Gaming
BLAST appoint Tom Greene as Chief Growth Officer
Greene joins from the Harry Potter franchise and will focus on increasing BLAST’s efforts to grow its audience and consumer base
Esports tournament organiser and media network BLAST has appointed Tom Greene as its Chief Growth Officer. He joins after six years working with the Harry Potter franchise across a number of commercial leadership roles.
During his time with Wizarding World, Greene ran Pottermore Publishing, the digital publisher of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts ebooks and audiobooks. He also led Wizarding World Digital, the fan-engagement arm of the Harry Potter franchise and a joint venture between Pottermore and WarnerMedia. Greene will remain a non-executive director of Pottermore.
Greene’s appointment will help improve and increase BLAST’s efforts to grow its consumer and audience base in the future by creating a more direct relationship with its esports fanbase.
BLAST will be looking to utilise the former-WarnerMedia executive’s experience in building technology products that can capture the attention of key audiences – with the ultimate aim of diversifying BLAST’s product offering and revenue streams.
The last 18 months have been an exciting period for BLAST that has seen the Copenhagen-based business move into a number of new games, including: VALORANT, DOTA 2, Apex Legends and Fortnite.
During this period BLAST Premier, the company’s leading light and a global Counter-Strike tournament circuit, has grown from strength-to-strength and in January posted the most watched online CS:GO match of all time during the Global Final while also securing a range of new commercial partnerships with Coinbase, L33T Gaming and Unilever.
Robbie Douek, CEO for BLAST, said: “Tom joins us at a hugely exciting time for BLAST, the last year has seen us cement BLAST Premier as one of the leading Counter-Strike tournaments in the world, we’ve also managed to diversify our product offering by moving into a number of leading titles during this period.
“Tom brings a wealth of experience and knowledge from his time with the Harry Potter franchise, where he had huge success in evolving the Wizarding World digital publishing platforms and creating a powerful fan experience. His arrival signifies BLAST’s ambition to grow and strengthen the relationship we have with our community.”
Tom Greene, Chief Growth Officer at BLAST, said: “I’m thrilled to join the team at such an exciting time for BLAST and for esports more generally. Everyone at BLAST is incredibly passionate and talented and it is great to join such a dynamic team. I’m looking forward to helping us accelerate our efforts and deliver more amazing products and experiences to our fans both old and new.”
BLAST Premier is a worldwide Counter-Strike tournament series that unites all major events, offers opportunities to all regions across the globe and crowns the world champions of CS:GO. Up to 32 teams will take part in the seven BLAST Premier events over the course of 2021 with a combined prize pool of $2,475,000 on the line. BLAST will be making its long awaited return to arena events with fans later this year at Copenhagen’s iconic Royal Arena for the Fall Final.
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HIPTHER has launched HALLO (Highly Aligned Leaders in Legal Operations), a new platform designed to help organizations find and engage compliance professionals, legal operations experts and industry vendors. The company announced the launch in Europe.
HIPTHER said HALLO brings together a professional directory, industry intelligence hub, community platform and visibility tools aimed at sectors including gaming, fintech, payments, AI, cybersecurity, digital identity, AML and blockchain. The platform includes an Individual Professional Membership and an Enterprise Membership, with HIPTHER stating that all memberships include a 14-day free trial.
Alongside membership options, HIPTHER said compliance professionals can create free, publicly visible “Expert” profiles outlining experience and areas of specialization, with additional premium visibility opportunities available. The company positioned the platform as a way for organizations to discover and evaluate qualified compliance and legal operations expertise.
A core feature at launch is “HALLO Resources,” which HIPTHER described as an open-access compliance intelligence section that aggregates more than 17,000 regulatory and compliance-focused articles from the HIPTHER media network. HIPTHER said the section is updated daily, includes search by topic, jurisdiction and keyword, and covers areas such as gaming, fintech, AI, payments, AML, digital policy, cybersecurity and regulatory affairs.
Zoltan Tuendik, Co-Founder & Head of Business at HIPTHER, said: “Navigating the modern regulatory landscape requires more than just standard legal advice; it demands highly specialized, agile compliance expertise. With the launch of HALLO, we are bridging the critical gap between organizations facing complex global standards and the elite professionals who can guide them through. By combining an active directory with a massive intelligence hub, we are setting a new standard for compliance collaboration and empowering businesses to move forward with absolute confidence.”
