The World Esports Association (WESA) announced it has adopted a number of comprehensive regulations, including a Multi-Team Ownership Prohibition, a Personal Code of Conduct and Sanction Regulations.
“At WESA, we are committed to creating industry-wide standards in esports that benefit member teams, their players and the esports industry at large,” said Ken Hershman, Executive Chairman and Commissioner of WESA. “These new standards and regulations will further our goal of better professionalizing esports and ensure that all of our organizations are operating on the same level playing field.”
Under the Multi-Team Ownership Prohibition, no team is permitted to be completely or partially owned or controlled by a person or entity that owns or controls another esports team or organization participating at WESA sanctioned events. For any team that has a pre-existing multi-team ownership, the Executive Board may grant the team up to 18 months to come to compliance. During this time period, the teams will be run independently.
The new WESA Personal Code of Conduct defines the values and principles of WESA and lays down the consequent rules for behavior and conduct within WESA as well as with external parties. The conduct of persons and entities bound by this Code reflect the fact that they support the principles and objectives of WESA and must refrain from anything that could be harmful to these aims and objectives. This includes preventing any methods or practices that might jeopardize the integrity of matches or competitions.
The Sanctions Regulations, among other things, install a clear and unambiguous set of rules and methods for leveling sanctions, the permitted scope of any sanctions, as well as a process for appeal. Different types of sanctions are available, depending on the nature of the infringement, the individual culpability, profits generated through the violation, the severity level of the violation, the number of previous violations and team’s and/or player’s subsequent behavior (in particular whether the team cured a violation without undue delay).
