DetonatioN FM goes full time, moves to team house

A historic day for Japanese eSports! Japan's first gamers to play for a living are born with DetonatioN.

The League of Legends division of pro-gaming team DetonatioN, "FocusMe," are beginning a new chapter in their activities by being the first Japanese team to play full time.

Before, the players would be forced to find their own time to play throughout their daily lives, using all of their remaining time for their practice, but now "playing the game" will itself become their job.

DetonatioN will begin paying a salary to FocusMe starting in February, and will establish a gaming house for the players to live together and develop communication. By living together and getting to know each other, they will aim to become a team that can contend with those throughout the world.

In addition, we will assist the members of our second team, RabbitFive, with their living expenses every month.

FocusMe will receive

A monthly salary for both starters and reserve players
A monthly salary for their dedicated analyst
A gaming house and gaming office, with additional support

RabbitFive will receive
Monthly living expense assistance for starters and reserve players

Companies supporting alongside the gaming house

FocusMe will center their activities in the house from now on. Alongside the facilities, each sponsor company has provided generous support.

Logicool: 8 sets of computer peripherals
BenQ Japan: 8 gaming monitors
DXRacer: Gaming chairs

Message from Team Representative, Nobuyuki "LGraN" Umezaki

I'm moved beyond words that we can welcome as amazing a day as today. It has been two and a half years since DetonatioN was established, but I never expected to be able to accomplish my dream of "playing games for a living" a reality this soon. I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart all of the sponsors who generously supported us, all of our fans, everyone working in e-sports, and all the players and staff who supported and stuck with DetonatioN this far. Today's announcement is a major step in Japanese e-sport history, and I believe it will give courage and hope to those young ones who dream of becoming a pro-gamer.

From here, we will establish a firm foundation as Japan's #1 team, and from there aim to open up the new path: one that leads to us standing on the World Championship Finals stage.

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From here, DetonatioN FocusMe and DetonatioN RabbitFive will begin by aiming for victory in the 2015 LJL (Japan's pro league), and this will be their job.

We understand that, as Japan's first salaried team, we will be shouldering on a considerable responsibility along with that attention. Now, as the Japanese server and the road to the rest of the world are opening up, the pressure and hope for the future they simultaneously feel are unimaginable.

To our fans, please support our players as they move forward.

I ask you to please watch over them as they become an example of Japanese pro-gamers, and see how far Japan's gaming athletes and professional gaming teams can go.