Nouns Funds Professional Esports

Nouns Esports: Building a community-first approach to competitive gaming

Nouns Esports is redefining what it means to fund and support professional gaming. Unlike traditional esports organizations that rely on sponsorships and centralized ownership, Nouns takes a community-driven approach, supporting teams and players through community votes.

Nouns Esports hit the scene with its first team through Nouns Proposal 68, and since then, the organization has taken off, competing at the highest levels across multiple esports.

Nouns Esports aims to establish itself as a globally recognized legacy brand — With a vision that extends beyond just wins, Nouns Esports wants to leave a lasting mark on the gaming industry. A glimpse into this journey can be found in the short documentary, “A New Model”:

Fast forward to today, and Nouns Esports has made a name for itself in almost every competitive arena — Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2, Pokémon UNITE and Super Smash Bro’s Melee, to name a few. Helping build that name are some of Nouns Esports early success stories:

Dota 2

It all started in 2022 when Nouns voted to fund a series of professional Esports proposals, starting with the creation of a professional Dota 2 team in Proposal 68. Their goal? — “Proliferate Nouns through esports initiatives, starting with the signing of a professional Dota 2 roster.” They signed an Esports team to adopt the Nouns branding and gave them the resources they needed to be successful. The team won the BTS Pro Series Season 11: Americas and made a name for the newly formed Nouns Dota 2team in the competitive space.

In 2023, they achieved a remarkable 7th-place finish, marking them as the highest-ranking North American team at The International in four years. Their journey at TI included an unforgettable victory over reigning champions Tundra Esports, reaching an audience peak of over 903,000 concurrent viewers. This standout performance and the support of Valve’s open IP ecosystem allowed for Nouns (and Noggles) to be permanently enshrined within the Dota landscape, bringing ongoing visibility to the team.After participating in The International circuit three years in a row, Nouns released their roster in 2024, but the door is always open for a return.

Counter-Strike 2

In September of 2022 Nouns Esports picked up an unsponsored Counter-Strike team that has since steadily climbed ranks, securing the #2 position in North America and qualifying for numerous international events across Mexico, Sweden, Germany and China. Since the release of CS2, the team has continued to capitalize on the game’s popularity surge, creating new avenues for fan engagement and growing the Nouns brand.

Nouns expanded its support to a second Counter-Strike team after a successful small grants funding round and NounsFe was born. Representing the Nouns brand in the growing women’s CS2 scene and the ESL Impact circuit, NounsFe is ranked among the top teams in their region:

1st Place – ESL Impact S5 NA Open Qualifier 1
1st Place – ESL Impact Cash Cup 6: NA Winter (2024)
Semi-Finals – ESL Impact Cash Cup 3: NA Winter (2024)
2nd Place – ESL Impact Cash Cup 6: NA Fall (2023)
Semi-Finals – ESL Impact Cash Cup 7: NA Fall (2023)
Finals in Lower-Bracket – Super Gamer Girl Pro Championship Qualifier

Super Smash Bros. Melee

Nouns Esports expanded its reach through the Smash Bros. community, now proudly sponsoring a talented roster of players, including a dedicated team sponsored by Lil Nouns. These players represent Nouns Esports at various levels of competition, from local events to top-tier tournaments, where they continue to showcase exceptional skill and sportsmanship.

One standout competitor in the space is Aklo, who has represented Nouns Esports in numerous tournaments, consistently achieving impressive placements at an international level. Previously, Nouns Esports also signed Cody Schwab, who was ranked #2 in the world, and they are currently collaborating with Junebug, the world’s top Donkey Kong player—a fan favorite despite the character’s lower competitive ranking.

The Smash community remains one of the most resilient and passionate in gaming, boasting a rich history of grassroots events and local gatherings across major cities. This deep-rooted enthusiasm has kept the community thriving over two decades after the game’s initial release, solidifying its legacy as a cornerstone of competitive gaming.To further Nouns presence in Smash (and other games), Nouns Esports hosts “Rounds” that invite players to come and help represent Nouns on the main stage of various tournaments through open Rounds.

Pokémon UNITE

In Europe, Nouns Esports’ Pokémon UNITE team has made an impact, peaking with a second-place finish at the 2022 World Championship. Known for their standout performances, the team is poised for another strong season. By connecting the unique Nouns IP with the Pokémon franchise, Nouns Esports is carving out a distinct space in this niche yet beloved esport. Our team is incredibly wholesome and beloved, the entire scene was in tears when they disbanded earlier this year, then reuniting 3 days later.

Notably the team traveled to Japan, Hawaii, London and New Orleans representing Nouns across many competitions.

Live Events

Nouns isn’t just funding teams — It’s throwing major esport events for teams and players to compete in, while also sponsoring players to join in on these events.

As part of their 2025 initiatives Nouns Esports is throwing the “Nouns Bowl” — Their first-ever open-bracket FGC event in partnership with the Hall of Fame Village, in Canton, Ohio. Nouns.gg is running rounds for players to represent Nouns at the Bowl. If selected, players will have their travel and venue fees covered for Nouns Bowl.

The 2024 Nounsvitational was a ‘smash’ — Drawing out dozens of competitive Super Smash Bro’s Melee players to Brooklyn, New York, for the event. Check out an overview of the event, by Julzz.

