eSports
Intel® Extreme Masters Sydney 2023: FaZe Clan crowned the first-ever Counter-Strike 2 Champions following an electrifying Grand Final
The Intel® Extreme Masters (IEM) Sydney 2023 Grand Finals have concluded today, with powerhouse FaZe Clan emerging victorious with a score of 2-1 against Complexity. The first international in-person tournament played on Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) saw a nail-biting final, with FaZe Clan claiming the victory after an exhilarating double overtime final set, in what will surely go down as an iconic IEM final.
IEM Sydney 2023 is both the fastest-selling and largest Australian esports tournament in history. Australian Counter-Strike fans returned in force to the first live IEM Sydney in over 4 years, with 20,000 fans in attendance throughout the Playoffs in the Aware Super Theatre.
Group Stage
The tournament commenced on October 16 with a Group Stage during which the teams were divided into two groups of eight. Group A saw MOUZ dominate the upper bracket, with BetBoom Team coming in a close second. Both teams made it through to the Playoffs, alongside FaZe Clan who fought through the lower bracket for their spot, knocking out Natus Vincere in the process.
In Group B, G2 Esports and ENCE secured the top two spots in the upper bracket, and Complexity beat out Monte in the lower bracket final to claim the final spot in the Playoffs.
Playoffs
The Playoffs kicked off on October 20 with the quarterfinals that saw MOUZ, FaZe Clan, G2 Esports, and Complexity make it to the top four.
FaZe Clan showed their strength early during the Playoffs with a 13-0 win over ENCE, the first time a team has 13-0’d a competitor in a live Counter-Strike 2 tournament. Complexity also started their playoffs run strong with a 2-0 against BetBoom Team.
In the semi-finals, FaZe Clan dominated MOUZ winning 2-0, taking the first set 13-4 on Nuke, before converting a closer win of 13-9 on Vertigo.
Complexity also scored a 2-0 semi-final victory, dispatching G2 Esports, storming home 13-8 on Anubis, before winning the second set more comfortably 13-3 on Ancient, with Ricky “floppy” Kemery posting some impressive stats.
Grand Final
FaZe Clan and Complexity both booked their places in the Grand Final with impressive performances during the Playoffs where neither team dropped a map.
The first set of the Grand Final was incredibly tight, with Complexity eventually edging out a 13-11 win in the final round of the set, following a brilliant comeback. FaZe Clan rallied for set 2, winning it 13-11 and bringing the match to the decisive third set.
The third set nearly saw one of the greatest comebacks of IEM history, with Complexity recovering from 9-3 down, to win six consecutive games to bring it back to 10-9. In a nail-biting final few rounds, Complexity continued their magical form to take the Grand Final to overtime, and then a second overtime. Despite Complexity’s resurgence, FaZe Clan were able to recover, dominating the second overtime to take home the trophy, with Robin ‘Ropz’ Kool taking the title of ESL Pro Tour DHL MVP.
“It feels amazing to be the first CS2 champions,” said Håvard “rain” Nygaard of FaZe Clan. “I want to say thank you to all our fans here and around the world. This was hands down the best crowd I’ve ever played in front of.”
“It feels great, we’ve spent so much time practicing CS2 together before this,” said Robin ‘ropz’ Kool. “The first loss against GamerLegion hurt, but we stuck with it and managed to come back. It’s been a turbulent year for us, but I’ve been playing as much as possible, and CS2 gave us the motivational boost to improve our performance and work harder for this IEM.”
IEM Sydney 2023 saw a peak viewership of more than 463,081* concurrent viewers, over 6.6 million hours watched and attracted more than 20,000 attendees.
THE CACHES IV Showmatch
Ahead of the Grand Final on October 22, THE CACHES IV Showmatch Powered by Intel® and Acer Predator took place, which saw Team Australia and Team UK face off once more following a 4-year hiatus. Chad “SPUNJ” Burchill, Joshua “INS” Potter, Christopher “dexter” Nong, Justin “jks” Savage, Declan “Vexite” Portelli, Chris “GoMeZ” Orfanellis (Coach) represented Australia, while Alex “Hawka” Hawkins, Guy “NertZ” Iluz, Sebastian “volt” Maloș, Vladislav “nafany” Gorshkov and Henry “HenryG” Greer lined up in the British corner.
