Qualified nations for the FIFAe Nations Cup 2022 confirmed
Challengermode signs deal with KRAFTON, Inc. to host new grassroots PUBG Esports initiative
Copenhagen to host first-ever FIFAe Finals in July
Challengermode hosts Play2Help Rocket League tournament for Mental Health Awareness Month
Commonwealth Esports Championships 2022 selection for European players
NODWIN Gaming signs Exclusive 4 year deal with Challengermode to host South Asian & African esports tournaments
British Esports to launch two-part ‘Road to the GEG’ video series this week
Challengermode Expands Into Brazil With Yup.gg Partnership
The British Esports Student Champs increase participation by 115% for Spring Divisions and announce date change for grand finals
British Esports to open game-changing National Esports Performance Campus in Sunderland
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Esports preview, virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans: Porsche aims to defend title at the virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans
In a bid to defend the title, the Porsche Esports Team fields two digital 911 RSR at this weekend’s virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 2020, the works delegation won the GTE class at the debut event of the endurance race run on the rFactor2 simulation platform. This year, experienced professional drivers from real motor racing will once again share driving duties in the ca. 510 PS Porsches with sim racing experts. Ten 911 RSR join the 50-strong field this year, which also includes LMP2 prototypes. In the GTE category, Porsche makes up almost half the grid. The endurance highlight on the virtual Circuit des 24 Heures takes off this Saturday at 2 pm. Especially interesting for Porsche fans: The sports car manufacturer will report live from the virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans from Saturday 1:30 pm. In a racing centre that has been set up specifically for this event in Germany’s Gronau, six of the eight works contingent share driving duties in the simulators. Interviews with experts and competitors, analyses and background reports round off the programme, which is scheduled to be broadcast until 2:30 pm on Sunday. The show will be streamed on Porsche’s Twitch channel (http://www.twitch.tv/porsche) as well as YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDbby0ZgmoI). As always, Porsche posts the latest motor racing information on its Twitter account @PorscheRaces. Live timing is available on the Porsche Motorsport Hub (https://motorsports.porsche.com). “Parallel to real motorsport, sim racing is becoming increasingly important for Porsche. Via this platform, we can ignite a passion for our brand among a totally new target group. That’s why we founded the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup in 2019, in which the world’s best sim racers pit themselves against each other. The Cup heads into its fourth season at the beginning of February,” explains Marco Ujhasi, Manager Esports at Porsche Motorsport. “The mix of pro and sim racers has proven its worth at the 2020 debut of the virtual Le Mans 24-hour race – which was underlined by our GTE class victory. We now want to repeat this success. We again feel very well prepared to take on this challenge with our team partner Coanda Esports. Like in real-life racing on the track, the virtual racing scene also relies on flawless teamwork and meticulous attention to detail. Given the fierce competition, these factors can be the key to success.” Porsche tackles the endurance event with a top-notch driver lineup in its two 911 RSR. The No. 91 digital sports car is shared by the newly appointed Porsche Junior Laurin Heinrich (Germany) and Mitchell deJong from the USA with the sim racing pros Martin Krönke (Germany) and Mack Bakkum (Netherlands). Later in the year, Heinrich will drive the ca. 515 PS 911 GT3 Cup in the real Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup run as part of the Formula 1 support programme, and in the Carrera Cup Deutschland. The Würzburg driver will arrive at the Coanda Esports HQ in Gronau, Westphalia, with a slight delay due to his racing commitment at the real 24-hour race in Dubai. The GTE winners of the inaugural event will attempt to defend their title at the virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans in the No. 92 car: Ayhancan Güven (Turkey), Tommy Östgaard (Norway) and Joshua Rogers (Australia) receive backing from the American Sage Karam this coming weekend. Rogers won the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup in 2019 and 2021. In the last two years, the Turkish racing pro Güven was the predecessor of Laurin Heinrich as a Porsche Junior in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. Other 911 RSR will be campaigned by teams that are active on real racetracks around the globe as customers of Porsche. Proton Competition fields two cars with the starting numbers from FIA World Endurance Championship WEC. The No. 77 car is manned by Porsche works driver Matt Campbell (Australia) with Dutch drivers Loek Hartog and Kevin van Dooren as well as Jeremy Bouteloup from France. Dylan Pereira (Luxembourg), Sindre Furuseth (Norway), Charlie Collins (Great Britain) and Dayne Warren (Australia) share driving duties in the No. 88 car run by Coanda Esports. The Project 1 x BPM squad also fields two 911 RSR, driven by Jimmy Broadbent (GB), Bram Beelen (Netherlands), René Buttler and Tim Neuendorf (both Germany) as well as their compatriot Nicolas Hillebrand, Zbigniew Siara from Poland, Peyo Peev (Bulgaria) and the Italian endurance specialist Riccardo Pera. GR Wolves Racing also deploys two delegations. All participating Porsche teams are listed below: No 25: Absolute Inspeed Racing (VRC) Johnathan Hoggard (GB) / Daniel Cao / Xiayufei Li / Yanzhe Li (alle VRC) No. 56: Team Project 1 xBPM (D) Jimmy Broadbent (GB) / Bram Beelen (NL) / Tim Neuendorf (D) / René Buttler (D) No. 57: Team Project 1 xBPM (D) Riccardo Pera (I) / Nicolas Hillebrand (D) / Zbigniew Siara (PL) / Peyo Peev (BG) No. 61: SEM9 Axle (MAL) Alister Yoong (MAL) / Avila Bahar (RI) / Nabil Azlan (MAL) / Davide Arduini (I) No 77: Proton Competition (D) Matt Campbell (AUS) / Loek Hartog (NL) / Kevin van Dooren (NL) / Jeremy Bouteloop (F) No. 86: GR Wolves Racing (GB) Ben Barker (GB) / Bart Horsten (AUS) / Adam Maguire (IRL) / Liam de Waal (NL) No. 87: GR Wolves Racing (GB) Tom Gamble (GB) / Alex Malykhin (BY) / Philipp Puschke (D) / Turkka Hakkinnen (SF) No. 88: Proton Competition (D) Dylan Pereira (LUX) / Sindre Furuseth (N) / Charlie Collins (GB) / Dayne Warren (AUS) No. 91: Porsche Esports Team (D) Laurin Heinrich (D) / Mitchell deJong (USA) / Mack Bakkum (NL) / Martin Krönke (D) No. 92: Porsche Esports Team (D) Ayhancan Güven (TR) / Sage Karam (USA) / Joshua Rogers (AUS) / Tommy Östgaard (N) The schedule (all times CET) The virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans gets underway on Saturday 15 January 2022 at 2 pm local time. Official practice