Setting up and making a name for a new esports club in Spain is no easy task, and that’s something the Falcons have accomplished. exit the project. to allow it to grow.
At Vandal Esports, we had the opportunity to speak with director Javier Villoria, who told us what it’s like to run a club of this caliber, the Falcons’ next goals, and the current state of the esports scene in Spain.
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#FlyLikeTheFalcons
#GoFalcons pic.twitter.com/u7gBPmofCl– 🇩🇰🦅 (@The Falcons) September 23, 2021
Saúl (Vandal Esports: First of all… What is the process of running a relatively “new” and growing esports club like the Falcons?
Javier Villoria (Valken manager): †Managing hawks is a very nice challenge. Building a club from scratch is a long and difficult process.
I learned so much that I think we’ve made great strides. It takes a lot of effort and sacrifice, but if you love your job, it becomes a passion. Every day there are situations that need to be resolved that make you happy to work to grow a club like the Falcons.†
Q: What were the club’s biggest milestones in the first two years of its life? Was it very difficult to grow a club established during the pandemic period?
Joint venture: †On the one hand, the launch of the club at the very beginning of the pandemic. We had been building the club for months, and as we began to prepare for the entire launch, the pandemic, and with it the uncertainty of what it would be like and what it would entail. I think we found a great solution by doing it online, interviewing and explaining what we are doing. After all, our industry got used to such things and the club.
There was a great reception. I think there will be very important moments during these two years, such as the agreement and launch of clothing for each season with Adidas, the presentations of our creators and sponsors where the content team has done an exceptional job, our first presence at such events. As the last Ubeat Live in Barcelona and sportingly in El Corte Inglés Second Super League and participating in the JRA FIFA eWorld Cup†
Q: What makes Falcons different from other esports clubs in Spain?
Joint venture: †From the beginning, we chose to present the healthiest side of the esports and gaming world according to our values as a club that César Azpilicueta has always conveyed to us. We want to avoid some of the negative connotations that the industry brings, for example, by recommending the right diet and physical activity. That’s why we focus on finding partners who fit these values and with whom.
we can underline our status as a club linked to healthy habits†
Q: You currently play in League of Legends, FIFA, Gran Turismo and NBA 2K… Have you considered switching to another discipline like Valorant, CS:GO or Rocket League?
Joint venture: †We are always aware of what is going on as the scene grows and changes rapidly. It is obvious that Valorant has a certain weight and we do not exclude that it will be in the near future, but for now, we have no intention of creating a new episode this season.†
We’re going to Copenhagen to play the eWorld Cup.
We have three prep days and I train until Thursday, then we start. I can’t wait for it to arrive now
time to finish work pic.twitter.com/6Xw2sJGe0I
– JRA (@JRA10) 11 July 2022
Q: Sportingly… what is the next big goal for the Falcons? I think promotion to the League of Legends Super League and a good JRA role in the FIFA eWorld Cup…
Joint venture: †Without a doubt, we will be fighting the JRA next week in Copenhagen for the best possible position in the FIFA eWorld Cup. Our qualification is already a success! But Javi is extremely ambitious and wants more. On the other hand, this is the first year SO FUNNY It was a start to test the scene and learn how it works with LVP. In the coming seasons, we will try to take one more step to fight for promotion to the Super League.†
Q: You also have content creation tricks that are increasingly common in esports clubs. Will you continue to bet to bring new talent to this part of the club?
Joint venture: †We believe this figure is a core part and a fundamental part of our ecosystem at the club. From the beginning, we always wanted to be close to our followers and I think it is easier to reach them through such profiles. We do a pretty thorough job deciding who joins the club, based not only on numbers and audiences, but also on the personality and values of each person who comes in.
The club aims to ensure that the harmony and good feelings that exist among Falcons members continue to grow naturally.†
Q: What was the task of making the project economically viable? Among your sponsors are brands known as LG…
Joint venture: †We have been in the process of creating and positioning our brand since the beginning of the project. Almost all of our content
its followers have a quality and values that reflect the ideas that César Azpilcueta held in his professional and personal life. We have grown exponentially this year following the great work of our marketing department and we hope to continue to grow accordingly. LG is a good example of this as a brand.
A fully recognized international company dedicated to gaming and esports, where we can work hand in hand to continue growing the scene exponentially, with the assurance that it’s done in the right direction.†
We were together this Tuesday @MaximoCuevas Some games of FIFA 🎮 @wowconcept_ † Accounting for the best LG Ultragear monitor series, this crack taught us the best tricks of the trade. @Hawks † We hope to repeat it soon 😎! pic.twitter.com/HP91Jq0p88
– LG Spain (@lgespana) July 7, 2022
Q: How do you see the current panorama of electronic sports in our country? After a boom around 2015, things now look more stable and these are “quiet” times with slower but more sustained growth in the industry (and possibly more cost-effective for organizations as well).
Joint venture: †Post-pandemic clubs, leagues, creators, existing brands are entering a period of “normalization” that I think will stabilize… and I think it will be good for the industry. Although it is clear to everyone that it is a sector that will stand out and grow continuously, it still aims higher than it actually is. Non-endemic brands are increasingly available and this will encourage others to do so and lead to success in our industry. Our target audience profile is highly attractive to many brands that struggle to achieve this goal in traditional ways. He also becomes more and more interested in the public sector, which he previously saw as strange and unrealistic.†
