recognise that this closure disappoints the community that believed in us […] and we hope this does not overshadow the work our dedicated staff delivered throughout our journey.”
Guild noted the contributions of its partners and extended gratitude to its fans, players, staff, and collaborators.
Payments due to vendors, players, and creators remain pending, and creditors will likely be addressed through London’s Insolvency Court. Several content creators have publicly claimed on social media that Guild still owes them remuneration for completed work. Some examples:
Make sure to settle those invoices on the way out! Would hate for leadership to have to sift through constant letters and ignoring legalities for years to come!
— Jess🐐 is 🔴LIVE with charm (@JessGOAT) August 21, 2025
waiting patiently for tourney payment : )
— jas (@jasminefnbr) August 21, 2025
After exhausting every possibility to resolve this issue, I’ve been left with no other option but to make this public. For last years EWC I was signed to @guildesports, the prize money ($40,000) was initially meant to be sent out to one of the players that had signed an…
— S8UL Jesko (@Jeskoesk) July 17, 2025
In October 2024, DCB Sports LLC, a California-based sports investment firm, acquired 100% of Guild’s assets. The deal included an immediate cash infusion of $100,000 GBP ($130,000 USD) and the assumption of liabilities exceeding £2 million ($2.6 million). Operations were transferred to a new entity, Guild Esports & Gaming Ltd., with DCB expressing intent to provide working capital to stabilize and grow the business.
Following the transaction, Guild Esports PLC was expected to change its name to Cassel Capital PLC to alleviate confusion. The CEO at the time, Jasmine Skee, resigned upon deal closure, and the remaining board members included non-executive directors Derek Lew and Brian Stockridge.
DCB Sports’ portfolio spans entities in emerging sports, including the Big 3 basketball league, Venezia FC, and TMRW Sports, co-founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy—highlighting Guild as its first esports foray.
Current public records list Gary Aquino LaDrido and Harinder Singh Sandhu as managing directors of Guild Esports & Gaming Ltd. LaDrido serves as founder and managing partner at DCB Sports, while Sandhu is associated with Sunnydene Estates Limited and Ingenious Film Partners LLP.
For more on the Guild Esports acquisition that occurred last year, check out The Esports Advocate’s detailed reporting.
Editor’s note: Tobias Seck contributed to this article.