sessions and test races were run on Thursday and Friday, but were not streamed live. The 20-minute qualifying session for the GTE class starts this Friday at 7:10 pm, followed by a two-hour warm-up on Saturday morning from 10am. The race kicks off at 2 pm, with the finish scheduled for 2 pm Sunday. [Where to watch the virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans] Several social media channels offer a live stream of the virtual Le Mans endurance race on the rFactor2 simulation platform, for instance YouTube (www.YouTube.com/traxiongg and www.YouTube.com/user/FIAWEC) and Twitch (www.Twitch.tv/traxiongg). The event organiser will also post the latest news on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @lemansvirtual. [Comments before the race] Laurin Heinrich (Porsche Esports Team #91): “It’s incredible to get the chance to contest the virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans for the Porsche Esports Team. The fact that I’m also racing at the real 24-hour race in Dubai on the same weekend poses a special challenge: I have to fly out of the Emirates before the end of the race and make my way to Coanda Esports in Gronau. Obviously, I’m aiming to defend Porsche’s 2020 victory with my strong teammates Mitchell deJong, Martin Krönke and Mack Bakkum. Thanks to our intensive preparation work and teamwork, we’ve put ourselves in a promising position for this endurance race.” Joshua Rogers (Porsche Esports Team #92): “I’m really looking forward to the virtual Le Mans event – it’s an honour for me to be able to represent a brand like Porsche again on such a big stage. It’s been a while since my last time, but as a team, we’re as prepared as we can be. Of course, I’ll do my absolute best to defend our title. Ayhancan, Tommy, Sage and I push each other a lot and we work hard to get the most out of the car under all sorts of scenarios.”
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Great Britain Dota 2 Women’s team secure Silver at the inaugural Global Esports Games 2021
Earlier this year the British Esports Association selected the 2021 teams to represent Great Britain for this year’s Global Esports Games (GEG) 2021 in Singapore. Teams from more than 80 countries competed last weekend at a medal event which didn’t include prize money. The 2021 games had tournaments in Street Fighter V, Dota 2 Open, Dota 2 Women and eFootball PES. The inaugural games took place from December 17th-19th where Great Britain had teams and players competing for their chance to secure a medal. The teams were led by Vexed Gaming’s Chief Gaming Officer, Mark Weller, as team manager. The Dota 2 Women’s team played on the main stage, securing a Silver medal to the hosting country Singapore. Great Britain team manager Mark Weller commented “Great Britain team manager Mark Weller commented “Closing out the first global esports games with a Silver medal and 2 close 4th place finishes (1-2 and 2-3) is a fantastic start for what could be a strong national programme, Our journey to Singapore was met with many struggles, but I feel we are building the foundations of something truly fantastic with your GB esports roster. I think we can walk away proud, showing that Great Britain is home to some exceptional talent and I look forward to building on these foundation’s we laid in 2021″. For an overview of all events, please see below. Dota 2 Open With an early start the Dota 2 Open team competed in their semi-finals game against Singapore. Despite their best efforts, Great Britain fell short against the home nation 0-2, ending their journey in the Global Esports Games 2021 with a 4th place finish. Captain of the Great Britain Dota 2 Open team commented: “Unfortunately we did not reach the expectations we had but I'm happy we are able to learn from this experience so we can come back stronger next year.” Dota 2 Women Firstly, Great Britain faced Mongolia in the semi-finals with their chance to secure a spot in the grand finals. The team secured the victory 2-0 where their next game would see them face against the hosting country’s team: Singapore. Heading onto the main stage, Great Britain started off the first match in the best-of-three series with a victory, putting themselves 1-0 up against Singapore. After a long game filled with nail-biting moments, the hosting country leveled up the series 1-1, taking it to its full lengths. The final match saw the game running over 70 minutes long, where Singapore took the edge resulting in Great Britain securing a Silver medal finish. Great Britain player Bellemiku commented: “From where we started in the beginning, I am so proud of how far we have come. We prepared for the matches to the best of our ability and our series vs Mongolia and Singapore showed that. We went into the finals with low expectations and winning that first match felt amazing, it's a shame we couldn't close out the series but the final 80 minute match just displays how close it really was. I’m very excited to see more opportunities like this in the future!” eFootball 2022 PES On December 17th the eFootball 2022 PES qualifiers took place, where MrMyClub1 was representing team Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The day started off strong with a victory against Hungary. Moving into the next two sets of games against Montenegro and Libya, despite a valiant attempt from MrMyClub1, he wasn’t able to progress further in the tournament losing to both countries. He commented: “Overall it’s been an incredible experience, very very competitive as I had imagined and just unlucky not to get through in the end as it was very close.” Street Fighter V The Street Fighter V action started off with a group stage where player Kim-Phillipe finished off with a clean sheet 4-0, progressing to the bracket stages of the tournament. Countries within the group were: Paraguay, Singapore, Jamaica and Mongolia. The following day The4Philzz took to the main stage against Brazil. Starting off 0-1 down, he later tied up the series with the character Falke. With the momentum of taking game two, he managed to close out the series 3-1 and secured his place in the semi-finals against Chinese Taipei. Whilst the games were close, he unfortunately fell 1-3 in the semi-finals and is set to participate in a third-place match-up against Pakistan. Pakistan took the series 3-1 in a heavily contested bout for the bronze medal, leaving Great Britain with a 4th place finish in the Street Fighter V tournament at the Global Esports Games 2021. He commented: “My time at the Global Esports Games 2021 in Singapore was great! Started my group stages with a flawless 4-0 record. I then moved on to the top 8 qualifiers the next day. Many hard battles were fought and my journey ended in 4th place." In the coming weeks you can watch back Great Britain’s journey behind the scenes in Singapore, with videos to be uploaded to the British Esports Association’s YouTube channel. You can also view all Great Britain rosters and final placements on the British Esports website.
