eSports
QUEEN ELIZABETH OLYMPIC PARK, THE UK’S HOME OF ESPORTS
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is fast becoming the home of esports in the UK, with its premier esports arena, Copper Box Arena, at the centre of this rapidly growing industry as it welcomes the World Series of Warzone Global Finals.
London’s third largest arena has already hosted major esports tournaments featuring popular games such as Apex Legends, League of Legends (LoL Esports), Gran Turismo, among many others, drawing in avid esports fans from all over the world.
- Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park welcomes esports tournament World Series of Warzone Global Finals.
- The leading innovation campus, Here East, on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, is now home to a thriving esports community and promoter Esports Engine.
- The global games market has more than doubled in value from $70.6Bn in 2012 to $180.1Bn in 2021.
- Hub of esports education with courses at Staffordshire University London based at Here East and College of Esports at Lee Valley VeloPark.
Copper Box Arena, managed by GLL, a charitable social enterprise and worker-owned cooperative, operating under the community-brand, Better will welcome the World Series of Warzone Global Finals on Saturday 16th September.
The world’s best Warzone players will battle it out live for a staggering $600,000 in prize money. The event will even include the iconic Solo Yolo event, which will see 150 Warzone demons go rogue, battling it out individually for a chance to claim the crown and a whopping $100,000 prize for the last player standing.
The last CoD event in London was back in 2020 when the London Royal Ravens held some of their electrifying home matches at Copper Box Arena.
The 7,500 seater arena’s flexibility enables it to accommodate the diverse event set-ups different esports events require from a full auditorium, to accommodating event and expo combined, from end stage to centre stage to projection onto the field of play itself.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is a global leader in esports. The Park is harnessing this growing industry, becoming a hub for skills training and jobs in the sector, and helping to create a better, more prosperous London for all. The eyes of the gaming world will be on the Copper Box Arena this week, as tens of thousands of visitors take part in the exciting programme of events, with millions more joining in online.”
Lyn Garner, Chief Executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation, said: “It’s fantastic to be welcoming another esports event to the Copper Box Arena which has established itself as the capital’s prime esports venue. The esports cluster evolving here on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park drives huge opportunities for learning and jobs and makes a major contribution to the economy.”
Gavin Poole, CEO of Here East, said: “It is wonderful to see the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’s transformation into a vibrant hub for the esports community. Home to world-class tech companies, leading educational institutions and creative businesses, Here East has long supported innovation in the gaming industry. We are thrilled to be at the forefront of this rapidly evolving sector, solidifying East London’s reputation as the leading destination for esports in the UK.”
Stuart Hutchison, General Manager at Copper Box Arena, said: “We’re immensely proud to be part of the emergence of esports. Copper Box Arena is rapidly becoming the home of esports in the UK after hosting huge tournaments such as League of Legends and Apex Legends already this year. We are now excited to be bringing yet another high-profile game to life in Call of Duty Warzone.”
Esports has garnered immense popularity, with viewership for events rivalling that of traditional sports, and the park is at the forefront of embracing this global phenomenon. As esports continues to capture the hearts of many, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is positioning itself as a leading destination for esports in the UK, offering a dynamic and cutting-edge environment for esports tournaments, athletes, and fans alike.
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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