eSports
Roland-Garros eSeries by BNP Paribas: World’s Leading eTennis Tournament Widens its Global Appeal by Launching Competition with Mobile Game, Tennis Clash
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.
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eSports
GIANTX unveils its team for the Spanish Superliga of League of Legends
The global esports organization GIANTX has officially presented the roster for its League of Legends Superliga team, the most prestigious esports competition in Spain, organized by the LVP. The roster includes Feisty (midlaner) and Aetinoth (ADC), who continue for another year after establishing themselves as key players for the organization, and newcomers Badlulu (toplaner), Ferret (jungler), and Lospa (support).
The team, known as GIANTX Pride, will be led by Fearless, a veteran coach who has already won three Superliga titles with GIANTX. After previous stints with teams like Guasones and Rebels, Fearless returns to lead this young and promising roster as they pursue the organization’s long-awaited eighth Superliga trophy, with the season set to begin in January 2025.
The roster was revealed during an event at the Home of GIANTX in Málaga, attended by over 150 fans and supported by Opel, the team’s main partner in the Superliga. The event featured activities, giveaways, and a showmatch against Barça Esports, where fans got a first glimpse of the team in action.
Feisty (South Korea, 2003) and Aetinoth (Turkey, 2005) return for another year, having gained recognition as rising talents with potential for the LEC, Europe’s premier competition in which GIANTX also competes. Badlulu (France, 2002), with prior experience in the Superliga at CASE Esports, joins as the toplaner. Ferret (Turkey, 2001), a promising jungler from the Turkish scene, comes from FUT, while Lospa (South Korea, 2002), a former Iberian Cup champion, joins as support after training in Gen.G Academy.
GIANTX Pride is the most decorated organization in Superliga LVP history, with seven titles to its name. The last victory came in the summer of 2021, and the team is determined to add the elusive eighth trophy to its collection. The Superliga for 2025 will feature ten teams, including Barça Esports, Guasones, Los Heretics, LUA Gaming, Movistar KOI, Ramboot Club, UCAM Esports, VENI VIDI VICI, and ZETA, competing across three splits—winter, spring, and summer.
The LVP, part of Grupo Mediapro, has introduced changes to the Superliga’s format for 2025. The updated calendar will be released soon, setting the stage for another thrilling season.
The post GIANTX unveils its team for the Spanish Superliga of League of Legends appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
GRID Joins IBIA as an Associate Member, Strengthening Esports Integrity
GRID, an esports data platform, has officially joined the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) as a first esports-focused Associate Member. This collaboration signifies a pivotal moment for esports integrity, aligning GRID with IBIA and its globally recognized integrity-focused members, who monitor over $300bn in sports bets per annum and have a growing focus on esports betting.
With this partnership, GRID and IBIA are committed to collaboratively addressing any integrity issues in esports, fostering trust across stakeholders, and setting a benchmark for excellence in the ecosystem. GRID has been a certified member of IBIA’s Data Standards program since 2022, actively contributing to the development of tailored esports integrity protocols. This membership further underscores GRID’s dedication to transparency and collaboration in combating betting-related corruption within esports.
Since 2018, GRID has operated an internal integrity department pioneering official data-driven solutions for esports. This makes GRID one of the first companies to monitor tournament and data integrity in the competitive sports sector and actively flag and report suspicious behavior, enabling it to collect a large database of integrity reports and insights.
IBIA is a not-for-profit body that protects regulated sports betting markets from match-fixing. It represents over 50 of the world’s leading betting companies which operate over 125 sports betting brands. IBIA’s global monitoring network is a highly effective anti-corruption tool, detecting and reporting suspicious activity in regulated betting markets using transactional activity linked to individual customer accounts.
Under the partnership, GRID and IBIA will share information relating to suspicious esports betting and potential match manipulation from their respective monitoring and intelligence platforms. IBIA members will also benefit from free access to wider integrity-focused resources supplied by GRID.
Moritz Maurer, CEO of GRID, commented: “Integrity is at the heart of GRID’s mission. By joining IBIA as an Associate Member, we are taking a definitive step toward establishing esports as a trusted and credible industry. This partnership enables us to further our efforts in promoting transparency, reducing risks associated with esports betting, and strengthening operational practices across the ecosystem.’’
Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “We are delighted to welcome GRID as an Associate Member of IBIA. This partnership is a landmark for the esports sector and reflects our commitment to expanding our integrity initiatives into new markets. GRID’s expertise in esports data monitoring and integrity standards is an invaluable asset in our shared mission to combat betting corruption globally.”
The post GRID Joins IBIA as an Associate Member, Strengthening Esports Integrity appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
ComeOn Group and Astralis unite to drive esports engagement in the Nordics
ComeOn Group announced a sponsorship partnership between its flagship brand ComeOn! and Denmark based Astralis, one of the most esteemed esports organisations globally. As a global leader in esports, Astralis is providing a vibrant and engaging esports experience that is aligned with ComeOn!’s brand experience and is further enhanced by its focus in providing a leading esports betting destination.
As the official sponsor of Astralis, ComeOn! will be prominently featured across all of their platforms, including social media, team events, and competitive gaming content, boosting their brand exposure in key global markets with a focus on the Nordics. ComeOn! is already known as a vibrant brand in the Nordics and with the increased brand visibility it will be put at the heart of the fast-growing esports scene.
ComeOn Group continues to invest in its Sportsbook product experience that is powered by its proprietary sportsbook platform, where esports holds an important strategic market opportunity with its ever growing demand.
Juergen Reutter, Chief Executive Officer at ComeOn Group, said: “We are very excited to team up with Astralis as this collaboration not only allows us to showcase our innovative Sportsbook platform but also strengthens our ties to the esports community. This partnership is very much in the heart of one of the fastest growing betting markets globally. Esports has seen great demand by our audiences, and we want to provide the best betting experience for our customers. This partnership is also a testament to our localisation and personalisation focus and by working together with Astralis, we can deliver unique experiences that resonate with our players and elevate the entertainment experience around competitive gaming.”
Mads Rasmussen, Commercial Director at Astralis, said: ”We are proud to present ComeOn Group as our new global partner. This partnership holds great significance for Astralis both as an organization and as a business, and we look forward to bringing the agreement to life, benefiting the vast majority of our fanbase – who are adults. We have undergone a long and very positive process with ComeOn, and the fact that they are European-based with licenses in all our key markets, including Denmark, has been a decisive factor in our decision. Astralis fans, both in Denmark and internationally, can look forward to an innovative new digital activation, which promises to deliver an exciting and engaging experience.”
The post ComeOn Group and Astralis unite to drive esports engagement in the Nordics appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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