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FIFA launches new commercial partnership structure including dedicated programs for Women's Fooball and esports
For the first time since 2013, FIFA is introducing a new commercial partnership structure that will provide companies around the world with more tailored opportunities to partner with the sport of football, leverage the FIFA brand and support its competitions. Three distinct partnership verticals are being launched this week with a range of packages available across Women’s football, Men’s Football and esports/gaming. Kay Madati, FIFA’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “As we continually work to make football truly global, accessible and inclusive, we recognised the need for a nimble and customisable commercial structure that enables brands big and small, global and local, to connect with all aspects of the beautiful game. The new model will allow our partners to create more tailored programming and marketing activations that align directly with their strategic business goals, and connect them to the world’s most passionate fans, in the world’s most engaging sport.” [First dedicated commercial program for Women’s football launched to accelerate growth and equality of the women’s game] Building on FIFA’s Women’s Football strategy unveiled in 2018, the launch of a dedicated women’s football commercial vertical marks another step in FIFA’s commitment to make football more equitable and accessible for women and girls. Partners in this new vertical will be able to directly impact and support the growth and development of the women’s game. Sarai Bareman, FIFA’s Chief Women’s Football Officer commented, “This marks a groundbreaking moment to maximize the growth of the women’s game and its marketing appeal, as we create equal commercial models across Women’s and Men’s Football for the first time. We’re excited about the opportunities for brands who want to support women’s sport, help accelerate women’s equality, and wish to align themselves with the unparalleled momentum around women’s football.’’ [An exciting new era in football gaming and esports with FIFAe Vertical] As FIFA continues to broaden its esports and gaming footprint, a dedicated partnerships structure will provide exciting opportunities to participate in the fastest growing media vertical on the planet. FIFAe - the recently launched umbrella brand for all of FIFA’s future esports and gaming initiatives - grants access to the interactive and immersive entertainment world of new generations, cultures, tournaments, and merchandising licensing opportunities. [FIFA’s New Commercial Structure At-A-Glance] A flexible partnership model will exist across the new distinct verticals for Women’s Football, Men’s Football, and esports/gaming. World Cup Partners/Women’s Football Partners/FIFAe Partners will receive extensive global commercial rights across all national team tournaments within their respective vertical, or a premium position across all esports competitions for the FIFAe vertical Sponsors will receive global activation rights surrounding the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the FIFA World Cup and/or across all FIFAe competitions Tournament Supporters will be able to select territorial activation rights for either the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the FIFA World Cup or the FIFAe competitions. A more flexible Tournament Supporters program is now available for women’s and men’s development tournaments such as the FIFA U-20 and U-17 World Cups FIFA Partners continue to hold the highest level of association with global partner status and category exclusivity across their respective FIFA properties and competitions FIFA’s new commercial approach will enable brands to benefit from new opportunities to associate with FIFA’s brand to build and accelerate new business opportunities as well as create community and purpose-driven programs.
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World’s first esports coaching course launches
A new first-of-its-kind degree course from the University of Portsmouth is set to train the next generation of coaches and performance experts for esports. Esports is competitive gaming and represents one of the fastest growing sectors globally. Tournaments can attract millions of spectators and large stadium crowds, to watch high-profile players compete for cash prizes and global recognition - such as the global Fortnite World Cup, which has a prize pool of upwards of $17m. Esports comprises games from several different genres and players can play one-on-one or in teams. Much like in traditional sports, there are large sponsorship deals and, increasingly, transfer fees for players. Esports sponsorship revenue reached $641m in 2021, thanks in part to sponsorship from global companies like Coca-Cola, Gillette and Nike. This new BSc (Hons) in Esports Coaching and Performance degree at the University of Portsmouth merges an understanding of gaming and technological skills with the psychology of sport and coaching in high performance environments - not dissimilar to the skillset of coaches in traditional sports. Designed and delivered in partnership with IFoEC, the training partner of the International Federation of Esports Coaches, the new degree is a great next step for those who want to gain entry into a rapidly developing industry, develop a career as a coach in the field or acquire a range of transferable skills in leadership, communication and research, amongst others. The course includes theory, research and practical experience to understand how to coach players to peak performance, and creating connections to the sector through expert lecturers and industry work experience placement to get hands-on experience. David Price, course leader for BSc (Hons) in Esports Coaching and Performance, said: “The introduction of this course reflects the huge global interest in esports, and puts the University of Portsmouth firmly at the forefront of a fast-developing field. We look forward to welcoming our first cohort of students in September 2022, to help them become the next generation of coaches and performance experts in this exciting industry.”
