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Pasha, NEO, Edward, HeatoN, kennyS and Maikelele announced as captains for the upcoming Kinguin Legends CS:GO tournament

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Kinguin is today unveiling further details of its upcoming CS:GO tournament, Kinguin Legends. Kinguin Legends is an entertainment-first focused event that will see six CS:GO stars return to competitive play once again and create a captivating event full of nostalgia along with an exciting experience for all CS:GO fans to enjoy.

The “Legends” will battle it out for a share of the €50,000 prize pool and for the right to call themselves the first Kinguin Legends Champion!

Each captain will recruit players, friends, and pros to join them as they gear up to re-enter competitive CS:GO in the hope of emerging as champion. Tournament rules will be modified to highlight legendary captains and their old rivals. A custom designed Kinguin Legends 1v1 map has been exclusively created for the tournament. The only rule for all teams is that the average age of all five players must be 26 or over. The tournament kicks off on September 13th and will run until September 18, with teams playing through an initial round-robin tournament format followed by a best-of-three play-offs to determine who comes out on top.

The captains of the event are led by a group of legendary Counter-Strike players including:

  • Jarosław “pashaBiceps” Jarząbkowski, Polish legend, mostly known from the Golden Five. He has won many significant tournaments with Virtus Pro including winning and MVP of EMS One Katowice 2014, DreamHack Open Bucharest 2016 and Intel Extreme Masters VI. Pasha was ranked the 3rd best player of 2014 by HLTV.

  • Filip “NEO” Kubski, Polish legend, also known from the Golden Five. He has won many significant tournaments with Virtus Pro including ELEAGUE Season 1, ESL Major Series One Katowice 2014 and Intel Extreme Masters VI. NEO was ranked the best player of 2011 by HLTV, rated the best CS 1.6 player of all time by 12up and voted ‘Player of the Decade’ (2000’s) by HLTV users.

  • Ioann “Edward” Sukhariev, Ukrainian legend and veteran with a long career at NAVI. He was the trophy bearer for the IEM Katowice 2022 and was ranked the 5th best player of 2010 by HLTV for CS 1.6.

  • Emil “HeatoN” Christensen, Swedish legend, best known for his career at Ninjas in Pyjamas and SK Gaming winning multiple CPL tournaments and becoming the first person inducted into the Esports Hall of Fame at ESL One: Cologne 2016. HeatoN was rated one of the best CS 1.6 players of all time by 12up.

  • Mikail “Maikelele” Bill, Swedish legend, known for his career at teams including Team Kinguin, Ninjas in Pyjamas and Godsent. He has won multiple tournaments at Assembly Winter 2015 and WePlay! Forge of Masters Season 2 while coming 2nd at one of the biggest tournaments of 2016 at DreamHack Winter. Maikelele was the creator of the first international superteam in CS:GO history with Team Kinguin.

  • Kenny “kennyS” Schrub, French legend, best known for his career at Team EnVyUs and G2 Esports winning multiple tournaments including DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca 2015, World Electronic Sports Games 2016 and ESL Pro League Season 5. “kennyS” was named “Esports Player of the Year” at The Game Awards 2015.

The online stage of the tournament (13-15th September) will be casted by Mamoon “TeaTime” Sabri, Travis “TravCS” Landaw Mott, Harvey “Skriv” Rodgers and Michael “YouM3” Cassidy. James Banks will be hosting the casting team for the finals (17-18th of September) and will be joined by Jack “Jacky” Peters and Davis “DAVEY” Stafford. Accompanying the team will be Halvor “Vendetta” Gulestøl and Dominik “Neo” Dąbrowski from the analysis desk. Meanwhile, the Polish stream will be hosted by Filip “Testree” Mątkowski. Other guest appearances are expected from Counter-Strike personalities to help relive old moments and bring some entertaining ribbing to the legends.

Viktor Romaniuk Wanli, Founder and Creative Director at Kinguin said: “I am delighted to be welcoming such iconic players to Kinguin Legends to create an exciting entertainment event, with new stories for fans to watch and enjoy. Kinguin has a deep-rooted passion for esports and we hope that Kinguin Legends CS:GO will be our first step to creating a long lasting and fully-loaded entertainment experience for fans all over the world. To have kKennyS, Pasha, Edward, Neo and Maikelele playing against each other again is mind blowing! I recall HeatoN as the ultimate Counter-Strike player back in my early involvement with esports since CPL. It’s unbelievable that I may see him play to win again! We have big ambitions with Kinguin Legends and will be bringing more exciting esports events to our community in the future.”

