eSports
Guild Esports Plc Enters VALORANT and Announces Full Team Line-Up
Guild Esports Plc (Guild), the global esports team organisation headquartered in London, today announces its entry into Valorant, a competitive 5v5 multiplayer tactical first-person shooter, with the signing of a top-flight roster of professional players who will compete in the upcoming First Strike tournament, Riot Games’ debut esports tournament for Valorant.
Guild’s Valorant team has been acquired from the top-ranked Swedish team Bonk, one of Europe’s most successful Valorant teams. The team was carefully chosen following a rigorous selection process and is comprised of five sought-after players: Yacine Laghmari ‘Yacine’, Malkolm Rench ‘bonkar’, Leo Janneson ‘Leo’, William Sundin ‘draken’, and Filip Gauffin ‘Goffe’. The team’s inaugural competition under the Guild banner will take place at the start of First Strike in early November.
The team has already achieved success, finishing in the top two in the recent Ignition Series and Mandatory.gg Cup tournaments and the players are excited to take the next step and emerge as champions under Guild.
Yacine is a top-tier former CS:GO player who has made waves early on in his Valorant career.
bonkar was Sweden’s first professional Valorant player. He is a former Paladins professional player and has won two Paladins World Championships. He is regarded as one of the best players in the game and is known for producing impressive results.
Leo, aged 16 is a talented emerging player known as “The Young Gun”. He has achieved professional success at a young age.
draken is a tier-one former CS:GO professional player and well known star player with a significant following.
Goffe is a former top CS:GO professional player and Valorant amateur who is widely regarded as an industry “one-to-watch” and is now ready to compete at a professional level.
The finalised Valorant roster marks Guild’s first step into hardcore PC-based esports, following its launch into the cross-platform Rocket League and EA Sports FIFA titles earlier this year.
Guild is developing a talent pipeline in the UK based on the traditional academy model which will see the most able players such as Valorant amateurs scouted by Guild’s talent scout network and coached by industry leaders in order to attain the skillset required to win and take their careers to the next level.
Valorant is a fast-growing esports title published by Riot Games, the renowned developer behind League of Legends. Valorant is followed by a large audience with recent tournaments reported to have recorded over one million viewers.
Carleton Curtis, Executive Chairman at Guild, commented: “Joining the Valorant community is a perfect step for Guild and we are delighted to expand into the new exciting and emerging esports space. Valorant is destined to become a major esport with global reach and deep fan bases and it benefits from the prestige of being developed by best-in-class publisher Riot Games. With these signings, Guild has established itself as a multi-disciplinary esports business and we are looking forward to fielding rosters in new games as we continue to scale and invest in our business utilising the war chest we raised in our IPO.
Valorant is an exciting esport and since its launch this year has already made a big impact on the competitive gaming ecosystem, winning over top pros from established games like Overwatch. We have high ambitions for our top-calibre team in the upcoming First Strike tournament. We are proud to welcome the players to our Guild family where we will coach and support them to become world champions.”
Yacine Laghmari ‘Yacine’, Professional Valorant Player at Guild, commented: “Valorant is one of the most dynamic esports out there and being in Guild’s first Valorant roster is an exciting opportunity. I’m looking forward to playing my part in the future of Guild and the team.
Guild is an organisation with big ambition that is on a path to achieve great things and I’m proud to be a part of that. I’ve always been an ambitious player and want to create a legacy that will last.
Our team has already proved itself at a top level and now the goal is to become world champions.”
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IESF signs host agreement with Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Qazaq Cybersport Federation in Astana.
Astana has been confirmed as the host city for the IESF World Esports Championship 2027 (WEC27), following a host agreement signing ceremony involving the International Esports Federation (IESF), the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Qazaq Cybersport Federation.
IESF said the event is expected to draw participation across more than 150 IESF Member Federations through the qualifiers, with national teams competing via IESF-recognized national member structures.
“WEC27 will be more than a championship. It will be a global celebration of nations, athletes, and the future of esports,” said Vlad Marinescu, President of IESF. “For every player, there is no greater honor than competing under their national flag and officially representing their nation on the world stage. That is what makes the World Esports Championship so powerful and so unique. In 2027, Astana will welcome the world and proudly stand as the Esports Capital in the World of Esports, uniting our Member Federations, athletes, fans, and communities. Kazakhstan has shown remarkable vision, ambition, and commitment, and we are confident that WEC27 will deliver an unforgettable championship and a lasting legacy for the global esports family.”
