ChaosGround, a gaming venture studio focused on Web3 infrastructure, has acquired bankrupt esports tournament platform and organizer, Epulze. In a deal that will see ChaosGrounds pick up all of Epulze’s technology, IP, and community systems, the pair will merge to create a new product line-up under the banner ChaosGround.gg.
If you’ve followed Dota 2 esports for a few years, then Epulze is a familiar name. Launched in 2015, the company became a hub for smaller competition, hosting more than 150,000 tournaments and one million matches on its online platform. Beyond this, it also served as an official host for multiple Dota 2 Pro Circuit (DPC) events, which is where the company became notorious.
After a series of in-person events in 2023, multiple Dota 2 teams, players, casters, and production staff accused the company of failing to deliver prize payouts, salaries, and invoices for DPC qualifiers in Southeast Asia, the Lima Major, and Bali Major.
As public call outs against the embattled tournament organizer increased in 2024, an in-depth investigation (by this reporter and others) revealed the breadth of the financial issues. With payments still outstanding, and confidence in the company at rock bottom, Epulze entered bankruptcy in early 2025.
ChaosGround.gg (Image Credit: ChaosGround)
However, this new partnership looks to turn over a new leaf. ChaosGround’s leadership says the goal is not simply to revive the old platform but to rebuild its systems with more transparent infrastructure. CEO Keerthan Shetty explained:
“We see this as more than an acquisition, it’s the rebirth of grassroots esports with Web3 superpowers. Game developers we advise have consistently asked for esports activations to drive engagement. By bringing Epulze’s proven infrastructure into our ecosystem, we are closing the retention gap in Web3 while giving players everywhere new opportunities to compete, connect, and be rewarded.”
Under ChaosGround.gg, future prize distribution will be handled through blockchain-backed smart contracts. This could, in theory, allow payouts to occur automatically, without manual intervention. The company also plans to introduce token-based rewards and track tournament results on-chain.
Whether this approach will rebuild trust among those previously affected remains to be seen. For players and teams who were burned by Epulze’s past issues, the acquisition may be met with caution and resignation rather than enthusiasm. ChaosGround, either through its acquisition or founding, now lists multiple former Epulze staffers on its C-Suite.
But perhaps crucially, the technology behind automated prize pools offers a potential solution to one of esports’ recurring and most insidious problems: Lack of payment. The concepts are there to be explored: On the chain results tracking that can’t be disputed or changed by the organizer. Automatic payouts. Smart contracts that enforce payment. These are advances that could fix the bugbear that inflicts esports overall.
ChaosGround is also the company behind GroundZero, a user acquisition & retention app, and a venture builder division. The company’s stated aim is to create a unified ecosystem where players and developers thrive. A rollout of the updated ChaosGround.gg platform is planned in the coming months.
Featured Image Credit: ChaosGround
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