Business: Team BDS rebrands as Shifters

Swiss esports organization Team BDS is preparing a major transformation, as announced in June. According to reporting by Sophie Marenne from the Swiss business magazine PME, the organization will drop the name Team BDS and rebrand as Shifters. The change is expected to be made public in mid-December, according to our information. The new logo has not yet been revealed.

The report states that the transition to Shifters will coincide with the opening of a new 730-square-meter headquarters in central Geneva, located in the Bel Air district. The facility is still under construction, and the organization aims to inaugurate it before the end of the year. Team BDS's current offices are already in Geneva, close to the city’s airport.

Jocelyn Roux, the organization’s legal director, explained to PME that the goal of the rebrand is to give the team a stronger local identity. The current office building in Cointrin is set to be converted into housing, which accelerated the need for relocation. The visual redesign, including the new logo and color scheme, is expected to cost around 300,000 Swiss francs (approximately 320,000 euros at current rates) according to the report.

Team BDS currently runs on an annual budget of just over six million Swiss francs (around 6.4 million euros at current rates). According to Sheep Esports, a good part of this budget is allocated to the LEC, with the organization ranking among the league’s top-half spenders this year. According to PME, only about ten percent of Team BDS's income comes from sponsorships, involving partners such as Amag and Logitech.

Prize winnings represent another major revenue source. The report recalls that Team BDS earned two million dollars by finishing third in the Esports World Cup Club Championship standings in 2024, thanks to victories in Rainbow Six Siege and Rocket League. In the LEC, Team BDS also receives revenue from Riot Games through the league’s revenue-sharing system, with amounts varying based on performance and international qualifications, though exact figures remain undisclosed.

Still in the report, Shifters also plans to diversify into new areas. The organization has already expanded into Call of Duty: Warzone and online chess. Two additional projects are now in development, as announced by Team BDS in June. The first is a philanthropic initiative named Play and Share, which aims to install gaming areas in pediatric hospital wards. The second is a consulting branch that will offer esports expertise to Swiss and European brands.

In League of Legends, the team is also expected to announce its new roster, featuring the arrival of AD Carry Park "Paduck" Seok-hyeon and Support Adrian "Trymbi" Trybus, who will compete under the Shifters brand in the LEC.

Sheep Esports reached out to Team BDS; the organization chose not to comment on the report.