California based Esports organization, Team 33, made a controversial move in signing 8-year old Fortnite prodigy, Joseph Deen. The announcements were made on a press release, where Deen admitted his excitement for being a part of the organization.
Team founder Tyler Gallagher likewise expressed the same sentiments as well.
“We are beyond excited to have Joseph on our exclusive Team 33 roster. We have secretly been scouting talent for our roster and games over the last few years and are proud to officially sign Joseph. We made it a point to train him over the past few years because young gamers are the future, and we want to start training them early. He has shown incredible tenacity and commitment to the team over the last two years and has trained almost daily with our team. It has now finally all paid off and is a momentous day for all of us,”
Though the two parties have been optimistic about their involvement, there were question marks raised on the legal aspect of this decision. In an article written by kotaku.com, there were important talking points mentioned. Some esports tournaments have an age limit, and Deen doesn't seem to reach the requirements. Gallagher mentioned that he will not yet join tournaments.
Even discussions on labor law took place as Gallagher made some discrepancies with his choice of words. He mentioned that Deen doesn't need to work for the organization, but he likewise mentioned percent cut profits from Deen's YouTube channel and merch. It rings a bell on child labor.
However, most experts in law mentioned that Deen's case is something of an enigma as it hasn't yet been fleshed out. There are laws in other industries, but esports and gaming is still underdeveloped in this aspect.
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