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British Esports Association announces exclusive university-level partnership with the College of Esports
The British Esports Association, the not-for-profit organisation and national body set up to support grassroots esports in the UK, has announced an exclusive Higher Education (HE) university-level accredited partnership with the College of Esports. The College of Esports is a world first university-level institution dedicated solely for university degrees in the global business of esports. The university degree portfolio will include Foundation, Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels and will be delivered at the College of Esports campus at the iconic Velodrome, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, with students starting in September/October 2022 for the start of the academic year 2022/2023. For transparency, the British Esports Association has helped produce part of the degree and provided College of Esports with some guidance, but will not be teaching the courses. Each university-level programme will focus on the global billion-dollar business of esports. The student experience will centre on traditional academic subjects taught through the lens of an industry that many are so passionate about, supported by their unique TRI-Curriculum. This consists of the main degree courses plus two additional curricula to make students World-Ready, providing higher contact hours and a holistic 360 teaching approach. This approach will ensure an exciting, cutting edge teaching model which fully prepares each student for a career within esports and other sectors. The College of Esports is a boutique university-level institution, with student places to be limited, ensuring each student receives the maximum benefit from their studies and wider experiences. All university-level provision has been designed in partnership with the British Esports Association to ensure that each programme is industry-ready, with input from the wider esports sector. A College Advisory Board populated by leading figures will provide guidance to the college and will be announced in due-course. Each course will provide best-in-class academic teaching combined with leading knowledge and input from the esports sector, to provide students with long-term value, career flexibility and a holistic understanding of international business at both macro and micro levels. It will cover the business of international esports, IP rights, management of players and talent, event management, sponsorship, logistics, marketing, business and more. As well as training people to go into the industry, the College of Esports will also offer a business incubation unit to help students grow their ideas into their own businesses. The British Esports Association will provide unique industry expertise, as well as enriching the learning materials of the degree content, in order to ensure relevance to the student and sector as a whole. The British Esports Association also has a separate exclusive Further Education partnership with Pearson to offer Esports BTEC qualifications of which students can then progress smoothly from these BTEC courses onto the BEA accredited courses at the College of Esports. The College of Esports facilities based within the Velodrome, home to many international sporting triumphs, will include new purpose-built classrooms, eateries, a library, social areas as well as state-of-the-art gaming spaces for students. Professor Philip Wilson, founder and Chair of the College of Esports, stated: “We are delighted to have entered into this long-term exclusive higher education partnership. The knowledge, experience and expertise of the British Esports Association is a central pillar of our approach to ensure that the College of Esports is at the cutting edge of the industry for our students.” “Our partnership will create the UK hub of esports business and provide additional legacy to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as job creation and community support in the boroughs that we engage.” British Esports Association chair Andy Payne OBE commented: “We’re delighted to have signed this exclusive university-level partnership with the College of Esports to help deliver esports business degrees and ensure a bright future for our exciting industry. Esports not only offers many exciting career opportunities, it also gives people essential transferable skills that can be applied to many other roles and industries.” The College of Esports is the vision of the two founders — Professor Philip Wilson and David Thomson — both of whom have a lifetime of experience in higher education and the global sports industry. Students can register their interest for 2022 intake at www.collegeofesports.ac.uk
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Porsche Korea Signs Partnership Agreement with DRX, a Professional League of Legends Team
Porsche Korea (Holger Gerrmann, CEO of Porsche Korea Ltd.) is strengthening domestic Korean Esports through a partnership with DRX, a professional League of Legends team. Porsche Korea CEO Holger Gerrmann stated, “I look forward to the new Esports season with DRX and the dynamic performance that League of Legend and Porsche fans enjoy so much.” He also added, “We hope that we can contribute to the success of the domestic Esports teams through our sponsorship of DRX, one of the professional LoL teams in Korea, which is on the global stage one of the strongest Esports nations for League of Legends.” Porsche Korea will support DRX for three years until 2024 and host various Esports activities. From 2022, the DRX squad will compete in uniforms bearing the Porsche Crest (logo). In addition, offline events that expand contact points between Esports fans and players will be held, and various collaborations such as active social media postings and content production will continue. DRX, one of the teams with the longest history since their first 'League of Legends Champions Korea’ (LCK) in 2012, has unveiled the new team for the 2022 season composed of newly recruited ‘Deft’ (Kim Hyuk-kyu) and ‘BeryL’ (Cho Geon-hee), two veteran players that have taken multiple winning trophies, and the rising talent ‘Zeka’ (Kim Geon-woo). Choi Sang-in, CEO of DRX, stated, “We are very happy to form a partnership with Porsche Korea, an unrivalled sports car brand,” adding that, "We will write history in E-sports thanks to the sup-port of Porsche Korea." Only last year Porsche Korea had successfully launched the ‘Taycan 4S’ Kart in a PC and mobile games based on ‘KartRider’ IP (Intellectual Property) through a partnership with Nexon, and held an E-sports competition ‘KartRider Rush+ I Porsche Super Match.’ In addition, it is further expanding domestic E-sports activities by co-hosting the new ‘Porsche Gran Turismo Cup Asia Pacific’ with a total of 11 countries and regions including Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, and Thailand.
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Challengermode to host EU and NA SI2022 Open Qualifiers
Leading global esports platform Challengermode has teamed up with Allied Esports and Cyberathlete Championship Series to host the European and North American open qualifiers for the 2022 Six Invitational - the last chance for competitors to make it to the Rainbow 6 World Championships in Montreal The winner of the open qualifiers for each region will win a spot at the SI2022 finals being held in Montreal, Canada next February. There they will have a chance to compete against the best professional teams in the world for a prize pool of $3million. The Group Stage will take place from February 8th-12th, playoffs from February 14th-20th, with the Grand Final happening on February 20th 2022. Organised by Allied Esports and the Cyberathlete Championship Series (CCS), the first Qualifier starts 4th December, with tournament sign-up now available for any hopeful teams across Europe or North America. Only one slot is up for grabs from each regional qualifier of North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific, so expect competition to be fierce. Philip Hubner, CBDO at Challengermode said: “Having Allied Esports and the Cyberathlete Championship Series choose Challengermode as the platform to host open qualifiers for the SI2022 competition is a wonderful endorsement of our ability to make the highest levels of esport competition open to anyone. CCS is a pillar of the community tournament scene for Rainbow 6 in North America, and Allied has been instrumental in elevating the level of competition across Europe. We couldn’t be more excited to be working with such impressive organisers, and hope that players will enjoy competing using the Challengermode platform to play on the biggest stage in the Siege year, and even potentially become World Champions.” Rob Walker, founder of the Cyberathlete Championship Series said: “The support Challengermode has been able to offer through its automated tournament platform has made scaling the open qualifiers to any size we may need exceptionally easy. We've been extremely happy with the usability and versatility of the tools they’ve been able to provide, and we look forward to working closely with Challengermode to offer as many teams as possible the chance to compete at the highest level of competition for Rainbow 6 Siege.” Leon Groenewoud, CEO Europe and VP Gaming & Esports at Allied Esports added: "We’re incredibly excited to be producing the European qualifiers for the SI2022 in our Hamburg studio. Being able to rely on Challengermode to once again provide the best platform to administrate the tournaments frees us up to focus on providing the best possible production services to elevate creators, competitions and content across the esports industry." Interested teams can sign-up for the chance to qualify for the World Championship in R6 with SI2021 through the Challengermode website here. Open qualifiers will run from 4th-18th December, with North American Qualifiers viewable via the official CCS Twitch channel and European Qualifiers via the official Rainbow 6 Twitch Channel.
