eSports

BOOM Rivalry named champions in GAMERS GALAXY: Dota 2 Invitational Series Dubai 2022 in epic finale comeback

Published

4 years ago

March 7, 2022

Reading Time: 3 minutes

BOOM Rivalry emerged victorious at the Grand Finals of the GAMERS GALAXY: Dota 2 Invitational Series Dubai 2022, pulling off an incredible comeback run to stake its claim as one of the top Dota 2 teams in the world and taking home the bulk of the AED 1,000,000 prize pool.

The five-day series came to an epic conclusion on Sunday, as Galaxy Racer, headquartered in Dubai, played host to a thrilling clash between BOOM Rivalry and Tundra Esports, having battled through a field of nine of the biggest Dota 2 teams across a series of gruelling group matches and knockout rounds.

The final day began with a scintillating lower bracket final clash between BOOM Rivalry and Nigma Galaxy, giving Dota 2 fans a fast-paced and right-to-the-wire battle. While Nigma Galaxy equalised the tie to take the match to a final third match, BOOM Rivalry put in a fantastic comeback performance to progress and set the stage for a pulse-racing Grand Final against Tundra Esports.

Tundra Esports dealt ‘first blood’ in the Grand Final, putting in a thrilling first game display to lead the tie, but BOOM Rivalry immediately fought back in a dominant performance in the second game to even things up. The third map could have gone either way, with BOOM Rivalry looking strong in the early phases, but Tundra Esports eventually fought back in an incredibly attritional battle to win the game and step within one win from claiming the Championship.

With everything on the line, BOOM Rivalry showcased their poise under pressure and turned in some clutch plays to give fans a fifth and final game. The two teams saved the best round for last, with a spectacular fifth match that showcased some of the best Dota 2 combat and tactics in motion. Eventually, BOOM Rivalry’s momentum proved too much to handle, and the team came away with the match and Championship after a string of unlikely comeback victories.

With a gruelling round robin in the first round and a tough bracket in the knockouts, getting to the final was no easy feat for BOOM Rivalry, playing eight intense rounds on the Final day, after having to overcome the likes of OG, Team Secret and The International (TI) Champions Team Spirit en route to the final

BOOM Rivalry Captain, Rolen Andrei Gabriel “skem” Ong, said: “It was amazing that we managed to make it through the final day of the competition, playing eight games to win the Championship, and it gives us a lot of confidence. Our mentality is to keep learning every game and every tournament, it doesn’t matter where as long as we’re still learning and playing as a team.”

“This tournament in Dubai was great, especially as a LAN tournament, the atmosphere you get between teams while you’re playing is unlike any other experience, and the ping is just so much better.“

Broadcasted live from Dubai Studio City, the GAMERS GALAXY: Invitational Series Dubai 2022 was the first significant Dota 2 LAN event of the year, while the latest Gameplay Patch 7.31 shook up the meta to add an extra layer of complexity and intrigue to the competition.

The tournament, hosted by Galaxy Racer, was the biggest Dota 2 event in MENA history and starred a talented roster of teams competing for the AED 1,000,000 prize pool, seeing over 2 million concurrent viewers across all livestream channels globally.

Founder and CEO of Galaxy Racer, Paul Roy, said: “Congratulations to BOOM Rivalry, they’ve been exceptional throughout the tournament and have given fans around the world a real spectacle in the Grand Finals. As MENA’s largest-ever Dota 2 tournament, we’re so proud to have delivered what has been an amazing event, showcasing the best teams and players in an exceptional broadcast production, once again putting the region on the map as one of the most exciting esports hubs in the world.”

Dota 2 presenters, Sheever and Kyle helped bring the competition and the playoffs to life for viewers, while the Grand Finals also saw Cap, along with an all-star casting team of past TI winners, N0tail, KuroKy and SumaiL as a broadcasting first, with the trio bringing unparalleled strategic insight into the fascinating matchup to the delight of the Dota 2 community.

