KC Pioneers scored Kansas City a spot on the ‘gaming wave’; why this pro esports teams views its hometown as a championship asset

In the globe-spanning esports market, most of the top competitive gaming teams keep their hometown — if they have one — ambiguous to the public. With the industry expected to touch 1 billion people worldwide by 2029 and players untethered to physical locations, it’s simply an unimportant biographical detail to many. And potentially limiting for others.

The Kansas City Pioneers, however, view the world — and their city — differently, said Sam Kulikov, explaining why the homegrown esports team leads with its origin story and Midwest roots by design.

“We built the Pioneers here because there were no other professional esports teams in the region,” said Kulikov, co-founder of the KC Pioneers. “And if we didn’t do it, there still wouldn’t be any teams here — then the Midwest would have no way to hop onto the gaming wave.”

Wave? More like tsunami, say industry analysts.

The esports market worldwide — wherein solo players and teams with major sponsors compete for big dollars in front of global audiences — is projected to reach a revenue of $4.3 billion this year, according to Statista, which also projects that number to grow to $5.9 billion by 2029. The U.S. alone accounts for just over $1 billion itself. 

The KC Pioneers see opportunity in drilling down — not just going global — into a specific region and fanbase. Recognized by the Kansas City Area Development Council as an official Kansas City sports team, Kulikov said, the KC Pioneers are repping their city in places civic leaders likely never would have imagined.

Fans and players rally inside the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, in mid-September for the Rocket League World Championship Series – World Final; photo courtesy of the Kansas City Pioneers

A recent Rocket League tournament in Dallas, for example, drew fans from Kansas City down to the Lonestar State “to cheer on their own town, their own city,” he said.

“It’s crazy because no one else’s city was represented by name,” Kulikov explained. “It’s just the ‘Kansas City’ Pioneers, and every other team is ‘Gen.G,’ ‘G2,’ ‘Team BDS.’ These are teams that have no moniker or connection to an actual city.”

“We have this unique advantage where we want to rally the city’s support and say, ‘Hey, you might not quite understand what this stuff is, but we’re competing in front of 20,000 live people at Dickie’s Arena and in front of 300,000 people online, and we just beat Gen.G who’s sponsored by Mobile one, and we’re wearing a QuikTrip decal,” he said.

“It’s insane.”

Lapping the competition

The Kansas City Pioneers not only are on a winning streak, they’re set to compete in even bigger games in the coming weeks and months.

It’s all about momentum, said Kulikov.

“We started in 2019, and, to date, we have raised almost $2 million,” he said, adding that the organization generates “about $1 million dollars in revenues every year with about 30 percent year-over-year growth.” 

And that money is a direct result of the team’s ability to win and qualify for big events, noted Kulikov, who also serves as the team’s chief marketing officer. 

“This year,” he detailed, “three out of the four of our rosters all qualified for their world championships respectively.” 

The KC Pioneers even beat one of North America’s top teams — Gen.G — to achieve that feat. They also have an eNASCAR team of two drivers; one of whom recently qualified for the championships set for Oct. 1 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

“Only four drivers qualified out of 40 to go in person, and our driver was one of them,” Kulkov said.

The KC Pioneers also compete in Brawl Stars, and the team is ranked second in North America. That team already qualified for the Nov. 1 world championships in Finland.

Sam Kulikov, KC Pioneers, speaks during a ribbon cutting for the gaming lab at at the Lawrence Boys & Girls Club; photo courtesy of the KC Pioneers

Gaming as a life tool

In addition to building a fanbase with big wins, Kulikov said, the team’s leadership believes giving back to the community forges even stronger bonds with young people and organizations.

KC Pioneers’ outreach to and partnerships with groups like Lawrence’s Boys & Girls Club (BGCLK) — where the two organizations operate a co-branded gaming lab — are structured around the idea that gaming can be leveraged to teach essential life skills, along with bringing esports to a new generation.

Because gameplay already is a native interest of many youth, using the KC Pioneers to help staff connect with the kids is a gamechanger, said Chris Jones, director of teen services for the Boys & Girls Club in Lawrence.

“We try to be a positive spot for these kids to come and express themselves, learn about who they are,” Jones explained. “And as you may remember, just being a teenager is kind of a tricky time. Trying to figure out who you are, who you want to be, who your friends are. What does it mean to be a friend? What does it mean to be a boy? What does it mean to be a girl? What does it mean to be a teenager?” 

Members of the KC Pioneers have donated about 250 hours of their time to support Jones and his team, according to Lissa Leibson, chief of staff for the KC Pioneers. They also help connect the Boys & Girls Club to a variety of esports resources and opportunities, as well as local Rocket League coaching and KC Pioneers content creators who have provided an additional 100 hours of support.

Interest in esports at the Boys & Girls Club is high, Jones said, and the presence of the KC Pioneers is having a tangible impact on the kids. 

“It’s just fun for the kids to be part of a team,” he said. “Even though it’s not an athletic team, you still learn the skills of communication, self-confidence — especially as you develop skills and learn new tricks and pocket some wins. Then you get a little bit of the bounce that goes in your step with that. So that’s great to see some of the kids walk around and talk themselves up.”

The Pioneers are in talks to expand their connection with other clubs, including with the Boys & Girls Club of Manhattan.

“They’re looking forward to the day when they can beat us,” Jones said, with a laugh.

The Kansas City Pioneers at the Lawrence Boys & Girls Club; photo courtesy of the KC Pioneers

Up next for the KC Pioneers 

Here’s info on where and how to cheer for the Pioneers: 

• Sept. 29: Rocket League LAN at the Kansas Speedway. Attendees have access to discounted NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs race tickets directly after.
• Oct. 1: Pioneers iRacing driver Graham Bowlin competes in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series Championship at 7 p.m. central.
• Oct. 5: Off the Couch Rocket League LAN at Nebraska Furniture Mart.
• Nov 1-3: The Pioneers Brawl Stars team competes in the Brawl Stars 2024 World Finals in Helsinki.