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British Esports Association announces strategic partnership with Bett 2022
British Esports is proud to announce its collaboration with Bett 2022, which will bring esports into the world’s biggest EdTech show. Bett is the global community for education technology, and Bett is the biggest annual EdTech event across the globe. The upcoming show will be taking place in London from the 19th - 21st January 2022 at the ExCeL Centre. The event will have a dedicated esports feature, where British Esports is working in association with Bett to curate ‘Esports @ Bett’ - which is the first dedicated feature of its kind at any EdTtech show across the globe. Alongside this, they will be involved in panels to show the positive impact esports can have on young people. Daily Rocket League matches will also take place between British Esports Student Champs participants throughout the event. This strategic partnership will allow for further esports integration into the education sector, and give educators the chance to explore possibilities for their students. On top of this, the feature will also highlight the importance of digital skills, and how esports is the starting point. The esports feature will be in a prime position on the show floor - of which visitors can get hands-on with some gaming setups, and speak to industry professionals. In the run up to the event, British Esports will also create regular online content for the Bett Esports hub. This content will be education-focused, and further develop the importance of esports for global educators. Elliot Bond, British Esports’ Head of Broadcast and Events, said: “We are proud to be representing the esports industry in the incredible Bett show this year. It's a huge opportunity for those interested in gaming to learn how education and esports can be brought together to inspire and motivate young people.” Registrations are now open for Bett 2022, and further information on this can be found on their website.
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FIFA set to widen gaming and eSports portfolio
FIFA will adopt a new commercial positioning in gaming and eSports to ensure that it is best placed to make decisions that benefit all football stakeholders. FIFA is bullish and excited about the future in gaming and eSports for football, and it is clear that this needs to be a space that is occupied by more than one party controlling all rights. Technology and mobile companies are now actively competing to be associated with FIFA, its platforms, and global tournaments. Consequently, FIFA is engaging with various industry players, including developers, investors and analysts, to build out a long-term view of the gaming, eSports and interactive entertainment sector. The outcome will ensure that FIFA has a range of suitable parties with specialist capabilities to actively shape the best possible experiences and offerings for fans and consumers. Gaming and eSports are the fastest-growing media verticals on the planet, with new and diverse types of games launching continuously. It is therefore of crucial importance for FIFA and its stakeholders to maximise all future opportunities for football and gaming fans. FIFA also has a duty to support its 211 member associations to fully capitalise on the inherent opportunities that have been emerging over the recent years. As part of this strategy, FIFA also commits to continuing to organise skill-based eSports tournaments under the umbrella of the recently launched FIFAe competition structure and consumer brand (www.fifa.gg). The relationship and affinity that the gaming and eSports market has developed over time with the FIFA name clearly underscore that football-based gaming and the FIFA name are intrinsically intertwined. Finally, FIFA has also determined that the overlaps between virtual sport and FIFA’s football competitions must be more closely aligned. In this respect, FIFA is excited about using the FIFA World Cup™ (with four billion viewers) and FIFA Women’s World Cup™ (with an audience of 1.2 billion) as platforms to launch and integrate exciting new games and eSports offerings.
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FIFA and EA announce expanded FIFA 22 esports program
FIFA and Electronic Arts have announced today a new EA SPORTS™ FIFA 22 esports program anticipated to attract tens of millions of players and viewers. Featuring both 1v1 and 2v2 competitions, players will represent themselves, globally recognized esports organizations, real-world football clubs, and their nation in a diverse set of FIFA esports events. The three competitions featured in the expanded esports ecosystem are the FIFAe Club Series 2022™, the FIFAe Nations Series 2022™, and the EA SPORTS FIFA 22 Global Series on The Road to the FIFAe World Cup 2022™. The three pinnacle events of the series will all take place in summer 2022. “FIFA competitive gaming is the future of global esports entertainment, enhancing how fans experience the game they love,” said Brent Koning, VP, EA SPORTS Competitive Gaming. “FIFA possesses the pivotal platform for football fans around the world to insert themselves into their own sports story. In partnership with FIFA, the mainstream appeal of esports is evident.” “Newcomers, as well as established superstars - individually or as a team - will inspire entire nations of EA SPORTS FIFA players and get the opportunity to fame their game,” said Christian Volk, Director of eFootball and Gaming at FIFA. “A historic season full of thrilling competitive FIFA stories will captivate a global fanbase with this expanded ecosystem.” [The Individual Best - EA SPORTS FIFA 22 Global Series on the Road to the FIFAe World Cup 2022] Qualification starts November 27 as the traditional 1v1 competitive FIFA format is showcased with online tournaments across 10 global regions. Register to compete HERE on October 4. In addition, more than 30 leagues offer esports programs, Official League Partners, including the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1, MLS, CONMEBOL Libertadores, and UEFA Champions League will give fans residing in each respective nation the opportunity to represent real-world clubs. The EA SPORTS FIFA 22 Global Series Rankings will be available on FIFA.GG. [FIFAe Club Series including the Debut of 2v2 FIFA Ultimate Team™ (FUT) Cups] The FIFAe Club Series 2022 featuring 2v2 competition begins this November with the FIFAe Club Online Qualifiers™ and includes the new FUT Team of the Year and Team of the Season Cups on the Road to the FIFAe Club World Cup 2022. Prepare your FIFA.GG profile today, as registrations start on October 5. [National pride in the FIFAe Nations Series] The FIFAe Nations Series 2022 will feature member associations competing against each other in this global 2v2 competition. Furthermore, national campaigns will find the top competitive stars. All nations will begin their journey at FIFAe Nations Online Qualifiers™, with top national teams advancing to the FIFAe Nations Playoffs™ on the Road to the FIFAe Nations Cup 2022. Find out more at FIFA.GG. “Football would not exist without the power of teamwork,” said Sam Turkbas, FIFA Competitive Gaming Commissioner. “Our objective is to harness that power and use esports entertainment to connect football fans around the world to the game they love. Team-based FIFA competitive gaming will be a growth catalyst for future football fandom.” [The Power of Competitive Gaming as Mainstream Entertainment] Watch the first entertainment-focused tournaments of the season as celebrities, football stars and top FIFA competitors showcase the 2v2 potential. September 30: Watch legends across football, music, esports and entertainment raise money in the Twitch Rivals eSoccer Aid for UNICEF ft. FIFA 22. Pitting Team Soccer Aid World XI against Team England, tune in at 8 am PT, 4 pm BST to see who celebrates glory on the FIFA pitch. October 21: FIFA 22 Challenge will feature top ambassadors representing Team adidas and Team EA SPORTS. Reveal of the full participant list, and a special announcement for FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) fans, will be later announced in October.
