"Team Bumble" is about to become Fortnite's first all-female pro team.
Gen.G is teaming up with Bumble, the women-first social and dating app, to bring the team together. The initial roster of "Gen.G Empowered by Bumble" (the team's official name) will include current members of the esport organization's Fortnite roster, including Kristen "KittyPlays" Valnicek, Madison "maddiesuun" Mann, Tina "TINARAES" Perez, Carlee "Carlee" Gress, and Hannah "Hannah" Reyes.
Bumble has also announced an individual partnership with Valnicek, who was hired as Gen.G's head of new gaming initiatives in October. Valnicek boasts a community of over 600,000 subscribers on YouTube and organizes her own network of women gamers and streamers, #TeamKitty.
This announcement came just weeks after the conclusion of the first-ever Fortnite World Cup. While the World Cup featured women in its Creative Cup and Pro-Am competition, not a single woman qualified for the 200 available spots in Solos and Duos competition, sparking a conversation about the question of gender equality in esports.
Gen.G CEO Chris Park said that they intend for their new partnership with Bumble to "strengthen platforms for women" and create "more inclusive, supportive environments in which all passionate esports athletes can compete and connect."
In addition to their partnership with Gen.G, Bumble has further ventured into the gaming sphere by adding a "gaming" badge for subscribers on the app's premium service, Bumble BFF. Users will be able to add the badge to their profiles and use it to filter matches. Gen.G and Bumble will also be co-developing merchandise for both Team Bumble and other Gen.G teams.
Gen.G currently fields rosters in "Apex Legends", "PUBG", "League of Legends", "Clash Royale", "Call of Duty: Black Ops 4", and Blizzard's Overwatch League, where the team competes as the Seoul Dynasty.
Heather Timmons, White House correspondent for Quartz, discusses the fallout from Justice Anthony Kennedy's announcement that he will retire from the Supreme Court on July 31. Timmons says the frontrunner for his seat is U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Brett Kavanaugh.
A country singer named Andy Stone is contesting the copyright of Mariah Carey’s hit "All I Want For Christmas Is You." The songwriting plaintiff is positing that the pop singer's hit caused brand confusion with a song he co-wrote prior to the release of her holiday favorite — though the songs share very little in common other than the title. Stone is seeking $20 million in damages from the pop icon, a fraction of the $60 million Carey reportedly has made of the song.
U.S. stocks close Monday's session slight higher Monday as investors continue to monitor whether the economy will successfully avoid a recession. For many, fears over inflation and rising interest rates. Tommy Mancuso, president and co-founder of the Bad Investment Company, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Babylist is an online baby registry for expecting and new parents, who can use the platform to share what they would like to receive as gifts to celebrate their baby's birth. The company also operates as an e-commerce and content platform for baby products, saying it aims to be a one-stop solution for parents, family, and friends to buy best-in-class baby products at what is a critical and deeply personal moment in their lives. Natalie Gordon, founder and CEO of Babylist. joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Cheddar's Michelle Castillo sits down with Jane Danger, national mixologist with Pernod Ricard, to talk all about the top summer cocktails to try with friends.