The Nouns Esports Community

Since the launch of Nouns.gg, players and enthusiasts can not only apply for funding, but they can complete quests and achieve milestones, vote on rounds, and level up their account to improve their position on the Nouns GG Leaderboard. Quests consist of things like: Linking a wallet to your account, becoming a Nouner or a Lil Nouner, or a delegate. It’s initiatives like these that set the Nouns Esports org apart from other funded projects as they drive on-boarded newcomers through “play to earn” rewards. Check out the Nouns.gg leaderboard to see who is in the lead.

Building a Sustainable Future for Nouns Esports

Nouns Esports is more than just a competitive Esports brand; it is an organization with a clear vision for sustainable, community-driven growth. Through partnerships with renowned brands like Adidas or Matcha and in-game monetization opportunities in CS and Dota, or through merch sales, Nouns Esports aims to create a sustainable business model and rely less on Nouns for future fundings. Interested in partnering with Nouns.gg? Explore opportunities and reach out.

Check out Nouns.gg merch store for limited edition merchandise and to support the Nouns Esports organization.

Nouns Esports has become one of the largest sub-groups in Nouns, with community events, competitions and so much more going on, on a weekly basis. Have a game you’d like to bring to Nouns? Join in on the fun at Nouns.gg.

Media Coverage & Content

YouTube: Nouns Esports CS Bootcamp
YouTube: Nouns Dota 2 International Highlights
YouTube: Nouns Esports Deadlock Announcement

https://www.youtube.com/@nounsesports

Bankless: Why Nouns Esports Is a Game Changer

Matcha: Matcha partners with Nouns Esports

Dust2: Nouns fund CS2 team for 2024

Yahoo News: Dota 2 Nouns Esports Sweep B8 to Win TI 2023 North American Regional Qualifier
Liquipedia: Nouns Esports
Escharts: Nouns Esports organization stats
Escharts: Which Brands Sponsor International 2023 Teams
Yahoo News: Dota 2 Elite League – BOOM, Entity, Tundra, and OG Lead Advancing Teams
OneEsports: Nouns Disbands After TI12
BetUS: The Future of Nouns in Dota Esports
Esports.gg: Nouns Esports reveals their new Dota 2 Roster
Esports.gg: Nouns becomes first prominent organization to sign a Deadlock team
Esports.gg: Nouns Esports is voting to determine its future in 2024
Esports.gg: Beastcoast, nouns and Infinity for Wallachia Playoffs
Esports.gg: Nouns pull off an insane upset, clean sweeping Tundra Esports at the Road to the International
AFK Gaming.com: Nouns Esports wins against Tundra Esports at The International 2023
AFKGaming.com: Popular NFT Collection Nouns Passes Proposal for Nouns Esports Pod
AFKGaming.com: Nouns Confirms Gunnar, Fly & Lelis For 2024 Season
AFKGaming.com: Nouns Is the Talk of the Town in Dota 2 Esports After Upsetting Tundra Esports
gosugamers.net: Nouns Esports: Dota 2 Team Overview
HLTV.org: Nouns CS team overview
egamersworld.com: Results of the Final Day of the Group Stage of The International 2024
egamersworld.com: The International 2024 – 8 Teams Remaining Mid-Tournament
Esports.net: Nouns Esports Sign Smug and Expand their FGC Roster
One Esports: Nouns sign Fly as part of 2024 Dota 2 roster rebuild

Esports.net: Nouns DAO signs 4 Zoomers as their official Dota 2 team

Esports.net: The Nounsvitational: An attempt at bridging Crypto and Dota 2

Esports.net: Nouns win sets up blockbuster Thunderpick WC 2024 NA Qualifier Semis

Esports.net: Nouns Esports welcomes Hector “K1” Rodriguez as new carry

Community Written Articles

Medium.com: Nouns Esports’ Path to Crypto Onboarding

Medium.com: Esports & Incentive Alignment

Dates and Funding Details

Nouns commitment to Nouns Esports has been driven by a series of impactful proposals. Some of those notable proposals are:

Proposal 68: The entry point into esports, signing the Dota 2 team 4 Zoomers.
Proposal 91: Nouns DAO esports – Pokémon Unite expansion & BLVKHVND partnership trial.
Proposal 112: Continued support for the Dota 2 team, enabling competition at international events.
Proposal 119: Establishment of the Nouns Esports Pod, creating a flexible, scalable structure for future growth.
Proposal 263: Funding for both CS and Dota 2 rosters, expanding Nouns’ reach.
Proposals 466 and 534: Scaling operations further by organizing bootcamps, expanding sponsorships, host events, and develop merchandise.
Proposal 552: Dedicated funding for NounsFE CS team.
Proposal 698: Nouns GG & Smash Bros – 2025

Note: It’s important to note that the Nouns Esports organization does represent the largest number of esports community members, and proposals, but anyone can submit proposals directly to Nouns for funding, and do not need to go through the Nouns Esports organization to do so. While the proposals listed above make up the lion’s share of esports funded through Nouns, I’m sure they won’t be the last as the Nouns Esports organization expands.

About the Team

Nouns Esports was founded by Sasquatch and Brennen.

There have been many contributors over the years including Mach, Maty, Boosh and many others.

As of March 2025 the Nouns.GG and Smash efforts are helmed by Sasquatch, PPD, Sam, and Ohan.