Team Vitality expands into StarCraft II with acquisition of South Korean team ONSYDE

French esports organisation Team Vitality announced on Monday (1 February) that they have expanded eastward into South Korea by signing a StarCraft II (SC2) roster, marking the entry of the shooter and MOBA-focused organisation into the real-time strategy (RTS) scene.

Vitality's new SC2 roster includes Zerg player Kang "Solar" Min-Soo as well as Terran players Cho "Maru" Seong-Ju and Kim "Ryung" Dong-Won. The team will also be coached and managed by veteran Choi "CranK" Jae-Won.

The Vitality SC2 roster previously competed as ONSYDE, which won World Team League's 2023 Winter and Summer splits and finished fourth in World Team League 2022 Winter. All of the individual players can also boast several titles in the renown Global SC2 League (GSL).

Vitality's newly-acquired SC2 roster will make its debut at IEM Katowice 2024, which will be hosted in Katowice, Poland from 8 to 11 February.

“We are so excited to be partnering with Team Vitality. This is the next step for us as a team, and by sharing insights, knowledge, and resources we can take our roster to the next level and expand our reach to a global audience," CranK said in a press release.

"Despite ONSYDE being relatively young, we have established ourselves as a dominant force in the StarCraft II scene, and with the support of Team Vitality we hope to continue claiming titles and making our fans proud.”

Vitality also said that its entry into the RTS scene and acquisition of a top South Korean SC2 roster is a demonstration of the organisation's "dynamism" amid a challenging economic backdrop. It is also another step in Vitality's attempts to grow its influence in the Asian market, an effort which started with their acquisition of an Indian Call of Duty: Mobile team in 2021.

“Entering StarCraft II means associating Team Vitality with the history of global esports. It's an iconic game that the entire esport ecosystem has grown up with. And as well as rekindling our nostalgia, it's a great opportunity to open up to a new market as part of our international expansion," said Team Vitality Co-Founder and President Fabien ‘Neo’ Devide.

We're going to be partnering with professionals on the scene and players with legendary status. These criteria are essential to Team Vitality's top performance model. Together, we will work towards the success of the game and become ambassadors to recreate the craze for RTS games.”

“Last year was incredibly successful for us, and we’re aiming to maintain the momentum this year by focusing on tier 1 games and seizing exciting opportunities. Our entry into the Asian market puts us in the cradle of esports, offering new opportunities for growth and visibility. We hope to connect with passionate new fans worldwide!” added Team Vitality Co-Founder and CEO Nicolas Maurer.

Vitality is one of the most successful and iconic esports organisations in Europe, known for its rosters competing in Counter-Strike 2, VALORANT, and League of Legends. Vitality's flagship Counter-Strike 2 roster notably won the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 last year and the last three BLAST Premier events dating back to last November.

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