Yerbol Myrzabosynov, Minister of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan, said: “We are honored that the International Esports Federation has entrusted Kazakhstan with hosting the World Esports Championship 2027. This reflects the confidence in our country’s ability to deliver an event of the highest international standard. Hosting WEC27 reinforces our commitment to advancing esports and creating new opportunities for young people through sport, technology, education, and international cooperation. We look forward to welcoming the World of Esports to Astana and showcasing Kazakhstan as a destination capable of delivering world-class international events.”
Kuanyshbek Yessekeyev, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Qazaq Cybersport Federation, added: “We sincerely thank the International Esports Federation for the trust and confidence placed in Kazakhstan to host the World Esports Championship 2027. This is a historic milestone for our esports community and a testament to the progress we have achieved together with our partners. Alongside IESF, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, and our national stakeholders, we are committed to delivering an outstanding championship for athletes, fans, and the World of Esports. WEC27 will inspire future generations, accelerate the growth of esports in Kazakhstan, and strengthen our country’s position as a leading esports and digital innovation hub.”
IESF said more details, including schedule, qualification pathway, venues, official titles, ticketing, and the event program, will be announced in the coming months via its official channels.
The post Astana to host IESF World Esports Championship 2027 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Esports and live events operator says it stayed profitable in 2025 and plans 15 arena events across 13 cities in 2026.
BLAST has opened a New York City headquarters in Brooklyn as the company reported record growth and profitability in 2025, including more than $133 million in revenue and over 40% year-over-year growth.
The new U.S. headquarters is located at 45 Main Street in Brooklyn within a shared 55,000-square-foot office space. BLAST said the hub will support partnerships, live events and commercial growth across North America as it expands its U.S. operations.
The North American push is being led by Chief Business Officer Leo Matlock, who has relocated to New York, alongside Steve Rossi, who joined earlier this year as SVP of Brand Partnerships. BLAST said its U.S. team has grown to eight full-time employees.
BLAST said it has staged seven tier-one esports events in North America over the past 16 months, across Austin, Fort Worth, Boston, Raleigh, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. The company cited “more than $102 million” in economic impact from the 2025 BLAST.tv Austin Major alone, including more than $9 million in hotel expenditures. It also recently announced the Rocket League World Championship will return to Fort Worth in September 2026.
In 2025, BLAST said its broadcasts delivered more than 2 billion live views globally and 300 million hours watched, spanning live events in 22 cities worldwide. The company also said it distributes content via 29 broadcast partners, including SuperSport, France TV and RTBF, reaching audiences in more than 150 territories and 30+ languages.
“Competitive entertainment has become one of the fastest-growing sectors in global media because it combines community, technology and live experiences in entirely new ways,” said Robbie Douek, CEO of BLAST. “The next generation of fans want entertainment that feels participatory, social and global by default. That shift is creating enormous opportunities for brands, publishers, creators and host cities, and we believe BLAST is uniquely positioned to help lead that evolution after a landmark year in 2025.” BLAST said it plans to host 15 arena events across 13 cities and three continents in 2026.
The post BLAST opens New York HQ as 2025 revenue tops $133m on 40%+ growth appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
BLAST, the Denmark-founded competitive entertainment and esports events company, reported record growth and continued profitability in 2025 and said it has opened a New York headquarters as it expands across North America.
The company said it delivered more than 40% year-over-year growth and generated more than $133 million in revenue in 2025, while remaining profitable and continuing to invest in global expansion. BLAST said its U.S. headquarters at 45 Main Street in Brooklyn sits within a shared 55,000-square-foot office space and will serve as its central base for partnerships, live events and commercial growth across North America.
The expansion is being led by Chief Business Officer Leo Matlock, who has relocated to New York, and Steve Rossi, who joined earlier this year as SVP of Brand Partnerships. BLAST said its U.S. team has grown to eight full-time employees.
BLAST pointed to recent North American activity, saying it has hosted seven tier-one esports events across Austin, Fort Worth, Boston, Raleigh, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City over the past 16 months. The company said these events have generated economic impact for host destinations, including more than $102 million from the 2025 BLAST.tv Austin Major alone, including more than $9 million in hotel expenditures. BLAST also said the Rocket League World Championship will return to Fort Worth in September 2026.
On content reach, BLAST said its 2025 broadcasts delivered more than 2 billion live views globally and 300 million hours watched across live events in 22 cities, distributed through 29 broadcast partners across online platforms and linear broadcasters. “We’re seeing tremendous momentum globally and all across North America, not just in esports fandom, but in how brands, game publishers, cities and entertainment companies are thinking about gaming culture, engaging competitions and digital-first audiences,” said Leo Matlock, Chief Business Officer at BLAST. The company said it plans to host 15 arena events across 13 cities and three continents in 2026.
The post BLAST reports 40% revenue growth in 2025, opens New York headquarters appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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