GAMERS GALAXY host, Kyle “melonzz” Freedman, added: “There was a lot of doubt about Tundra Esports after all the roster changes, but they’ve shown that they are real competitors, while BOOM Rivalry looks like it has a global superstar in the making with Yopaj. He plays with a ton of confidence and it looks like he’ll be a top player for a long time.

“The success of the GAMERS GALAXY: Dota 2 Invitational Series Dubai 2022 shows that Dota 2 is a truly international game, and proves how important the LAN experience is for players and what it can bring to fans, even if it’s behind closed doors. LAN is where the biggest Championships should be decided.”

GAMERS GALAXY: Dota 2 Invitational Series Dubai 2022 was the largest esports tournament in MENA, and featured the first-ever Augmented Reality (AR) implementation, showcasing elements of Dubai including the iconic skyscraper Burj Khalifa, together with the desert dunes through state-of-the-art animation and visual graphics animation. The flawless AR implementation and next-gen production quality received tremendous praise from the Dota 2 community.

chess

Team Vitality re-signs Javokhir Sindarov for 2026–2027 chess roster

Published

17 hours ago

April 23, 2026

Wladimir P.

team-vitality-re-signs-javokhir-sindarov-for-2026–2027-chess-roster

Team Vitality has re-signed chess player Javokhir Sindarov to its Chess roster for 2026 and 2027, bringing the 2025 FIDE World Cup winner back to the organisation.

The club said Sindarov is coming off a win at the 2026 Candidates Tournament, positioning him for a potential world title match against reigning champion Gukesh Dommaraju.

“We are incredibly proud to welcome Javokhir back to Team Vitality. He represents the new generation of chess: bold, ambitious, and unafraid to make big moves. His trajectory speaks for itself, and we know he has everything it takes to become the next World Champion,” said Danny Engels, Chief International Officer at Team Vitality. “This signing is a natural step in our ambition to be at the forefront of chess and esports, and to bring the game to new audiences around the world.”

Team Vitality also pointed to Sindarov’s interest in gaming—specifically Counter-Strike—as a fit with the organisation’s esports positioning. His next scheduled appearance under Team Vitality is the Chess.com Open, running April 23–26.

The post Team Vitality re-signs Javokhir Sindarov for 2026–2027 chess roster appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

creator-economy

Red Bull runs one-day Balatro speedrun event, Boss Rush, on April 17

Published

6 days ago

April 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

red-bull-runs-one-day-balatro-speedrun-event,-boss-rush,-on-april-17

Eight creators compete across five timed stages with eliminations, broadcast on Red Bull’s Twitch and YouTube channels.

Red Bull will stage a one-day Balatro speedrun competition, Red Bull Boss Rush, on April 17, 2026. The event brings together eight creators for timed runs in the roguelike deckbuilder, with viewers able to follow via individual creator POV streams and a central hub broadcast.

The competitor lineup includes Red Bull Player Ludwig, plus The Spiffing Brit, FrostPrime, Feinberg, Adef, Yahiamice, mbtyugioh and dreads. Red Bull said live commentary will be provided by esports host Yinsu ‘Yinsu’ Collins, card-game specialist Blake ‘Rarran’ Eram, and DrSpectered.

Boss Rush is structured as five 30-minute stages, with players ranked by completion time. Red Bull said the opening three stages use a shared random seed with unlimited resets, and points are awarded by placement each stage; the bottom four are eliminated after stage 3. Stage 4 determines the finalists, followed by a final winner-takes-all matchup.

The event also includes a downloadable Red Bull Boss Rush mod featuring a custom-branded deck and new Red Bull-themed Jokers, Bosses and Skip Tags. Red Bull highlighted additions including ‘Witch’, ‘Princess and Frog’, ‘Zebra’, Old Dog, ‘Pirate’, ‘Genie’, ‘Prince Charming’, and ‘Jester’, each designed to alter scoring or run economics.