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Challengermode expands women in esports drive with organizer partnerships
Leading esports platform Challengermode today announced its partnership with the Super Girl Gamer Series to host tournaments across a range of esports. This forms part of Challengermode’s initiative to support more female-led esports initiatives to its grassroots esports platform. The Super Girl Gamer Series joins other female-focused esports organisations using Challengermode, such as Girls' House, a girls focused space for players interested in participating in women’s-only VALORANT events, and The Goose House which has received funding from Challengermode and Opera GX’s grassroots esports fund for its Birds of Prey: Episode One tournament’s prize pool. Philip Hübner, Chief Business Development Officer of Challengermode said: “We’re incredibly happy to be hosting Supergirl Gamer’s tournaments across League of Legends, Valorant, Fortnite, and CS:GO for the 2021 series and beyond. We see this as a natural progression to our previous work with the Women’s Esports League in making esports more inclusive and equal at the grassroots level. Women make up 30% of the esports viewing population, and 35% of the esports playing population, so vitally important to provide the tools and dedicated space for female esports organisations to host tournaments at the amateur level all the way up to the pro.” “There is still much more that the industry can do to encourage women in esports, from closing the gender pay gap at the highest end of esports earners to establishing dedicated grassroots organizations that are welcoming to female gamers. We would like to encourage any female-led esports organisations to reach out to Challengermode through the Challengermode Opera GX Grassroots Esports Fund where they can apply for funding for prize pools.” Organizers can register their interest in the Challengermode / Opera GX esports fund via the website here, which also provides external platform support provided by Challengermode to streamline setting up tournaments and competitions. Super Girl Gamer Pro esports director Amanda Ball said: “Over the last five years, the Super Girl Gamer Series has expanded to provide opportunities for women all across North America in a variety of different titles and we hope to continue that expansion into the EU scene as well. We have been extremely happy working with Challengermode and look forward to continuing that partnership in being a driving force in changing the narrative for women in esports.” You can catch the Super Girl Gamer - Summer Season - League of Legends Championships on September 18th 2021 at 1:30p EST through Challengermode and streaming live to Twitch.tv/SuperGirlGP. The Super Girl Gamer - Fall Season kicks off on October 16th, across both VALORANT and Fortnite.
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ThriveFantasy Partners with NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars for 2021 Season to be Daily Fantasy Sports and Esports Partner
ThriveFantasy, the leading player prop daily fantasy sports and esports platform, announced today it has signed on as a Proud Partner and daily fantasy sports and esports partner of the Jacksonville Jaguars. The partnership is a first of its kind with the Jaguars, as it will provide Jaguars fans with unique opportunities to participate in Thrive’s customized fantasy football contests throughout the season. “These are the types of partnerships that are the most fun to be a part of,” says Adam Weinstein, Founder and CEO of ThriveFantasy. “The Jaguars are at the forefront of innovation and are giving us the ability to be very creative in the ways we help engage their fanbase.” ThriveFantasy was created to give everyday fans a better chance at winning by challenging them to pick simple over/unders of yards, catches, touchdowns and more. Thrive will be creating custom Jaguars-only contests within its app to offer Jaguars fans the chance to win exclusive fan experiences. Fans can visit their mobile app store to download the ThriveFantasy app today. “We’re excited to welcome ThriveFantasy into the family of Jaguars partners, especially as fantasy sports continues to grow in popularity,” said Mike DiMartino, Jaguars vice president of corporate partnerships. “Thrive will give our fans yet another exciting opportunity to interact with their favorite team and, in this case, win prizes!” In the coming months, Jaguars fans can download the ThriveFantasy app and keep an eye out for: Match deposits up to $100 Custom Jaguars-only contests throughout the 2021-2022 season In-stadium signage with more information, QR codes and promotions 30-second TV Spots
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PUBG Finland partners with Challengermode to simplify their grassroots PUBG efforts
Leading global esports platform Challengermode will be the home of this year’s "PSL Elisa Esports PUBG Autumn Showdown" as well as the "Winter Challenge" - organized by PUBG Finland. This partnership will provide all PUBG players with the opportunity to compete in high-level tournaments and win prize money, with Challengermode’s streamlined and automated tournament solution enabling PUBG Finland staff to focus on their high level event production. PSL will be hosting tournaments on Challengermode’s platform with prizes of 500 EUR every week. Each tournament will consist of a massive open qualifier on day 1, where the best teams advance into the second day to win a share of the prize pool. The top 4 teams each week will also qualify for a special Monthly Final with a larger prizepool of 1000 EUR up for grabs. All matches will be played with the SUPER scoring system with which PUBG players are familiar. Winners of the Monthly Finals will also secure a spot in PSL Season 10, where the best EMEA-teams will compete for a 15 000 EUR prize pool over seven rounds of non-stop PUBG action. Any players engaging with PSL through the Challengermode platform will also be able to unlock even more competitions to compete in weekly subscriber-only tournaments that boast their own prize pools, and guarantee top-level competition. Phil Hubner, CBDO of Challengermode: “Tournaments like the PSL Elisa Esports PUBG Autumn Showdown & Winter Challenge are at the very heart of what Challengermode supports as a business. The grassroots and amateur levels of competition in the esports space are the industry’s lifeblood, and giving players the opportunity to play in a professional environment and compete for prizes is essential to its growth and continued success. It has been rewarding to see our platform's automation and scalability be put to the best possible use with PUBG Finland, as it helps them make esports more accessible to all.” Matti Korvenmaa, Development Manager at PUBG Finland: "PUBG Finland and PSL have always been about creating new opportunities and finding optimal ways of exploring them. When we saw Challengermode’s latest developments on their platform, we immediately knew that they have taken technological leadership amongst PUBG esport platforms. They enable us to do things which simply were not possible for us before. For tournament organizers they provide unmatched features together with important high level support for our staff, which can now focus on core elements of our operations instead of technical details." Contenders can sign-up on the Challengermode platform, with the first round taking place today. All Weekly tournament finals and monthly finals will be broadcast. Challengermode will also be hosting the PSL Elisa Esports PUBG Winter Challenge, beginning on 27/09/2021, with a winner being crowned on 06/11/2021.