Kinguin Legends Captain and ex-CS:GO professional “pashaBiceps” Jarosław Jarząbkowski said: “I am very happy to be able to participate in the Kinguin Legends project. This is a great initiative that will definitely allow us to feel the emotions associated with the great CS:GO scene again. I’m looking forward to the duels with NEO, Edward, HeatoN, kennyS and Maikelele. It will be a great show!”

For this tournament, Kinguin is partnering with the CS:GO matchmaking portal, Esportal, who will be hosting the Kinguin Legends streams on its front page as the official technology partner.

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Soft2Bet Introduces MEGA11, a Football Manager Experience Designed to Elevate Sportsbook Activity

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Soft2Bet has revealed the debut of MEGA11, a football management game aimed at enhancing sportsbook interaction and improving player loyalty. Acknowledging that football manager and fantasy games rank among the most favored genres with the longest typical gameplay durations, MEGA11 provides a progression-oriented and captivating football manager experience focusing on fantasy league team construction, allowing players to tactically oversee their own teams and make important choices while competing in leagues and matches.

Users of sportsbooks are inherently used to waiting before making their next wager. That inactivity naturally leads to a decrease in daily engagement, even among bettors who are very focused on football. MEGA11 addresses this issue by providing users with a football management game seamlessly connected to the sportsbook experience. Rather than waiting for the upcoming kickoff, players can remain engaged by forming their team, modifying lineups, and battling in their personal matchups or leagues. This establishes a distinctive two-way interaction cycle, effortlessly integrating real-money wagering with social, engaging gameplay, transforming these calmer times into organized activity with defined objectives, advancement, and a motivation to come back.

MEGA11 is developed as an independent game featuring its own soft-currency system, without any direct links to sportsbook deposits or casino operations. The main experience is free-to-play, enabling players to advance at their own speed. For players seeking to advance quickly or enhance their team, MEGA11 provides optional purchases, such as more powerful player cards and boosters that speed up progress and offer a strategic advantage.

The engagement of the sportsbook is fueled by a straightforward, quantifiable mechanism. Each wager allows players to accumulate points that enhance their advancement in the football manager game. This advancement, consequently, activates sportsbook bonuses, actively encouraging ongoing involvement and strengthening consistent engagement. Advancement is organized via a five-level loyalty and gamification framework that reflects a football career trajectory: Beginner, Amateur, Professional, World Class, and Legend. The tiering aims to maintain motivation over time, providing a consistent feeling of progress that fosters longer-term retention instead of brief spurts of engagement.

The new engine enhances Soft2Bet’s larger MEGA portfolio, which currently features mechanics like MEGA Chance, MEGA Round, and MEGA Clawee. It further enhances Soft2Bet’s sportsbook offering with instant payouts, 24/7 support, and over 200 pre-match football markets, by introducing a perpetual football format designed to maintain fan engagement beyond the live match calendar.

The design of the product continues to prioritize player protection and compliance. MEGA11’s soft-currency, non-deposit model promotes secure and compliant interactions, emphasizing entertainment and advancement while adhering to responsible gaming standards in regulated regions.

Yoel Zuckerberg, CPO at Soft2Bet, stated: “MEGA11 is built to keep football fans engaged between matchdays, pairing a manager-style progression loop with a soft-currency model that supports compliant, long-term sportsbook loyalty. Football manager games are renowned for having the highest player immersion and longest session times in the industry. By bringing this experience to our partners, we are combining real betting with social gameplay to deliver authentic player experiences that resonate with fans and drive sustainable engagement.”

The introduction of MEGA11 enhances Soft2Bet’s emphasis on product-driven engagement, merging game design, loyalty strategies, and a robust regulatory framework to assist operators in achieving more reliable retention during the football season. The technology has received significant industry awards and is eliciting a strong positive reaction from players, confirming its influence on engagement and long-term value generation.

The post Soft2Bet Introduces MEGA11, a Football Manager Experience Designed to Elevate Sportsbook Activity appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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58% of respondents like the“warmy” archetype. Rocket Match by RocketPlay became “ Valentine’s Tinder in Gaming”.

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58%-of-respondents-like-the“warmy”-archetype-rocket-match-by-rocketplay-became-“-valentine’s-tinder-in-gaming”.

This Valentine’s, RocketPlay tested a playful idea: players who seek thrills in gaming don’t necessarily want intensity in everything — including relationships. Instead of asking users to pick a “perfect partner,” RocketPlay launched Rocket Match, a fast, flirty quiz that matches players with a vibe: Bold, Sunny, Dreamy, or Adventurous.

Early Results Flip the Stereotype

Around 58% of participants matched with the Sunny archetype — defined by warmth, charm, and easy-going fun. The experiment suggests that when it comes to Valentine’s, RocketPlay’s community prefers light-hearted connection over drama or high stakes.

