"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.
U.S. stocks closed Friday's session near session to cap off the week in the red. The disappointing end to the day and week follows a lukewarm May jobs report from the Labor Department and comes as investors continue to eye future rate hikes from the Federal Reserve. Callie Cox, U.S. Investment Analyst for eToro, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
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Career opportunity platform Guild raised $175 million in a Series F round led by Wellington Management. Global media icon Oprah Winfrey also participated in the round, which comes just months after Guild was named one of Time's most influential companies. Guild partners with employers to help them offer education opportunities to their employees. Customers include some of the biggest companies in the world, including Walmart, Pepsi, and Disney. The startup's funding comes amid a historically tight labor market, with demand for workers remaining strong across the country. Rachel Romer Carlson, Co-Founder and CEO of Guild, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Day two of celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee are underway on Friday in the United Kingdom, as the country continues to honor the monarch's 70 years on the throne. While most of the attention is on the Queen, brands around the world are also hoping to use the cultural moment to get the attention of consumers with limited-edition Jubilee-themed products. The Centre for Retail Research estimated consumers will spend the equivalent of $510 million on Jubilee-related expenses throughout the celebration this weekend. Hilary Fordwich, global business analyst and British royals commentator, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