The match started closely, with both teams taking a few rounds each. However, Team Australia eventually got into a winning rhythm and swept away Team UK 13-7, winning The Caches for the fourth consecutive time. The showmatch also marked the launch of the Intel® Core™ 14th Gen Desktop Processor.
The ESL Pro Tour (EPT) for Counter-Strike continues with the currently ongoing ESL Challenger League Season 46, which will conclude on December 3. The year will be closed off by ESL Challenger Jönköping on November 24-26 and ESL Challenger Atlanta on December 15-17, before kicking off 2024 with a bang with the EPT Championship IEM Katowice 2024 on January 31-February 11.
Nine-time Evo Champion and Guinness World Record Holder Brings Legendary Status to Captain New Team, Recruit Talent, and Advance Science’s Role in Competitive Gaming
BASILISK, the global esports organization built to champion science, today announced the signing of legendary fighting game competitor Justin ‘JWong’ Wong as captain of its newly formed Fighting Game Community (FGC) Division. Wong will lead BASILISK’s entry into the FGC by recruiting players, developing community events, and creating FGC – science crossover content.
“Justin isn’t just a competitive genius – he is a cultural icon and humble leader within the FGC,” said BASILISK co-founder Christopher Bothur. “We are incredibly proud to have him leading our FGC division and support the amazing work he already does for the community.”
A nine-time Evolution Championship Series (Evo) Champion and Guinness World Record holder, Wong brings unparalleled FGC credibility and expertise to BASILISK. His reach extends across the entire FGC fandom of millions, and he was immortalized in Evo Moment #37 which has over 100 million views.
As Captain of BASILISK FGC, Wong will leverage BASILISK’s data analytics to scout and train the next generation of FGC pros.
“Math is super important to fighting games. I’m excited to join science’s esports team,” said Wong upon joining BASILISK. “I’m passionate about finding promising players with a positive mentality and shaping them into the next big thing. I want to see somebody else in the spotlight after me and help them reach their potential. If we can discover the next world champion, that would be fantastic.”
The signing comes on the heels of BASILISK’s new partnerships with The Planetary Society and Caltech’s Institute for Quantum Information and Matter (IQIM), announced in July. These collaborations create a powerful bridge between renowned scientific institutions and gamers, which Wong will amplify to his millions of followers and fans.
“Justin is a dream addition to our organization,” added BASILISK co-founder Hans Kassier. “He exemplifies the dedication and analytical capacity required to be an esports champion or great scientist.”
Wong becomes the second “GOAT” (Greatest of All Time) to join BASILISK, alongside Finnish StarCraft 2 legend Joona ‘Serral’ Sotala, who just captured the SC2 Esports World Cup Championship in July 2025. The signing also creates opportunities for cross-over content with BASILISK’s diverse roster, including chess Grandmaster Vincent Keymer and award-winning science communicator Kyle Hill, who brings over 2.5 million followers and a vast network of science enthusiasts to the organization.
The post Fighting Game GOAT Justin Wong Joins BASILISK, Science’s Esports Team appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
eSports
BETBY EXPANDS E-SIM PORTFOLIO WITH THREE NEW TITLES: eBOXING, eVOLLEYBALL, AND WORLD-FIRST eKABADDI
Leading sportsbook supplier BETBY has further grown its proprietary esports feed, Betby Games, with the addition of three new e-sim titles: eBoxing, eVolleyball, and the world’s first-ever virtual version of Kabaddi, eKabaddi. With this release, the Betby Games portfolio now features 22 titles, continuing to set the standard in high-frequency, localised betting content.
The newly launched titles reinforce BETBY’s strategy of diversifying its esports feed across both mainstream and niche sporting verticals, offering tailored content for specific regions while maintaining global appeal.
eKabaddi represents a historic industry first: a fully simulated and exclusive title made for fans of the sport, with a special focus on Asia. Launching in sync with the upcoming Season 12 of the Indian Pro Kabaddi League, this new addition features two tournaments: the Indian Pro League and a World Cup. With over 7,500 monthly matches, two 5-minute halves per game, and a unique real-sport integration, eKabaddi offers operators a powerful way to maintain 24/7 fan engagement and retention, even between real-world fixtures.
eBoxing brings iconic fighters to the virtual ring — from modern-day stars like Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk to true legends such as Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, and the Klitschko brothers — creating matchups never possible in real life, but now made reality through Betby Games. The title features fast-paced matchups across Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight tournaments, with each fight limited to a single 2-minute round and pre-match betting available on over 20,000 monthly events, making it perfectly suited for short-session engagement and high-intensity action.
eVolleyball launches with four tournaments showcasing national teams in a one-set-to-25-points format. Drawing from the South American Championship and CEV EuroVolley (for both men and women), each match lasts approximately 10 minutes. The title is expected to generate 15,000 events per month, adding variety to the Betby Games lineup.
