XSET
XSET is an American esports organization and lifestyle brand headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, focused on competitive gaming, merchandise, and cultural content blending digital and physical worlds.[1][2]Founded on July 16, 2020, by former FaZe Clan executives Greg Selkoe, Wil Eddins, Clinton Sparks, and Marco Mereu, the organization sought to build an inclusive presence in esports while prioritizing creator partnerships and brand extensions into fashion and music.[3][4]
XSET fields professional teams in titles including Fortnite, VALORANT, and Apex Legends, with players such as Clix and Ritual achieving notable tournament placements, including multiple Fortnite Championship Series (FNCS) victories that contributed to over $1 million in Fortnite earnings and a total organizational prize pool exceeding $1.7 million across competitions.[5][6][7]
The brand has expanded through collaborations like apparel lines with Jay-Z's Paper Planes and Roots, alongside content featuring hip-hop artists and NFL players, positioning itself as a multimedia entity beyond pure competition.[8][9]
However, XSET has encountered legal disputes, including a 2023 lawsuit from former VALORANT players alleging non-payment of agreed revenue shares from the Valorant Champions 2022 skin bundle, highlighting tensions over player compensation in esports organizations.[10][11]
Founding and Early Development
Establishment and Founders
XSET was established on July 16, 2020, as a gaming lifestyle brand and esports organization focused on competitive squads in titles such as PUBG Mobile, Rocket League, and later VALORANT.[3][4] The organization was co-founded by Greg Selkoe, Marco Mereu, Clinton Sparks, and Wil Eddins, with Selkoe serving as CEO.[3][12] Greg Selkoe, a veteran in the esports industry, previously held the position of president at FaZe Clan, where he contributed to its expansion into a major content creation and esports entity.[4] Marco Mereu brought experience as the founder of Framerate, a gaming media company, adding expertise in content and production to XSET's operations.[3] Clinton Sparks, a music producer and entrepreneur, provided insights into branding and entertainment crossovers, while Wil Eddins, another former FaZe Clan executive, focused on operational and talent management aspects.[3][12] The founders aimed to build an organization that reflected broader demographics within gaming, drawing from their collective backgrounds in esports, music, and media to differentiate XSET from established competitors.[3]Initial Team Acquisitions and Growth (2020-2021)
XSET entered the esports landscape in July 2020 by signing its inaugural Fortnite roster on July 16, consisting of players Av (Alexander Vanderveen), RogueShark, Knight, and Snood (Christian Hastie).[13] This move established the organization's competitive foundation amid the popularity of Fortnite's battle royale format. Shortly thereafter, on July 27, XSET expanded into Rocket League by forming a team, marking early diversification beyond a single title.[14] In September 2020, XSET acquired a PUBG Mobile roster on September 3, including players Juicy, NiKo, Angry, Joey, and RoiiDz, targeting the mobile esports segment with growing global viewership.[15] By October 26, the organization announced its initial Valorant roster, entering the tactical shooter market as the game gained traction post-launch.[16] On November 20, XSET signed the all-female Team Originem roster for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, comprising juliano, zAAz, Petra, kr4sylya, and mimimimichaela, with MackDaddy as coach, reflecting an intent to promote diverse representation in competitive gaming.[17] These acquisitions were bolstered by strategic investments, including rapper Swae Lee's role as the first official investor announced on October 28.[18] Into 2021, growth accelerated with XSET's entry into Rainbow Six Siege on February 22, via the acquisition of the RentFree roster—Tomas, Filthy, Drip, and Brycer—alongside signings of content creators Butterzz and Creators.[19] In May, XSET debuted in Apex Legends on May 28, initially signing player RamBeau before adding Claraphi in September, though roster stability proved challenging early on.[20] Additional Fortnite adjustments, such as the February 25 signing of Astonish, supported ongoing competitiveness.[13] By mid-2021, XSET had assembled teams across six titles, positioning it as a rapidly expanding entity focused on content integration and multi-game presence rather than singular dominance.[5]Esports Operations
Teams and Competitions
XSET maintains an active roster in Fortnite, its primary esports focus as of October 2025, featuring players such as Cody "Clix" Conrod, Ben "Higgs" Anderson (joined April 19, 2025), Mohammed "Faxuty" Eid (joined April 26, 2025), and Madison "Kanary" (joined October 18, 2025).[13][21] The organization also affiliates with additional Fortnite competitors including Bugha, illyynina, and Veno, who compete in solo, duo, and squad formats across North American events.[22] This team participates in Epic Games' Fortnite Champion Series (FNCS), including divisional qualifiers, majors, and the Global Championship, with recent placements such as second in a Duos Division 1 session on October 25, 2025, yielding 2,700 power ranking points and $8,000 in earnings for Clix.[23][24] Third-party Fortnite tournaments form a key part of XSET's competitive calendar, exemplified by a first-place finish in The Milk Cup 2025 Finals on October 18, 2025, where illyynina and Vader secured $78,000.[13] Earlier in the year, squad members achieved top rankings in FNCS practice events, including a first-place squad result on August 19, 2025, earning $9,000.[25] These efforts contribute to XSET's cumulative Fortnite earnings exceeding several hundred thousand dollars, though specific totals vary by player affiliation in flexible squad compositions.[26] Historically, XSET fielded teams in other titles, including Valorant through 2022, where it competed in VCT North America Challengers, Stage 2 Masters Copenhagen, and Valorant Champions 2022, advancing to playoff stages but without major titles.[27][16] A Rocket League roster participated in RLCS events until disbanding in 2022, generating $57,050 in prize money from regional and world championships.[14][5] Similar short-term ventures occurred in Rainbow Six Siege ($83,000 earned), PUBG Mobile ($87,750), and Call of Duty: Mobile, focusing on international circuits like PMGC and CODM World Championship qualifiers, though these teams have since dissolved without ongoing activity.[5] No active rosters exist in these games as of late 2025.[28]Key Achievements and Earnings
XSET has accumulated approximately $1,770,702 in total prize money from participation in 210 tournaments across multiple esports disciplines, with Fortnite contributing the largest share.[5] The organization's Fortnite division alone exceeded $1 million in earnings by January 2025, propelled by strong performances in high-stakes events.[29] In 2024, this team secured $496,925 from seven tournaments, including a second-place finish at The Milk Cup: Winter on December 16, 2024.[26] A pivotal achievement came in Fortnite with XSET's victory at the 2024 Esports World Cup, where the roster dominated qualifiers and the grand finals, marking one of the organization's most prominent international triumphs and elevating their status among elite competitors like NRG and FaZe Clan.[29] This win not only boosted earnings but also highlighted strategic depth in duo and squad formats, with players advancing through closed qualifiers on July 5, 2024, by defeating teams such as Elite Esports.[30] In VALORANT, XSET's North American squad earned $257,050 before disbanding around December 2023, with notable success including a first-place finish at the NSG: Winter tournament on February 9, 2022.[16] The team advanced to playoffs at the 2022 VALORANT Champions by defeating reigning Masters champion FunPlus Phoenix on September 6, 2022, despite earlier struggles at VCT Masters: Copenhagen.[31] Apex Legends efforts yielded $229,550 since May 2021, reflecting consistent regional contention but fewer headline victories.[32]| Game | Total Earnings | Key Tournament Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| Fortnite | ~$1,000,000+ | 1st: 2024 Esports World Cup[29] |
| VALORANT | $257,050 | Playoffs: 2022 Champions[16] |
| Apex Legends | $229,550 | Various regional events since 2021[32] |