eSports

Roland-Garros eSeries by BNP Paribas: World’s Leading eTennis Tournament Widens its Global Appeal by Launching Competition with Mobile Game, Tennis Clash

Published

4 years ago

April 14, 2022

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Roland-Garros eSeries by BNP Paribas, the biggest and most inclusive eTennis competition in the world, has today revealed details for the fifth edition of its annual esports tournament. This year marks the switch to a mobile esports format, partnering with the world’s most popular mobile tennis game, Tennis Clash, from Wildlife Studios. The event, organised by Fédération Française de Tennis (FFT), will see eight finalists progress from four separate qualifying events, to compete in a Grand Final at Roland-Garros itself on Saturday, May 21 to be crowned the eTennis world champion.

To mark the fifth anniversary of the tournament, FFT has increased its commitment to eTennis through a host of significant changes. This includes a switch to a mobile esports format played on Tennis Clash, the world’s leading mobile tennis video game. The video game, published by Wildlife Studios, has achieved 90M downloads across 241 countries, giving more eTennis enthusiasts the opportunity to compete in the tournament. To further entice players, the iconic Philippe-Chatrier court will be recreated for all matches within the game, they will also get the chance to purchase Roland-Garros strings to boost their character’s performance through the Tennis Clash store.

“Based on the global popularity of Tennis Clash, it’s only fitting that this game be selected for the Roland-Garros eSeries by BNP Paribas competition,” said Barak Shaked, Game Director for Tennis Clash, “we’re honored to have been chosen for this prestigious tournament and are proud of this partnership.”

This year also brings changes to the format of the event, with four qualifying competitions offering eight players the chance to compete at Roland-Garros in the Grand Final. To further increase participation and diversity, Roland-Garros eSeries by BNP Paribas has partnered with Women in Games (WiG) France for one, female only qualifying event. Women in Games, a not-for-profit organisation that provides support for women and girls throughout the games industry, has a global network of more than 50,000 members and is active in 53 countries across the world. The partnership is designed to encourage more females to enter the illustrious tournament and guarantees two female competitors the chance to compete at the Grand Final.

Taking place alongside the WiG France female only qualifier will be a qualifying competition held in partnership with XP School (The International Esports & Gaming School). The final stage of both qualifying events will take place on Thursday, April 28, broadcast live on Twitch by popular French streamer Rivenzi, who will be joined by LittleBigWhale, and Ponce on the show. The four finalists from both qualifiers will also be offered a unique opportunity to further their pro-gaming careers through a two-day coaching experience organised by leading French esports organisation, Team MCES, at its Gaming Centre in Marseille ahead of the Grand Final itself.

In addition, Roland-Garros eSeries by BNP Paribas will host two open general public qualifiers that are accessible to anyone in the world, with four additional Grand Final places on offer. The first qualifier will take place from Thursday, April 21 to Monday, April 25 with the second taking place from Thursday, April 28 to Monday, May 2.

“By hosting the world’s biggest eTennis tournament with a final at Roland-Garros, the FFT is once again demonstrating its ability to connect generations and innovate. Mixing traditional sport and esport, developing eTennis for all, these are strong issues for our federation, which wants to be a trailblazer. We are delighted to allow players of all levels and backgrounds to participate in this great tournament, which will make a special place for women this year. This tournament promises to be a very popular event. I warmly thank our historic partner BNP Paribas and Renault, who’ve just joined us.” Gilles Moretton, FFT President.

BNP Paribas has once again returned as the main partner of the eTennis tournament – the only eTennis competition to be organised by one of the four Tennis Grand Slams – further showcasing its own commitment to eTennis. Joining BNP Paribas as a partner is Renault, which has been named an official partner of the event. Both BNP Paribas and Renault branding will be visible on the virtual Philippe-Chatrier Court, recreated in Tennis Clash.

“BNP Paribas is delighted to support Roland-Garros eSeries by BNP Paribas for the fifth consecutive year. As the competition becomes more open to a wider and younger audience, it gets easier to connect tennis and gaming. This year we are particularly proud to contribute together with Women in Games, to the development of female gaming, an initiative that is a part of the long-term strategy of BNP Paribas aimed at the technological inclusion of women, that we promote through our various entities around the world.” Vincent-Baptiste Closon, Head of Partnerships, Sponsoring & Events at BNP Paribas.

eSports

NODWIN Gaming partners Runestone on integrity and real-time data for esports events

Published

2 days ago

April 13, 2026

Wladimir P.

nodwin-gaming-partners-runestone-on-integrity-and-real-time-data-for-esports-events

Deal launches with NODWIN Clutch Series as the companies target better oversight and more interactive broadcasts across Tier 2 CS2 and beyond.