Red Bull Boss Rush will stream on twitch.tv/redbull and Red Bull’s YouTube Gaming channel. Scan is supplying gaming PCs for the competition, according to the company.

Relevant data as follows:

Red Bull Gaming on Twitch; https://www.twitch.tv/redbull Primary broadcast destination for the event.
Red Bull Gaming on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/redbullgaming Secondary broadcast destination cited in the release.
Red Bull Gaming: https://www.redbull.com/ Official Red Bull site for event context and confirmation.
Balatro on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2379780/Balatro/ Authoritative reference for the game featured in the competition.
Scan Computers: https://www.scan.co.uk/ PC supplier mentioned as providing systems for the event.

The post Red Bull runs one-day Balatro speedrun event, Boss Rush, on April 17 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Asia

S8UL signs Team Question Mark roster for PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS ahead of EWC 2026

Published

1 week ago

April 16, 2026

Wladimir P.

s8ul-signs-team-question-mark-roster-for-pubg:-battlegrounds-ahead-of-ewc-2026

The CIS-based EMEA lineup brings past EWC experience and titles including PUBG Global Series 8 as S8UL targets Riyadh qualification.

S8UL has signed the Team Question Mark (QM) roster to represent the organisation in PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS on PC ahead of the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026. The deal was announced April 16 from Mumbai as S8UL prepares for the tournament in Riyadh, scheduled for July 21 to 26.

The CIS-based EMEA lineup includes:

captain Roman Zinovev (ADOUZ1E),
Andrey Ionov (Bestoloch),
Mansur Tsimpaev (f1lfirst),
Nikita Odobesku (Molodoct),
and coach Yermek Torebekov (Ermaak).

S8UL said the roster will compete through the qualification pathway for a place in the 24-team event, which has a $2 million prize pool.

S8UL is adding a roster with a proven record in top-tier PUBG competition, including wins at PUBG Continental Series 7 Europe 2022 and PUBG Global Series 8 in 2025. The team has also posted a Top 3 finish at PUBG Global Series 2 in 2023 and a Top 7 finish at PUBG Global Championship 2022. The organisation said the roster has competed at both previous editions of the EWC in 2024 and 2025 and has amassed approximately $713,000 in total prize winnings.

Commenting on the move, Naman Mathur, Co-founder, S8UL said, “Signing the QM roster is a significant step for us as we continue to strengthen our presence in global esports. PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS is one of the most competitive titles in the world, and this team has consistently proven itself against the very best. At a broader level, this move reflects the direction S8UL is heading in. Over the past year, we have focused on building depth across our rosters and competing consistently at the highest level. As we prepare for the Esports World Cup 2026, we are committed to providing the team with the right support and resources as they aim to make a strong impact in the qualifiers as well as on the global stage.”

Roman Zinovev aka ADOUZ1E added, “Becoming part of S8UL is a big opportunity for us as a team. As a team, we’ve always believed in our ability to compete with the best in the world, and having the backing of a global organisation allows us to push even further. With the Esports World Cup coming up, we’re focused on working through the qualifiers and making sure we deliver performances that match our potential.,”

S8UL said the announcement follows its selection as a Club Partner by the Esports Foundation (EF), placing it among 40 global organisations. The organisation has also listed 13 titles it plans to enter for EWC 2026, including PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, Apex Legends, Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), Call of Duty: Warzone, Chess, EA Sports FC, FATAL Fury, Fortnite, Honor of Kings, MOBA Legends 5V5, Street Fighter 6, TEKKEN 8, and Trackmania.

Relevant data as follows:

S8UL Esports: https://s8ul.gg/ Official organisation site for roster and announcement verification.
PUBG Esports (PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS competitive updates): https://pubgesports.com/ Authoritative source for PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS esports circuits, event results, and qualifiers.
Esports World Cup (official site): https://esportsworldcup.com/ Event organiser site for EWC 2026 schedule, formats, and prize pool confirmation.

The post S8UL signs Team Question Mark roster for PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS ahead of EWC 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.