The HERO ESPORTS Asian Champions League (ACL), Asia’s premier multi-title esports tournament hosted by Asia’s leading Esports company Hero Esports, has announced that a total of six spots for the Esports World Cup are up for grabs in ACL Teamfight Tactics Tournament. Details regarding the tournament format, schedule and prize pool have also been unveiled.

The ACL Teamfight Tactics Tournament is set to commence on April 15 and will conclude on May 18. The total prize pool for the tournament amounts to $150,000, with six teams earning direct entry to the Esports World Cup.

Unlike previous Teamfight Tactics events, the ACL Teamfight Tactics Tournament features a 4V4 team battle format. This emphasis on teamwork will offer the audience a fresh and engaging viewing experience.

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The ACL Teamfight Tactics Tournament is structured into three stages: Regional Qualifiers, Asian Challenge and ACL Grand Finals.

Registration for the tournament will open on March 23 and close on March 31. Teams must register in groups of four players. The Regional Qualifiers will be divided into APAC and CN regions. The eight highest-ranking teams from the APAC region and the seven highest-ranking teams from the CN region will qualify for the Regional Qualifiers. Team rankings are determined by the total points accumulated by the top three players in each team at the registration deadline. These points are calculated based on performance in the TFT Open, Tactician’s Crown and Regional Finals over the latest three seasons.

In the Regional Qualifiers, four teams from each region (APAC and CN region) will advance to the Asian Challenge through online competitions. The APAC Qualifier will take place from April 15 to 18, whereas the CN Qualifier is scheduled from April 24 to 27. Additionally, the top three teams from each region will secure spots in the Esports World Cup, while the fourth and fifth teams from each region will qualify for the Last Chance Qualifier of EWC.

In the Asian Challenge, which will take place from May 8 to 11, a total of eight teams from the Regional Qualifiers will compete for three spots in the Finals.

NIP Group subsidiary Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP), a legendary esports organisation founded in Sweden in 2000, has officially renewed their partnership with iconic energy drink brand Red Bull. Originally teaming up in November 2022, NIP and Red Bull will strengthen operations, drive growth and expand their reach in esports. Red Bull’s global reputation opens new doors across content creation, fan engagement and operational stability for NIP, whilst Red Bull can reach NIP’s young and engaged audience as part of their continued commitment to the esports industry.

This renewed agreement will engage esports fans through exclusive player content – such as behind-the-scenes tournament footage – alongside the integration of Red Bull branding in Ninjas in Pyjamas’ social media, streams, player jerseys across multiple teams and events.

NIP and Red Bull will also work together on various activations, including the annual [SWE] CS Summit held at Red Bull Gaming Sphere in Stockholm, which sees leaders in the Swedish Counter-Strike scene come together to discuss and shape the future of their national scene. Supporting the Swedish esports scene and driving positive change at a national level is a key pillar of this partnership, which both will take steps to achieve through various activations.

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Hicham Chahine, Co-CEO of NIP Group, said: “It has been a pleasure working with Red Bull over the past two years, collaborating on a series of highly successful projects. The more we work together, the clearer it has become that we align strongly on values and how to create meaningful experiences for our fans. We are truly delighted to continue this journey with them. Their passion for innovation and excellence aligns perfectly with our vision, and together, we look forward to pushing the boundaries of this industry even further.”

Leading online sportsbook and casino operator in Spain and Mexico integrates provider’s cutting-edge esports odds feed

PandaScore, the award-winning provider of esports data, odds and betting products, has added yet another tier-one operator to its roster of partners after signing a deal with Orenes Grupo.

The partnership sees Orenes Group deploy PandaScore’s powerful Odds feed across its online betting brands in Spain and Mexico, allowing it to offer comprehensive and competitive odds for some of the most popular esports disciplines.

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PandaScore’s Odds Feed really is unrivalled in the scope of markets and the value of the odds it allows operators to offer to their players. It uses a sophisticated model backed by a team of experienced traders including specialist traders for each discipline including CS2, Dota 2 and LoL.

PandaScore has seen a surge in demand for its esports betting data, odds and products as the vertical continues to go from strength to strength, especially as more tier-one brands look to get in on the action. This has seen PandaScore pass €1 billion in esports bets through its platform.

In addition to its Odds Feed, PandaScore offers a range of products including a smart BetBuilder, MicroBetting markets and an innovative AI-powered StoryBuilder.

João Carvalho, Senior Sales Manager at PandaScore, said: “Orenes Grupo has established itself as a leading operator in both Spain and Mexico with its sportsbook and casino brands and through this partnership with PandaScore, can really strengthen that position with a compelling esports betting offering.

“Demand for esports betting is on the rise and savvy operators are looking to capitalise on this by offering markets and odds to their players, which is what Orenes Grupo can now while being confident its odds are among the most competitive.

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“We are thrilled to add another power player to our network of partners and look forward to working with the Orenes Grupo team to help the operator maximise the opportunity that esports betting presents.”

Vicente Rabasco, Head of Product & PMO at Orenes Grupo, added: “PandaScore is a leading provider of esports betting odds and products and we really couldn’t think of a better partner to be working with.

“We have established and defended our position by embracing new trends and delivering experiences our players demand, and this deal with PandaScore allows us to really build momentum behind our esports betting offering by putting quality at the heart of our proposition.”