Kirill Nekrasov, Head of Sportsbook Product at BETBY, commented: “We’re heading into the new sports season at full speed and pushing the Betby Games portfolio to new heights. Each of the new titles is unique and important for the market, we’re filling the live content gap across all directions. The launch of eKabaddi shows that for the Betby Games team, nothing is impossible.”
BETBY’s proprietary Betby Games ecosystem now includes 22 titles, 80+ tournaments, 8,000+ betting markets, and supports over 400,000 monthly matches, providing operators with an unparalleled selection of fast, flexible, and scalable esports content.
The post BETBY EXPANDS E-SIM PORTFOLIO WITH THREE NEW TITLES: eBOXING, eVOLLEYBALL, AND WORLD-FIRST eKABADDI appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) announced that football icons Ronaldo Nazário and Kaká will go head-to-head in the Esports World Cup 2025 Showmatch on August 9, 2025. Taking place during the EWC 2025 EA FC game week, live on stage in the STC Arena of the EWC Festival in Riyadh, the Showmatch blends elite football legacy with competitive gaming in a crossover moment that celebrates the rise of esports as a global sport.
The 2025 edition builds on the success of last year’s Showmatch debut ft. Neymar Jr. and Team Falcons’ Mossad “Msdossary” Al-Dossary. That foundation now returns on a bigger scale, as the Esports World Cup 2025 continues to blur the lines between sporting legacy and digital competition. The format is being elevated into a best-of-three digital derby featuring EA SPORTS FC 25 competition. With Cristiano Ronaldo recently named Global Ambassador of the EWC 2025, the Showmatch embodies the tournament’s commitment to bridging traditional sport and esports on a global stage.
“Ronaldo and Kaká embody competitive excellence and legacy, drawing passionate support from fans around the world – everything great sport aspires to achieve,” said Mike McCabe, COO of the Esports World Cup Foundation. “Their presence at the Esports World Cup reflects values that connect traditional sport and gaming, showing how those worlds are coming together in ways that truly resonate with fans. Bringing together legends who inspire multiple generations and communities is what makes this Showmatch truly special. We’re honoured to have them with us on this stage, especially during football week.”
Adding to the spectacle, Ronaldo and Kaká are also scheduled to appear on EWC Spotlight, the tournament’s premium broadcast series, offering insight into their role in the future of global sport and entertainment.
The match will feature a bespoke creative set-up inspired by Brazilian street football, old-school collectible cards, and graffiti art, incorporating EWC 2025 elements in a nostalgic yet modern expression of sport, elite esports competition, and fandom. Dedicated cheering sections, post-match Q&As, and exclusive fan rewards will ensure that attendees and viewers are fully immersed in the experience.
Celebrating football week at EWC 2025, the Showmatch and EA SPORTS FC Pro World Championship are joined by the Kings League MENA Presentation on August 10th, marking the competition’s regional debut. Founded by Gerard Piqué, the fast-paced, seven-a-side competition, which blends football with fan-led rules and digital interactivity, kicks off its MENA expansion at EWC 2025. At the event, Piqué will unveil team names, logos, and club presidents, including top regional creators.
The EWC Showmatch 2025 and Kings League MENA Presentation are some of the headline entertainment experiences of this summer’s EWC, the world’s largest esports event, hosted in Riyadh through to August 24, 2025. The tournament’s unique cross-game format brings together over 2,000 elite players and 200 Clubs, competing across 25 tournaments in 24 games for a life-changing $70m+ prize pool.
This year, icons Magnus Carlsen and Cristiano Ronaldo join the Esports World Cup as Global Ambassadors, bringing their competitive legacy and global reach to the world’s biggest esports stage. Carlsen, the reigning chess champion, also competes in the inaugural EWC Chess Tournament (July 29–31).
The post Football Legends Ronaldo and Kaká to Face Off in EA FC for Esports World Cup 2025 Showmatch appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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