HIPTHER also linked HALLO to its conference and media activities, including advertising and thought leadership opportunities through the Wayseers Booklet, an annual handbook it said is distributed at HIPTHER conferences in Europe and reaches more than 1,500 professionals across gaming, fintech, AI, compliance and regulatory sectors.
The post HIPTHER Launches HALLO: The Standard in Compliance Expertise appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
HLTV will stage the HLTV Awards presented by 1xBet in Belgrade, Serbia on January 9, 2027, returning to the Sava Center. The company said more than 1,000 players, industry professionals, creators, and fans are expected to attend.
HLTV also confirmed Dust2 creator David Johnston will feature as an award announcer. HLTV linked the booking to the 25th anniversary of Dust2.
For 2026, HLTV is updating its Hall of Fame process and eligibility rules. Four players will be inducted again, with “at least two and up to three” slots reserved for players from the Counter-Strike 1.6 and early eras. HLTV also removed the former “neo rule,” allowing players to be inducted for their playing careers even if they remain active in other roles such as coaching.
HLTV is adding a Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be decided by the Hall of Fame Board. The ceremony will also move Community Awards onto the main stage show for the first time, rather than the pre-show segment.
Separately, HLTV will kick off the 2027 Awards season with an invite-only “HLTV Awards by 1xBet Launch Party x GRID” in Cologne during the Major. HLTV said industry members can apply for an invite to the ceremony via its awards page.
The post HLTV Awards returns to Belgrade on January 9, 2027, adding Lifetime Achievement honor appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
S8UL Esports’ League of Legends roster has qualified to represent India at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, running from September 19 to October 4. The organisation said the team secured qualification through the regional qualifiers after winning the National Esports Championships (NESC) 2026, described as the official national qualification tournament for the Asian Games.
S8UL said the roster competing under India’s banner is Akshaj Shenoy (Kat Bot), Aakash Shandilya (Infi), Sanindhya Malik (Deadcorporal), Mihir Ranjan (Lotus), Ahmed Shahid (Nero), and Rahul Bisht (Bob). The regional qualifiers featured 14 teams across a group stage and a split stage, with top performers advancing to the Asian Games main event.
In Group B, the team went unbeaten against Jordan, Sri Lanka, and Kazakhstan to progress, according to S8UL. In the split stage, it lost to Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Saudi Arabia but did enough to secure a berth. India will now face opponents including Japan, Chinese Taipei, and Vietnam at the main event.
Four players—Kat Bot, Infi, Deadcorporal, and Lotus—were also part of India’s League of Legends contingent at the Hangzhou Asian Games 2023, where S8UL said the team finished fifth.
Akshaj Shenoy aka Kat Bot, captain of India’s League of Legends team, said, “Qualifying for the Asian Games is a proud moment for all of us. We knew the regional qualifiers would be extremely competitive, and every match demanded complete focus. For many of us, this will be our second Asian Games, which makes this qualification even more special because we understand the level of competition that awaits us. We are grateful to S8UL for believing in this roster and providing us with the support, stability, and opportunities needed to keep improving as a team. Representing India is always an honour, and we’ll do everything we can to make the country proud in Aichi-Nagoya.”
S8UL co-founder and CEO Animesh Agarwal aka 8Bit Thug added, “Representing India at the Asian Games is among the highest honours an athlete can achieve, and seeing our League of Legends roster earn that opportunity is incredibly special. This team has demonstrated resilience, discipline, and a willingness to continually improve, qualities that are essential for success at the international level. At S8UL, our goal has always been to create pathways for Indian athletes to compete on the biggest stages in the world. We have no doubt they will give their all when they step onto the stage in Aichi-Nagoya and compete for the nation with pride,” S8UL also noted that Gurashish Singh (Soul) and Prateek Bhaunt (B Haunt) previously qualified for the Asian Games in Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6 after winning at NESC 2026.
The post S8UL’s League of Legends roster qualifies to represent India at Asian Games 2026 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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