John Nelson

Background

About John Nelson

John is an esports veteran of more than two decades, currently serving as a Sr. Director of Esports at Electronic Arts (EA). He began his career at Major League Gaming (MLG) where he was their Commissioner for twelve years, designing and operating ecosystems in competitive video genres like FPS, FGC, and RTS on PC, mobile, and console platforms. Shortly after MLG was acquired by Activision/Blizzard, John transitioned to EA's Competitive Gaming Division where he has had the opportunity to build and lead cross-functional teams that further partner with studios, legal, finance, social, and communications. After contributing to the growth of Madden, FIFA, and Battlefield esports, John created and drove strategy for the Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS). To date, the ALGS has delivered more than 250M hours watched and over 80k spectator tickets sold. John is an inventor and innovator whose recent creations have helped cement the Battle Royale genre within the esports industry. The most acclaimed of those inventions is the Match Point format for which he holds a US patent. Across thousands of online and in-person events, John strives to increase brand engagement by creating inclusive experiences that meet the needs of players and fans alike. John's events attract the full spectrum of gamers, globally recognized pro players, rising amateurs, leading influencers, casuals looking to level up, and die hard fans. John draws inspiration from his own competitive experiences with sports and games. A lifetime of fandom and competition on ballfields and virtual arenas allows him to shape products from multiple perspectives.