eSports
Gamers 8: The Land of Heroes concludes a record-breaking esports season as champions are crowned in eight weeks of action-packed tournaments
Gamers8, the world’s largest gaming and esports festival, wrapped up its second edition on Sunday with the final awards ceremony seeing Team Twisted Minds secure first place in Gamers8 Club Awards, bringing the curtain down on a thrilling season that began in July and went through August. Featuring a record-breaking prize pool of $45 million, thousands of visitors attended the festival in person and tuned in online to watch 16 elite esports tournaments from 13 top titles.
The festival transformed Boulevard Riyadh City into a gaming and entertainment paradise with epic venues, concerts, and activities and welcomed the best of the best across titles such as Dota 2, Rocket League, and FIFAe to do battle in front of fans lucky enough to be in attendance and streamed live across the globe. In the Dota 2 Riyadh Masters, Team Spirit defeated Team Liquid in the grand final to win first place and $5 million from the total $15 million prize pool. And in the Rocket League finals, Version 1 defeated Rule One in the grand final to take home $500k in prize money.
The Club Awards were presented as part of the Next World Forum’s second edition, a forum gathering top minds in the gaming, entertainment, and esports industry, including Team Falcons founder Msdossary, Hollywood director Michael Bay, football legend Gareth Bale, ESL FACEIT Group Chairman Ralf Reichert, VSPO co-founder Danni Tang, and Twitch co-founder Kevin Lin. Team Vitality, Gaimin Gladiators, Team BDS, and overall winners Twisted Minds completed the top teams who earned the most points over several titles at Gamers8 and, therefore, took home a share of the $5 million prize pool. Rocket League caster Stax presented Twisted Minds with the trophy following an epic introduction featuring a performer on a robotic arm and a highlight package recapping each team’s journey to the Gamers8 Club Awards.
Highlighting that its appeal didn’t just extend to gaming, the festival also featured several musical performances, including concerts by Imagine Dragons, Alan Walker, and Metro Boomin, with the series of musical performances being concluded by an all-female lineup that included Iggy Azalea and DJ Soda, who entertained attendees throughout the event.
For more information on Gamers8, visit the official website and follow on Twitter.
eSports
G2’s Otis Lawrence wins 2026 F1 Sim Racing World Championship
Welsh driver beats Ismael Fahssi by two points after a 12-round season running March 27 to May 28 with a $750,000 prize pool.
G2-backed Alpine Sim Racing driver Otis Lawrence has been crowned 2026 F1 Sim Racing World Champion after the season concluded on May 28.
The 2026 F1 Sim Racing World Championship ran from March 27 to May 28 and featured a $750,000 prize pool. Drivers representing Formula 1 teams competed across four events, starting with a live opener at DreamHack Birmingham.
The title was decided at the final event. Lawrence secured multiple race victories across 12 rounds and finished top of the standings.
Lawrence won the championship by two points ahead of Scuderia Ferrari HP Esports driver Ismael Fahssi. Reigning champion Jarno Opmeer of Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing placed third overall.
The post G2’s Otis Lawrence wins 2026 F1 Sim Racing World Championship appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
eSports
Esports Foundation books Paris Expo Porte de Versailles for Esports World Cup 2026
The Esports Foundation (EF) has confirmed Paris Expo Porte de Versailles as the venue for Esports World Cup 2026, scheduled to run in Paris, France, from July 06 through August 23.
EF said tickets for all 25 competitions will go on sale from Friday, May 29, 2026, via esportsworldcup.com/tickets. The organiser said the venue will host competition arenas, broadcast operations, and fan activations across the seven-week programme.
According to EF, more than 2,000 players from over 200 Clubs and more than 100 countries will compete for a $75 million prize pool as part of the event’s cross-game Club Championship. The tournament lineup spans major competitive genres, including first-person shooters, strategy, sports, MOBAs, battle royales, fighting games, racing games, and Chess.
EF also outlined ticketing tiers, including Regular Tournament Passes, Premium Tournament Passes (with fast-track entry and a limited-edition goodie bag), Daily Regular Tournament Passes, and tiered Final Day seating zones (Gold, Silver, and Bronze) for select championship matches across VALORANT, League of Legends, Rocket League, and Counter-Strike 2.
The published schedule lists Week 1 events including VALORANT (July 9–12), ALGS Year 6 Split 1 Playoffs (Apex Legends) (July 7–11), Dota 2 (July 7–12), and FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves (July 8–11), with Counter-Strike 2 closing out Week 7 from August 19–23 alongside Fortnite Reload Elite Series Championship, Trackmania, and CROSSFIRE.
The post Esports Foundation books Paris Expo Porte de Versailles for Esports World Cup 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
eSports
Esports Foundation sets Esports World Cup 2026 venue at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles
Tickets go on sale May 29 for the seven-week Paris event running July 6 to August 23, with a $75 million prize pool across 25 competitions.
The Esports Foundation (EF) has confirmed Paris Expo Porte de Versailles as the venue for the Esports World Cup 2026, scheduled for July 06 through August 23 in Paris, France.
Ticket sales open Friday, May 29, 2026 via esportsworldcup.com/tickets. EF said the event will run for seven weeks and span 25 competitions, with more than 2,000 players from over 200 Clubs and more than 100 countries competing for a $75 million prize pool.
EF said Paris Expo Porte de Versailles will host competition arenas, broadcast operations, fan activations, and festival experiences. The organiser also pointed to the venue’s track record as the home of Paris Games Week since 2010 and as a site used during the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Ticketing includes Regular Tournament Passes and Premium Tournament Passes, alongside Daily Regular Tournament Passes. For select championship matches across VALORANT, League of Legends, Rocket League, and Counter-Strike 2, EF said “Final Day Seating Zones” will be split into Gold, Silver, and Bronze tiers.
The published schedule lists Week 1 events including VALORANT (July 9–12), ALGS Year 6 Split 1 Playoffs for Apex Legends (July 7–11), Dota 2 (July 7–12), and FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves (July 8–11), concluding in Week 7 with Counter-Strike 2 (August 19–23), Fortnite Reload Elite Series Championship (August 19–22), Trackmania (August 19–22), and CROSSFIRE (August 18–22).
The post Esports Foundation sets Esports World Cup 2026 venue at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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