Prominent esports personalities Christopher ‘MonteCristo’ Mykles and Duncan ‘Thorin’ Shields have launched a new esports media network called Last Free Nation (LFN).

The talent-owned media network will focus on esports podcasts and content creation. Peter Morris, formerly of PodcastOne and Barstool Sports, will join the company as its CEO.

Last Free Nation will work with a range of notable esports talents including Richard Lewis, Christian ‘IWillDominate’ Rivera, Auguste ‘Semmler’ Massonnat, Wolf Schröder, Daniel ‘Dgon’ Gonzales and Alex ‘MauiSnake’ Ellenberg.

The company will house a range of popular podcasts that feature Mykles and Shields, including the League of Legends series Summoning Insight, as well as The Four Horsemen. Snake and Banter, Revenge By the Numbers and Competitive Edge will also become part of the network.

Last Free Nation told Esports Insider it has signed a ‘high six figure’ sponsorship deal with esports gambling site Esportsbet.io. The sponsorship was first reported by Forbes.

Alongside its established IPs, the network will launch ‘Power Spike’, a new League of Legends-focused podcast hosted by Rivera, Mykles and Gonzales.

Last Free Nation will be creator-owned, meaning that the creators will not rely on third parties to help monetise its content. According to a release, the network aims to be a place for creators to express opinions that might be controversial.

Alongside creating podcasts, the network will also provide other services covering content creation, marketing, distribution, advertising and sponsorships, as well as live touring.

Christopher ‘MonteCristo’ Mykles, Co-Founder of Last Free Nation, commented on the launch: “It’s been my dream to create a talent-owned company where the keenest and most creative minds in esports can build something together that they own themselves instead of relying on short-term contracts from third parties that come with strings attached.”

In the release, Duncan ‘Thorin’ Shields claimed esports fans seek more than ‘commoditised content’, and that there is a market for ‘authentic voices’. Shields said Last Free Nation will “provide a space for talent of diverse viewpoints to come together to provide honest and entertaining conversations.”