eSports

British Esports Association Enters into Partnership with College of Esports

Published

4 years ago

December 10, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

British Esports Association has announced an exclusive Higher Education (HE) university-level partnership with the College of Esports.

The College of Esports is a world first university-level institution dedicated solely for university degrees in the business of esports.

The university degree portfolio will include Foundation, Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels and will be delivered at the College of Esports campus at the iconic Velodrome, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, with students starting in September/October 2022 for the start of the academic year 2022/2023.

For transparency, the British Esports Association has helped produce part of the degree and provided College of Esports with some guidance, but will not be teaching the courses.

Each university-level programme will focus on the global billion-dollar business of esports.

The student experience will centre on traditional academic subjects taught through the lens of an industry that many are so passionate about, supported by their unique TRI-Curriculum. This consists of the main degree courses plus two additional curricula to make students World-Ready, providing higher contact hours and a holistic 360 teaching approach.

This approach will ensure an exciting, cutting edge teaching model which fully prepares each student for a career within esports and other sectors.

The College of Esports is a boutique university-level institution, with student places to be limited, ensuring each student receives the maximum benefit from their studies and wider experiences.

All university-level provision has been designed in partnership with the British Esports Association to ensure that each programme is industry-ready, with input from the wider esports sector. A College Advisory Board populated by leading figures will provide guidance to the college and will be announced in due-course.

Each course will provide best-in-class academic teaching combined with leading knowledge and input from the esports sector, to provide students with long-term value, career flexibility and a holistic understanding of international business at both macro and micro levels.

It will cover the business of international esports, IP rights, management of players and talent, event management, sponsorship, logistics, marketing, business and more.

As well as training people to go into the industry, the College of Esports will also offer a business incubation unit to help students grow their ideas into their own businesses.

The British Esports Association will provide unique industry expertise, as well as enriching the learning materials of the degree content, in order to ensure relevance to the student and sector as a whole.

The British Esports Association also has a separate exclusive Further Education partnership with Pearson to offer Esports BTEC qualifications of which students can then progress smoothly from these BTEC courses onto the BEA accredited courses at the College of Esports.

The College of Esports facilities based within the Velodrome, home to many international sporting triumphs, will include new purpose-built classrooms, eateries, a library, social areas as well as state-of-the-art gaming spaces for students.

Professor Philip Wilson, founder and Chair of the College of Esports, stated: “We are delighted to have entered into this long-term exclusive higher education partnership. The knowledge, experience and expertise of the British Esports Association is a central pillar of our approach to ensure that the College of Esports is at the cutting edge of the industry for our students.”

“Our partnership will create the UK hub of esports business and provide additional legacy to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as job creation and community support in the boroughs that we engage.”

British Esports Association chair Andy Payne OBE commented: “We’re delighted to have signed this exclusive university-level partnership with the College of Esports to help deliver esports business degrees and ensure a bright future for our exciting industry. Esports not only offers many exciting career opportunities, it also gives people essential transferable skills that can be applied to many other roles and industries.”

creator-economy

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

Published

4 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

5 days 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.

eSports

MEGA hires Leapfox founder Patrick Collins as VP of Growth

Published

6 days ago

April 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

mega-hires-leapfox-founder-patrick-collins-as-vp-of-growth

The ex-Wasserman and former Excel Esports partnerships lead joins the London-based group behind the Esports Awards and MOBIES.

The Mobile, Esports and Gaming Alliance (MEGA) has appointed Patrick Collins as Vice President of Growth, the company said on April 15, 2026. Collins will lead growth strategy, including commercial partnerships and new business development, from London.

Collins joins from boutique agency Leapfox, which he founded in early 2022. Prior to that, he led commercial partnerships at UK esports organisation Excel Esports, securing deals with brands including BT, Sony, JD Sports, Neosurf and Chupa Chups, alongside partners such as HyperX, Anda Seat, Belong Gaming Arenas and Chillblast PCs.

Earlier in his career, Collins worked at sports marketing agency Wasserman, where MEGA said he helped secure EE’s six-year partnership with Wembley Stadium and advised brands including American Express, Vodafone and PepsiCo. The company also cited experience working with Premier League football clubs and brands including Barclays, Santander, Under Armour and Puma.

“I’m pleased to officially join MEGA at such an important time for esports and gaming,” said Patrick Collins, VP of Growth at MEGA. “Having worked across traditional sport, esports, and commercial partnerships, and founding Leapfox to bridge these worlds and guide my clients, I’m looking forward to applying my experience to support MEGA and our properties as we continue to grow.”

“We’re delighted to welcome Patrick to MEGA as our new Vice President of Growth,” said Michael Ashford, Co-Founder of MEGA. “His extensive experience, including founding Leapfox, uniquely positions him to shape the future of our company. With Patrick on board, MEGA is determined to accelerate our growth, embark on transformative partnerships, and deliver world-class experiences that will define the next era of esports entertainment.”

Relevant data as follows:

MEGA (Mobile, Esports and Gaming Alliance): https://themega.global/ Official company site to support the appointment and provide background on MEGA.
Esports Awards: https://esportsawards.com/ Official site for one of the properties referenced in connection with MEGA.
MOBIES: https://mobies.com/ Official site for the Mobile Gaming Awards referenced alongside MEGA.

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