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Challengermode partners with Opera GX to set up world’s first grassroots esports organisers fund
Leading global esports platform Challengermode has teamed up with multi-platform web browser Opera GX to create the world’s first grassroots esports fund, with the aim of accelerating the growth of small emerging esports organisers in the UK, US and Germany. Think local sports clubs but for esports. With a focus on supporting grassroots esports organisers in US, UK and Germany through prize pools Opera GX and Challengermode will enable these gaming communities to scale up and cut costs while simultaneously providing them with a scalable platform to reduce overheads. Unlike other grassroots esports funds that largely focus on providing individual players a path to pro, Challengermode and Opera GX’s offering is focused on the ground level infrastructure that is needed to foster long term esports engagement - increasing accessibility and the staying power of small scale esports initiatives. The initial round will focus on organisers in Valorant, CS:GO, League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics. Philip Hübner, Chief Business Development Officer at Challengermode said: “Grassroots esports communities act as the introduction to esports for thousands of players around the world. But because of the evolving nature of the esports space local and third-party efforts organisations are often fragmented, underfunded, and lack the polish you’d expect from an established sport. These are pain points we want to eliminate with this fund, empowering esports organizers to easily create their own dedicated space for their community, reducing their costs and giving players a respectable prize pool.” Maciej Kocemba, Product Director of Opera GX: “Opera GX has a long association as a browser of choice to complement gaming, so partnering with Challengermode to encourage the next generation of esports players is a natural fit for us. So much of the money and attention in the esports industry orbits around the very top tier of competition, with little trickling down to the grassroots level. We want this fund to give grassroots organisations real staying power, making them institutions similar to existing local sports clubs.” A total of $30,000 will be distributed to the various organisers through the fund, with external platform support provided by Challengermode to streamline setting up tournaments and competitions. Organisers will be given the opportunity to register their interest via the Challengermode website here. The application period starts today and will remain open throughout the duration of the three month campaign while applications are assessed.
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World’s biggest FIFAe national team competition sees 200 percent increase in participating member associations
The very best EA SPORTS™ FIFA 21 national teams will compete from 20 to 22 August in Copenhagen, Denmark for the FIFAe Nations Cup 2021™ title. The final tournament will pit 24 teams against each other (three players per team) on the biggest stage of competitive FIFA. Within the FIFAe Nations Series, a total of 60 nations will challenge each other for a prize pool of USD 500,000. For many of the world’s best players, representing their country and competing for ultimate glory in the second edition of the FIFAe Nations Cup is a dream come true – and the challenge of a lifetime. The competition has never been so fierce: five regional online qualifiers with participating nations from all around the world will take place between 22 April and 23 May. Competitors will not only battle it out for one of the 23 remaining places at the FIFAe Nations Cup; they will also be playing for international fame and national pride. Christian Volk, FIFA’s Director of eFootball and Gaming said: “The excitement ahead of this event, which will bring people together from all corners of the globe, is huge. A place in the history books is not the only thing awaiting the winners, but also fame and recognition from their compatriots. We’re looking forward to partnering with the Danish Football Association and EA SPORTS on the FIFAe Nations Cup.” As host nation, Denmark is the first country to be guaranteed a place at the FIFAe Nations Cup. At the inaugural tournament in 2019, involving 20 national teams in London, France defeated Argentina in the final to claim the title and the glory of the first ever champion in this battle of nations. Jakob Jensen, CEO of the Danish Football Association said: “We are happy and proud, that Copenhagen will host the FIFAe Nations Cup 2021. We are looking forward to hosting one of the biggest FIFAe tournaments in the world, where world class players, including our own Danish players, will create the action, drama and excitement. Esports is very popular in Denmark, and in the rest of the world, where it continues to grow and develop. It is without a doubt a big event that is coming to Copenhagen.” Brent Koning, Group Director & Commissioner, EA SPORTS FIFA Competitive Gaming said: “International competition has the unique ability to captivate fans as pride for your home nation gives all a reason to watch. FIFA esports continues to help grow the love of the sport and the FIFAe Nations Cup will continue to do so with this entertaining international competition.” The FIFAe Nations Cup 2021 will feature 24 of the best national teams in the world, represented by each three players which will provide participating member associations with an additional tactical angle to make a substitution in the 2vs2 competition in order to guide their team to ultimate glory from 20 to 22 August 2021 in Copenhagen. A total of USD 500,000 in prize money will be distributed during the FIFAe Nations Series, including USD 400,000 for the FIFAe Nations Cup 2021 final event. FIFA will continue to monitor the global health situation and any potential impact on the safety of participants and staff.