What Rocket Match Is

Rocket Match is a Valentine’s matchmaking quiz built inside the RocketPlay Universe. Players answer five simple, no-wrong-answer questions and instantly discover their match vibe.

The goal: move away from typical Valentine’s content that swings between overly serious romance or clichéd tropes. Rocket Match keeps it flirty, playful, and moment-focused, letting players discover a vibe rather than a label.

The four vibes include:

  • Bold – confident, high-energy, loves bigger sparks

  • Sunny – easy-going, playful, social, effortlessly charming

  • Dreamy – soft, romantic, focused on atmosphere and emotion

  • Adventurous – playful risk-taker, spontaneous, curious

Community Insights from Rocket Match

The quiz quickly gained traction, with 7,000+ completions, revealing a strong preference: Sunny, the archetype defined by warmth, lightness, and charm.

Alex Martin, PR Lead at RocketPlay, said:

“What we liked most about Rocket Match is how clearly it captured the mood people actually want on Valentine’s. It wasn’t about labels or big statements — it was about light energy, easy chemistry, and a feel-good kind of connection. That’s the vibe we try to build across the brand: simple to join, fun in the moment, and positive without the drama.”

Why It Matters

Rocket Match was more than a Valentine’s gimmick. It offered a snapshot of what RocketPlay’s community enjoys most: light energy, playful interaction, and feel-good connections. By turning a pop-culture moment into a small experiment, RocketPlay gained insight into player preferences, informing how the brand continues to design engaging, fun, and positive experiences.

The post 58% of respondents like the“warmy” archetype. Rocket Match by RocketPlay became “ Valentine’s Tinder in Gaming”. appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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58% of respondents like the“warmy” archetype. Rocket Match by RocketPlay became “ Valentine’s Tinder in Gaming”.

Published

on

58%-of-respondents-like-the“warmy”-archetype-rocket-match-by-rocketplay-became-“-valentine’s-tinder-in-gaming”.

This Valentine’s, RocketPlay tested a simple idea: people who come to iGaming for thrill don’t necessarily want the same intensity in everything — including relationships. Instead of asking players to choose a “perfect partner,” we launched Rocket Match, a fast, playful quiz that matches players with a vibe — bold, sweet, dreamy, or adventurous.

Early results flipped the stereotype. Around 58% of participants matched with the same vibe — built around warmth, charm, and easy fun — suggesting that when it comes to Valentine’s, our community prefers light-hearted connection over drama or risk.

What Rocket Match is

Rocket Match is a Valentine’s matchmaking quiz built as a small cosmic adventure inside the gaming RocketPlay Universe. Players answer 5 light questions — no right or wrong answers — and instantly unlock a Rocket Match that compliments themself. The idea was simple: Valentine’s content online often swings between two extremes — overly serious romance or pure cliché. Rocket Match was created to do something different: keep it flirty, keep it playful, and let players discover a vibe that feels like a moment, not a label.

There were 4 vibes to match with:
Bold — confident, high-energy, loves a bigger spark and bolder choices.
Sunny — easy-going, lighthearted, funny, good communicator
Dreamy — softer, romantic, drawn to atmosphere and emotion.
Adventurous — playful risk-taker energy; spontaneous, curious, and always up for something new.

The lightweight Valentine’s experiment quickly gained traction, with 7,000+ players completing the quiz. The unexpected value came after: the answers revealed a clear preference in what players wanted Valentine’s to feel like — and that insight became the story.

Across responses, around 58% of participants landed on the same Rocket Match vibe — the “sunny” archetype. It’s defined by warmth, lightness, and easy charm: playful, social, and effortless to be around.

What it says about RocketPlay’s community

Rocket Match offered a clear read on the kind of Valentine’s energy players gravitate toward — and it’s lighter than the usual “high-stakes romance” stereotype. As Alex Martin, PR Lead, puts it: “What we liked most about Rocket Match is how clearly it captured the mood people actually want on Valentine’s. It wasn’t about labels or big statements — it was about light energy, easy chemistry, and a feel-good kind of connection. That’s the vibe we try to build across the brand: simple to join, fun in the moment, and positive without the drama.”

What started as a fun Valentine’s experiment quickly became a snapshot of what the community enjoys most: light energy, easy chemistry, and feel-good connection. Valentine’s was simply the right moment to test a playful, pop-culture format — and see what kind of “match” people gravitate toward.

The post 58% of respondents like the“warmy” archetype. Rocket Match by RocketPlay became “ Valentine’s Tinder in Gaming”. appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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