NODWIN Gaming has signed a strategic partnership with Prague-based esports technology company Runestone to add integrity monitoring and real-time data tools across NODWIN’s global tournament portfolio. The companies said the collaboration has launched with the NODWIN Clutch Series.

NODWIN and Runestone positioned the deal around tournament oversight and broadcast engagement, as organizers increasingly use data-driven tooling to support fair competition and build more interactive viewing experiences.

The partnership begins on a Tier 2 Counter-Strike 2 property. The latest edition ended with BIG winning NODWIN Clutch Series 5, beating ECSTATIC 2–1 in the grand final of the $50,000 online tournament.

Speaking on the partnership Teemu Koski, Chief Business Officer at NODWIN Gaming MENA and Global Head of Data Monetization, said, “We’re excited to partner with Runestone as we continue expanding our competitive gaming portfolio across high-growth regions and titles. Integrity and transparency are fundamental to sustainable esports ecosystems, especially in Tier 2 competition where the next generation of talent emerges. Runestone’s expertise in real-time data and integrity infrastructure complements our experience in building scalable esports IPs and competitive ecosystems. Together, we’re able to strengthen tournament operations while unlocking richer engagement experiences for fans. Starting with the NODWIN Clutch Series for CS2, we see strong potential to expand this collaboration across new IPs, new regions, and new competitive formats.”

Michael Schwartz, Head of Partnerships at Runestone, added, “NODWIN Gaming has built one of the most dynamic esports ecosystems across emerging markets, and we’re thrilled to collaborate with a partner that shares our focus on building sustainable competitive ecosystems. By combining NODWIN’s experience in operating global esports IPs with Runestone’s integrity and engagement infrastructure, we can support tournaments with greater transparency, deeper fan interaction, and scalable operational tools. Supporting the NODWIN Clutch Series is an exciting starting point, and we’re looking forward to expanding into new titles, formats, and regions together.”

The post NODWIN Gaming partners Runestone on integrity and real-time data for esports events appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

brand-partnership

G2 names Skin.Club official skin partner for its CS2 team

Published

2 days ago

April 13, 2026

Wladimir P.

g2-names-skin.club-official-skin-partner-for-its-cs2-team

Skin.Club branding will appear on G2 jerseys, social channels and content series, with in-person activations planned.

G2 has partnered with Skin.Club as the official skin partner for its Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) team, with the deal spanning team jerseys, content and live experiences.

Under the agreement, Skin.Club will feature on G2’s CS2 team jersey as an official partner. The partnership also includes logo placement across G2’s social channels and integration within content series throughout the year, plus a “series of in-person activations,” according to the companies.

“Partnering with Skin.Club marks an exciting step forward for our G2 CS team,” said Alban Dechelotte, CEO of G2. “We’re always looking to work with brands that genuinely understand the Counter-Strike community, and Skin.Club brings both passion and innovation to the space. Together, we aim to create engaging experiences for fans while continuing to push the competitive ambitions of our roster.”

“At Skin.Club, we’re focused on creating experiences that bring the Counter-Strike community closer together,” said Dan Tar, CMO of Skin.Club. “Collaborating with G2 allows us to work alongside one of the most iconic teams in esports and deliver new ways for fans to engage. Drive, Love, Counter-Strike!”

Financial terms and the partnership duration were not disclosed.

The post G2 names Skin.Club official skin partner for its CS2 team appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Counter-Strike 2

Stake and Team Vitality launch Counter-Strike fan giveaway

Published

2 days ago

April 13, 2026

Wladimir P.

Five custom gaming PC rigs, each set up by a Vitality Counter-Strike player, are available via the Stake Community Forum.

Stake has partnered with esports organisation Team Vitality on an exclusive fan giveaway tied to the Counter-Strike 2 ecosystem, offering five bespoke gaming PC rigs customised by players from Vitality’s Counter-Strike roster.

According to the companies, each setup is built to competitive standards and reflects a player’s individual preferences and playstyle. The rigs include an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor, an ASUS RTX 5070 Ti graphics card, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and ASUS B850M motherboards with integrated Wi‑Fi, alongside a 750W 80+ Gold power supply.

Team Vitality is Stake’s official esports partner, and the giveaway is positioned as part of a broader campaign around the Stake Ranked series, described by Stake as the latest instalment in its calendar of Counter-Strike 2 LAN events.

Fans can enter by creating a Stake Community Forum account and replying to the official competition post with their Stake username.

Mezii, Team Vitality said: “I’m really excited to see this PC. It’s a super clean custom build, with great attention to detail and a strong overall aesthetic. Huge thanks to Stake for delivering something that looks sharp and really captures the vibe we’re bringing to the server.”

The post Stake and Team Vitality launch Counter-Strike fan giveaway appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.