Gaming

Red Bull Home Ground returns with the biggest VALORANT teams battling in London Finals

Published

5 years ago

October 8, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Red Bull Home Ground, the unique pro VALORANT invitational, is returning for its second iteration, bringing the best teams from across the world to battle it out, broadcast from London for a showdown from November 4th-7th.

Red Bull Home Ground pitches teams in a riveting best of five battle, with the first two opening matches on each team’s chosen ‘home ground’. Added pressure is put on these opening home and away rounds, rewarding teams that can make the most of their home advantage and turn the tables on their opponent’s chosen map. If a team wins these two opening rounds they automatically win the tie, while a stalemate will then default to a best of five format.

Hosted at the Red Bull Gaming Sphere and streamed live on twitch.tv/redbull and youtube, Red Bull Home Ground features an even bigger 16-team format, that will see a star-studded international lineup of the biggest VALORANT teams from Europe and the Middle East. Esport giants including G2, Team Liquid, Guild Esports, Gambit Esports and more will battle it out on the big stage.

G2 Esports
Guild Esports
Team Liquid
Vodafone GIANTS
Tenstar
Acend
Futbolist
fnatic
Supermassive
Heretics
Anubis
FPX
Gambit
BIG CLAN
BDS
Open Qualifier

The winners of Red Bull Campus Clutch, the largest global VALORANT university tournament, Anubis, will be representing their home nation of Egypt during the Finals in November, while Red Bull will also be opening the event to talented players across Europe, hosting open qualifiers from October 18th – 21st. Sign-ups are live now at smash.gg/RBHG to find the final squad to complete the sixteen-team lineup and put their skills to the test against the best teams in VALORANT.

The competition pioneers a unique Home & Away structure that delivers an exciting twist to the normal VALORANT format, placing an even greater emphasis on map knowledge and strategy and a new layer of unpredictability to map picks.

Among the most intriguing matchups will be between VALORANT giants G2 and Gambit Esports. With G2 the reigning Red Bull Home Ground champions and Gambit recently emerging victorious at the VALORANT Champions Tour Berlin Masters, G2 will look to reassert its dominance on the VALORANT scene.

Looking ahead to the event, Oscar “mixwell” Cañellas from G2 said: “”The last time we played Red Bull Home Ground I was playing with 4 different teammates by my side and we made it all the way to win the tournament. I can’t wait to come back to defend our title, all the more so as the competition seems to get bigger and better. Red Bull Home Ground is a really great format that brings some fresh and unique ideas to the traditional match-making which makes it really fun to play.”

Red Bull Home Ground is the premier pro Red Bull event for VALORANT and represents the brand’s continued global work with Riot Games. As well as the unique competition for the groundbreaking FPS, Red Bull hosts a series of League of Legends events, including Red Bull Solo Q, the official global 1v1 League of Legends competition. Red Bull M.E.O., now in its third season, is a global mobile tournament, featuring Riot Games’ round-based strategy game Teamfight Tactics.

Crash Games

Evoplay launches Caramelo Dog Lucky Run crash game for Brazil

Published

4 hours ago

May 27, 2026

Wladimir P.

evoplay-launches-caramelo-dog-lucky-run-crash-game-for-brazil

Evoplay has launched Caramelo Dog Lucky Run, a new crash-style instant win game themed around Brazilian street culture and the widely recognised “Caramelo Dog” reference.

The title follows Taco, a dog navigating a neighbourhood filled with obstacles. Players move step by step across roads as the multiplier increases, choosing to cash out or keep going.

Evoplay said the game uses randomised obstacle patterns so each round plays differently. Players can choose between four difficulty settings — Easy, Medium, Hard, and Hardcore — with higher difficulty increasing obstacle intensity and the multiplier.

Caramelo Dog Lucky Run also includes a cash-out function that can be triggered after Taco safely stops, plus customisable autoplay settings for stake preferences and stop conditions.

Ivan Kravchuk, CEO at Evoplay, said: “Caramelo Dog Lucky Run brings a completely fresh personality to our portfolio through its vibrant Brazilian-inspired setting and charming main character.

“Players in Brazil need games that feel familiar, authentic and culturally connected to them. When a player recognises something that reflects their everyday life and online culture, it creates a far deeper level of engagement than entertainment alone, and that is exactly what Caramelo does in this game.”

The post Evoplay launches Caramelo Dog Lucky Run crash game for Brazil appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Asia

S8UL streamer Payal Dhare and OWND! launch gamer-curated fashion capsule

Published

2 days ago

May 25, 2026

Wladimir P.

s8ul-streamer-payal-dhare-and-ownd!-launch-gamer-curated-fashion-capsule

S8UL gaming creator and streamer Payal Dhare has partnered with OWND!, the Gen Z-focused fashion brand from Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited, to launch a gaming-inspired fashion capsule called ‘Gamer Drop’. The companies describe it as India’s first female gamer-curated capsule. The collection will be available on OWND!’s website and in the brand’s stores across India.