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Record number of FIFAe clubs on their journey to reach the world's pinnacle club event
This season’s FIFAe Club Series features a record number of participating teams and is played in a new format, with a qualification period over two months followed by the remotely produced FIFAe Club World Cup 2021™. The best clubs in EA SPORTS FIFA 21 will compete at the final event in February 2021 to fight for ultimate glory and to build their team legacies. Players represent their clubs in the standalone FIFAe Club Series ecosystem and compete in a remote team format as team spirit will be decisive to collect valuable points in a highly competitive field of participants. Elite clubs from all over the globe such as reigning champion Complexity Gaming, two-time world champion Brøndby IF, Fnatic, Hashtag United, Azpilicueta’s Falcons, Ronaldinho’s R10 Team and last-year’s runners-up Ellevens will compete in this year’s FIFAe Club Series. The revamped FIFAe Club Online Qualifiers provide up-and-coming teams with the chance to compete against some of the world’s biggest FIFA esports clubs and make a name for themselves on the biggest stage of competitive FIFA. A total of over 480 clubs will participate in the different stages of the FIFAe Club Online Qualifiers with the ultimate goal to earn one of the highly sought-after spots at the FIFAe Club World Cup 2021. The final event will be brought to an international audience and will be live-streamed from 24-28 February across FIFA’s digital channels. Due to the current health situation, this season’s FIFAe Club World Cup will be split into six server zones and will be produced remotely with a broadcast crew reporting live from a central studio and players competing from home. Out of over 480 teams, only one team from each of the six zones will emerge victorious on 28 February. More information will be released shortly. The FIFAe Club Online Qualifiers are split in up to three stages and kicked-off with a pre-qualification round on 3 December. Pre-qualification features all registered clubs that have not been verified by FIFA, enabling up-and-coming teams a dedicated qualification path to get their chance to compete against the world’s best clubs in the next stage. The qualification phase features all registered competitive FIFA clubs that have been verified by FIFA or qualified via the pre-qualification path explained above. The best placed teams of the final round and of the consistency ranking in each respective conference will qualify for the FIFAe Club World Cup or the play-offs. The play-offs will determine the best clubs in selected zones with over 150 teams, who will then compete at the FIFAe Club World Cup 2021. The exact timings and additional information for the FIFAe Club Online Qualifiers can be found here. Standings of the qualification will be available on FIFA.gg. In order to offer a sustainable benefit for clubs competing across multiple seasons, a new FIFAe Club Ranking has been established for all verified teams and will be used to seed the teams in the FIFAe Club Online Qualifiers. The ranking takes previous team performances as well as individual EA SPORTS FIFA Global Series performances of the top 50 individual players into account and will be updated on a regular basis. The FIFAe Club Ranking is available on FIFA.gg
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FIFAe tournament season kicks off with new structure and total prize money of USD 4.35 million
With the new competitive FIFA season set to kick off, FIFA has today announced the introduction of three dedicated narratives and also released qualification dates and information for FIFA’s esports events played on EA SPORTS FIFA 21. The new FIFAe tournament structurehas been created to unify and highlight three clear and distinct narratives of competitive FIFA: players, clubs and nations. New qualification opportunities will arise with the new stand-alone narratives, with each leading up to the respective FIFA pinnacle event. Competitors will have the chance to represent their club in the FIFAe Club Series, compete for national pride and for their country in the FIFAe Nations Series or create their own legacy in the EA SPORTS FIFA 21 Global Series on the Road to the FIFAe World Cup™. “With our FIFAe tournaments, we aim to get closer to pros, gamers and fans. In times of digital acceleration, we see a strong shift in media consumption, social values and entertainment narratives. To engage deeper with football’s next generation, we have to step up now,” said Christian Volk, Director of eFootball & Gaming at FIFA. “Our ambition is to seed the movement for what might become a new football category in the ecosystem of FIFA. We want to create the biggest stage for the best players and teams of the community to shine brighter, while growing access for new up- and-comers to FIFAe tournaments. All of us at FIFA are excited for what the future holds!” The FIFAe World Cup™ and the FIFAe Nations Series™ both now feature a USD 500,000 prize pool, with the FIFAe Club Series™ putting USD 350,000 on the line. Another USD 3 million in prizes will be distributed by EA across Qualifiers, Regional Playoffs, the eChampions League, and CONMEBOL eLibertadores as part of the EA SPORTS FIFA 21 Global Series. “This is an exciting time for EA and FIFA as we continue to bring engaging competitions and entertainment to fans around the world,” said Brent Koning, EA’s FIFA Competitive Gaming Commissioner & Group Director. “In partnership with FIFA, these narratives will bring fans closer to the action, give players more opportunities to compete, and help find the next big FIFA esports star. In these unprecedented times, we are dedicated to bringing people together to celebrate club, country, and personal glory.” Players do not have to wait long to start competing. In addition to the new FIFAe tournament brand, FIFA has also announced today that registration for the FIFAe Club Series™ is now open. Teams and players can now sign-up on FIFA.gg/registration. The FIFAe Club Series will kick off online in November, with the best perfoming teams of the qualification competing at the FIFAe Club World Cup™ in 2021. Over the coming weeks, FIFA’s participating member associations will also announce further details in regard to their selection processes on the Road to the FIFAe Nations Cup™ to kickstart the new ‘nations’ narrative under the FIFAe tournament brand.
