Ophir Lupu left UTA after more than 10 years as a partner and head of video games at the agency.
The separation is said to be amicable. When contacted by Variety, Lupu declined to comment. He is expected to pursue other business opportunities in the fast-growing gaming sector. Lupu made UTA a prominent player in gaming, and is highly regarded by his colleagues for his strategic approach and entrepreneurial skills.
Lupu joined UTA from CAA in 2011. He has represented major game clients like Ken Levine, who directed “BioShock” and “BioShock Infinite” for publisher 2K Games, as well as international developers like Nyamakop, the South African studio known for ” Semblance”. ”
Lupu also brought existing UTA talent into the gaming realm, having helped “Rick and Morty” co-creator Justin Roiland establish Squanch Games. That company released “Trover Saves the Universe” in 2019 and has the first-person shooter “High on Life” due out in October for Xbox consoles.
In addition to representing game studios, Lupu also helped raise capital and broker M&A deals for gaming entities, helping “Don’t Starve” developer Klei Entertainment sell a majority stake of itself to Tencent in 2021.
Lupu’s other investments for UTA included esports organization Cloud9, which has had a large presence in “League of Legends” competitions. In 2018, Lupu greatly expanded UTA’s esports presence through the acquisitions of Press X and Everyday Influencers, which added 90 professional esports athletes and live broadcast personalities to UTA’s portfolio.
UTA hasn’t slowed its push toward games. In December 2021, UTA started a new $230 million SPAC, UTA Acquisition Corp., with the goal of further acquisitions of gaming-related companies and named former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé as its President. Lupu served as president of the SPAC before his departure.