eSports

Champions of Inaugural Global Esports Games Prove that Esports is Truly a Global Movement

Published

4 years ago

December 21, 2021

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

After two days of intense competition, the first-ever champions of the inaugural Global Esports Games have emerged.

And staying true to the Global Esports Federation and GEG’s vision of connecting the world through the power of esports, the diversity of the winners — nine member nations walked away with the 12 medals on offer — have made the inaugural Games a truly global celebration of a #worldconnected.

Without further ado, here are the Singapore 2021 Global Esports Games champions.

eFootball 2022

Brazil, widely regarded as the best footballing nation, can now lay claim to also being the best in the virtual version of the Beautiful Game.

And it couldn’t have been scripted any better, with the inaugural eFootball 2022 gold a fight between Brazil and South American rivals Argentina. Imagine Neymar vs Messi, virtual style.

And when the dust settled, it was Brazil’s João Vitor “CSC_jvictor” Lopes who beat Argentina’s Iván Pablo “MelianTheKing” Melian.

Lopes showcased superior gameplay and was calm and patient when making split-second strategic decisions as the 17-year-old eFootball prodigy earned the gold with a 2-0 win.

Despite the traditional Brazil-Argentina rivalry, both Lopes and Melian shared a heartfelt hug, congratulating each other sincerely after the match.

Iran’s Morteza “esultimates” Mohammadi also scored a resounding 2-0 victory against Singapore’s Dennis “DENNISZZ0910” Zhao to take home a bronze medal.

Women’s DOTA 2

Shining a beacon for women esports, the first-ever major international Women’s DOTA 2 final was an electrifying display of skill and teamwork.

Despite losing the first round to Team Great Britain, Team Singapore showed determination and grit to make an astounding comeback to first tie the game 1-1 before winning an 80-minute decider to clinch the gold. Team Mongolia won the bronze medal.

Street Fighter V: Champion Edition

In the world of Street Fighter V, Chinese Taipei’s Yu-Lin “GamerBee” Hsiang is widely recognised as one of the world’s top gamers. But for all his talent, a major win on the world stage has proved elusive — until the GEG.

Up against the Dominican Republic’s Saul “MenaRD” Mena, Hsiang prevailed to become the GEG’s first Street Fighter V: Champion Edition gold medallist.

“I feel extremely happy because it’s been a long time since I’ve participated in an offline tournament. Facing the best players in the world and emerging the champion means a lot to me. I want to thank all my friends and my country for their support. Without them, I couldn’t win,” Hsiang said.

Hsiang picked Luke against his opponent’s Balrog, who posed a real threat to the veteran throughout the entire match. Despite losing the first game, Hsiang made a comeback and proceeded to win three consecutive games to secure his win.

Mena received the silver medal and Pakistan’s Ahmed “Amu_PS4” Shahid clinched the bronze.

DOTA 2 Open

Team Brazil ended the competition with a convincing 2-0 win against Team Singapore, and in doing so, made history as the first GEG DOTA 2 Open gold medallists.

“Everyone is super happy (about the win). This is our first time coming so far to this part of the world. There are some players who have never experienced an international LAN so this is something new for them,” Team Captain Matheus “KJ” Santos said.

Santos and some of his Brazil teammates have had the experience of playing at the highest level of DOTA 2, having featured at The International in October. And they showed their experience and quality throughout the tournament.

Brazilian Carnival

Esportes da Sorte transforms Carnival 2026 into a nationwide immersive experience

Published

5 days ago

February 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

esportes-da-sorte-transforms-carnival-2026-into-a-nationwide-immersive-experience

Leading Brazilian iGaming company Esportes da Sorte has transformed Carnival 2026 into a nationwide immersive experience, activating urban art installations, hydration stations and large‑scale attractions across nine cities in Brazil. As part of its expanded cultural engagement strategy, the brand is serving as an official sponsor in key Carnival locations and delivering experiential initiatives designed for revelers in the streets and major public spaces.

Esportes da Sorte’s nationwide platform builds on its history of investing in popular culture and public events, moving beyond traditional branding to create meaningful on‑site activations that enhance the urban environment and respond to the unique character of each city’s Carnival celebrations.

In Rio de Janeiro, the company’s efforts focus on the street Carnival experience with hydration points, cool zones and shaded areas in high‑traffic celebration routes. São Paulo’s megabloc circuits feature water trucks, hydration stations and on‑site urban support.

In Recife Antigo, one of Carnival’s cultural centers, Esportes da Sorte installed a standout Ferris wheel at Marco Zero, offering panoramic views of the festivities and historic landscape. Urban transformations like video mapping on iconic buildings and aerial installations along Rua Marquês de Olinda further blend public space with the Carnival experience.

Other cities such as Olinda and Salvador also feature tailored activations, including sensory design, refreshment tunnels and themed artistic displays that align with local traditions and festival dynamics.

In addition to physical structures, the initiative includes a robust communications strategy, sensory activations, public well‑being supports and content campaigns that amplify the carnival‑street experience across digital and traditional media.