According to the press release, ‘Gamer Drop’ includes menswear and womenswear pieces built around gaming culture and streetwear, positioned as a creator-led collection rather than conventional creator merchandise. The campaign leans on the growing overlap between gaming culture, creator communities, and youth fashion.

Marco Agnolin, Chief Executive Officer, OWND!. said, “We see gaming today as a powerful cultural force that is shaping how young consumers express themselves, communicate, and engage with fashion. As one of India’s biggest gamers, Payal Dhare represents this new generation perfectly through her authenticity, confidence, and deep connection with the gaming community. Her influence extends far beyond gaming content, making her an ideal face for our gaming collection. Through this collaboration, we aim to celebrate individuality and connect with India’s digitally native youth in a way that feels relevant, inclusive, and culture-driven.”

Payal Dhare aka Payal Gaming said, “Gaming today has become a culture and a form of self-expression for millions of young people across the country. That’s what makes this collaboration with OWND! so exciting for me. With this curation, I wanted to create something that genuinely reflects my vibe and the energy of my community. It’s stylish, comfortable, expressive – and made for people who want to own who they are.”

The release also points to India’s expanding creator economy. Citing a Boston Consulting Group report, it says India has nearly 2 to 2.5 million creators, with more than 60% of consumers exposed to creator-led content and over 30% of shoppers influenced by creators in purchase decisions.

The post S8UL streamer Payal Dhare and OWND! launch gamer-curated fashion capsule appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Berkley Egenes

Xsolla Brings Creator Strategy and Game Commerce Expertise to Toronto’s Leading Industry Events

Published

6 days ago

May 21, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

xsolla-brings-creator-strategy-and-game-commerce-expertise-to-toronto’s-leading-industry-events

Xsolla, a global video game commerce company, is participating in two leading co-located industry events, XP Game Summit Toronto and Xsolla Connect Toronto, on May 21-22, in Toronto. Xsolla will engage with partners, creators, and industry leaders across both events, focusing on the evolving gaming ecosystem.

At XP Game Summit Toronto, Xsolla will showcase its Web Shop solution, a direct-to-consumer (D2C) platform that helps developers build and scale their own storefronts outside traditional app stores. The Web Shop ecosystem integrates storefronts, LiveOps tools, and player engagement features, enabling studios to strengthen player relationships while increasing revenue and operational control.

Xsolla will also highlight its global payments infrastructure, which supports more than 1000+ payment methods across 200+ geographies. Designed to optimize conversion and deliver localized checkout experiences, Xsolla Payments enables developers to reach players worldwide while adapting to regional preferences and regulatory environments.

Additionally, Xsolla will showcase how they are connecting developers with premium entertainment-based intellectual property (IP). By simplifying licensing and partnership opportunities, Xsolla Agency helps studios enhance player acquisition, drive engagement through LiveOps, and unlock new monetization pathways.

In addition to showcasing its product offerings and solutions, Xsolla will also present a featured panel session titled “Building the Creator Pipeline: How Smart Partnerships Are Scaling Influencer Marketing”. The panel will include John Nguyen, Regional Vice President, Canada, at Xsolla; Scott Christian, Studio Director & Founder of Hilltop Games; Gem Johnson, CEO at Corvian Marketing; and Corina (Newby) Diaz, Marketing and Social Media Director at Mighty Yell. They will share practical insights on building sustainable creator ecosystems, leveraging strategic partnerships, and driving measurable impact through influencer marketing initiatives.

In addition to the company’s participation in XP Game Summit Toronto, Xsolla will host Xsolla Connect Toronto, further expanding opportunities for meaningful engagement between developers and publishers through curated programming and networking experiences. Xsolla Connects are designed to give local communities the opportunity to engage, collaborate, and integrate with Xsolla’s industry leaders in an open and transparent environment and through conversations.

“Toronto continues to emerge as a key hub for gaming innovation and collaboration in North America. We’re excited to participate in XP Game Summit and host the Xsolla Connect to connect with the community while sharing insights on how creators and partnerships are helping to build the future of game growth,” said Berkley Egenes, Chief Marketing & Growth Officer at Xsolla.

“Toronto has built itself into a major Canadian video game hub. We are glad to contribute to the continued growth of the local industry as well as Ontario’s Game Industry as a whole. What makes it special is the combination of deep technical talent, global creative diversity, and a production ecosystem that truly scales. That’s why gatherings like XP Game Summit and Xsolla Connect matter so much: they bring that energy together, and we’re excited to be part of it and help showcase what this community can do,” said John Nguyen, Regional Vice President, Canada at Xsolla.

The post Xsolla Brings Creator Strategy and Game Commerce Expertise to Toronto’s Leading Industry Events appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.