According to Germana Casal, Production Coordinator at the Esportes Gaming Brasil Group, the goal is to “be present in a meaningful way at the country’s biggest popular celebration,” respecting each city’s identity and delivering initiatives that improve the Carnival experience for participants.

Esportes da Sorte’s Carnival 2026 project builds on the brand’s presence at more than 100 Carnival parties and street blocos in 2025, reinforcing its leadership role in Brazil’s largest cultural event and deepening its connection with urban celebration culture nationwide.

The post Esportes da Sorte transforms Carnival 2026 into a nationwide immersive experience appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

chess esports

Team Vitality announces E.Leclerc as new Main Partner

Published

5 days ago

February 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

team-vitality-announces-e.leclerc-as-new-main-partner

Team Vitality, one of France’s leading esports organizations, has announced a strategic new partnership with French retail giant E.Leclerc, naming the supermarket chain as the club’s Main Partner for 2026.

Under the agreement, E.Leclerc’s logo will feature prominently on Team Vitality’s international team jerseys, including rosters for League of Legends (LEC and LFL), Valorant (VCT EMEA), Rocket League, Rising Bees and Chess.

Shared Values and Fan Initiatives

The partnership aims to promote accessibility, wellness, and nutrition within the esports community, while bringing gaming culture into E.Leclerc retail spaces through immersive experiences, tournaments and activations designed to engage fans across France.

Team Vitality’s holistic wellbeing program, KARE, which supports performance, nutrition and mental health, aligns closely with E.Leclerc’s focus on responsible lifestyle initiatives. Together, they plan to champion inclusivity, provide unique gaming opportunities, and celebrate esports culture in both digital and physical environments.

With a global audience exceeding 10 million followers, Team Vitality’s influence in competitive gaming makes this partnership a landmark moment for both brands. E.Leclerc’s commitment to youth engagement and cultural connection positions the retailer as a significant non‑endemic supporter of the growing esports ecosystem.

Nicolas Maurer, CEO and Co‑Founder of Team Vitality, described the alliance as a historic milestone that will broaden esports’ reach across everyday life in France and reinforce its cultural legitimacy.

The post Team Vitality announces E.Leclerc as new Main Partner appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AI chatbot esports

G2 Esports and Theta Labs Launch AI Agent Sami

Published

5 days ago

February 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

g2-esports-and-theta-labs-launch-ai-agent-sami

G2 Esports has partnered with Theta Labs to launch “Sami,” a next-generation AI agent designed to enhance fan engagement across multiple competitive esports titles.

The AI-powered assistant will provide G2’s global fanbase with instant access to match schedules, player stats, team rosters, tournament standings, and real-time competitive updates. Sami supports major titles including League of Legends, Counter-Strike 2, VALORANT, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, and Call of Duty.

Accessible via the official G2 website and Discord starting February 17, Sami is built to deliver accurate, always-on responses to fan queries in natural language. From tournament updates to player performance metrics and G2-specific trivia, the AI agent reflects the organization’s unique brand voice and competitive culture.

AI-Powered Fan Engagement at Scale

Sami is trained and deployed using Theta EdgeCloud’s hybrid cloud-edge infrastructure, which integrates over 30,000 distributed edge nodes with cloud services from Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services. The system delivers approximately 80 PetaFLOPS of GPU compute power, enabling real-time processing and analysis at significantly reduced costs compared to traditional centralized cloud platforms.

The AI infrastructure dynamically assigns workloads to high-performance GPUs, including NVIDIA A100 and H100 cloud GPUs, as well as RTX 3090 and 4090 desktop GPUs, optimizing performance and cost efficiency. This decentralized architecture allows G2 to scale fan engagement globally while maintaining low latency and high reliability.

Strengthening Esports AI Innovation

Theta Labs has rapidly expanded its presence in the esports industry, powering AI-driven fan experiences for organizations such as Cloud9, FlyQuest, Evil Geniuses, NRG, Gen.G, Dignitas, 100 Thieves, Method, and Team Heretics.

According to Mitch Liu, CEO of Theta Labs, esports fans increasingly demand instant access to team data and competitive updates. AI agents like Sami enable organizations to provide 24/7 automated engagement while maintaining a unique community personality.

Sabrina Ratih, COO of G2 Esports, emphasized that Sami is more than a standard chatbot. Built to reflect G2’s playful and competitive tone, the AI assistant combines advanced machine learning with brand-driven communication to deliver both entertainment and functionality.

The Future of AI in Esports

The launch of Sami positions G2 Esports at the forefront of AI-driven fan engagement in competitive gaming. By leveraging decentralized GPU infrastructure and blockchain-powered cloud computing, the partnership with Theta Labs signals a broader industry shift toward scalable, cost-efficient AI solutions for esports organizations.

As AI integration becomes a competitive differentiator in esports, solutions like Sami are expected to redefine how teams interact with their global communities in real time.

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