eSports
Fnatic takes the crown at Red Bull Home Ground 2023
The Red Bull Home Ground Grand Finals came to a thrilling conclusion today as Fnatic emerged victorious with a 3-2 victory over Cloud9. The professional VALORANT Invitational tournament saw a closely fought finale, with Cloud9 starting strong but unable to stop Fnatic’s momentum as they upped their game round by round, handing the US team their second straight 2nd place finish, as the Red Bull Home Ground trophy returns to EU.
The teams put on a spectacular show for fans viewing online as well as attendees at the legendary Ryogoku Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo, Japan. Since Friday, the eight attending teams have been battling it out for a place in the Grand Final, where Cloud9 and Fnatic today went head to head in a best-of-five showdown to crown the winner.
In the Group Stages on Friday both Fnatic and FUT Esports put in dominant performances, going 2-0 and immediately qualifying for the Semi-Finals. In the first round, FUT Esports had an especially dominant match against defending champs 100 Thieves, handily defeating them 13-3 and showing the world they didn’t just come to play, but came to win. Local fans may have been disappointed that two of the three hometown Japan teams, SCARZ and Fennel, were knocked out in the Group Stages, with Cloud9, DRX, 100 Thieves and ZETA Division progressing to the Saturday Playoffs.
The Playoffs began with a dominant 2-0 victory for DRX over 100 Thieves, meaning a new champ would be crowned at this Red Bull Home Ground. Cloud9 vs ZETA Division was a much closer affair, with ZETA taking the first map before a strong turnaround from Cloud9 allowed them to take the following two maps and the victory. They continued their strong performance in the Semi-Finals, taking a 2-1 win over FUT Esports, the top team in the Friday Group Stages. On the other side of the bracket Fnatic took no prisoners with DRX, only allowing them to win 7 rounds across two maps as they moved onto the Grand Final.
The final stage of the competition saw Cloud9 face Fnatic in a 5 map drama that had the audience on the edge of their seat. Fnatic took the first map, before dropping the next two and looking like they would hand the victory to Cloud9. However, a strong performance on Lotus levelled the score, with all to play for on the final battleground Haven. In the final map, Fnatic took an early lead and never looked back, ending the show with a 13-5 win.
Following an outstanding performance throughout the tournament, newly-crowned Red Bull Home Ground Champion Nikita “Derke” Sirmitev commented “I’m feeling really good as we’ve won here twice now. I’m really happy with everyone, the boys, everyone in the team and the staff for supporting us. Having a great match today, we played seven maps and it was really hard, but we came out on top.”
The tournament was hosted by VALORANT personalities Iain Chambers and Adam Savage, supported by a team of expert commentators, including Tom ‘Tombizz’ Bissmire, Mitch ‘MitchMan’ McBride, Seth ‘Achilios’ King, and Clinton ‘Paperthin’ Bader.
Phygital International (PI), the exclusive rights holders and custodians of The Games of the Future (GOTF), announced that Brazil, Serbia, South Africa, and Uzbekistan are the shortlisted applicants to host GOTF 2027. The Games of the Future is the world’s leading phygital sports tournament, bringing together sports and esports athletes from around the world.
With the UAE set to host GOTF 2025 and Kazakhstan in 2026, the competition for the 2027 edition has drawn significant interest from nations eager to position themselves as leaders in the world of phygital sports.
Nis Hatt, CEO of Phygital International, said: “We received bids from right around the world which highlights the growing awareness and passion for phygital sports globally. We would like to thank all the nations who bid to host The Games of the Future 2027 and are pleased to announce that Brazil, Serbia, South Africa, and Uzbekistan have been selected as the nations shortlisted as potential hosts.”
Following further evaluations and detailed assessments of each finalist’s proposal, the final decision on the host country for GOTF 2027 will be announced in the summer of 2025.
The post Four Countries Shortlisted to Host GOTF 2027 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The HERO ESPORTS Asian Champions League (ACL), Asia’s premier multi-title esports tournament hosted by Hero Esports, has officially announced the addition of VALORANT to its inaugural lineup.
Previously, ACL unveiled six game titles: Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2 (CS2), Honor of Kings, Teamfight Tactics, Delta Force, and Crossfire. With VALORANT joining the roster, the total number of games now stands at seven, with more titles expected to be announced soon.
Through continued collaboration with the Esports World Cup, ACL has revealed that the champions of the ACL CS2 and Honor of Kings Tournaments will secure direct entry to the Esports World Cup. Further collaborations on the remaining titles of the ACL are anticipated.
The ACL VALORANT Tournament will be the only international-level VALORANT tournament held in China during the first half of 2025, attracting top teams from overseas. The Final of the event will take place offline in Shanghai. The event will use world-class production and cutting-edge live broadcasting technology to enhance audience experience.
The ACL is set to take place in the first half of 2025, with the Finals of the ACL CS2 Tournament and Honor of Kings Tournament scheduled for May. The ACL will have a total prize pool of $2 million.
Jonny Wang, CEO of the Asian Champions League, said: “We are excited to announce the addition of VALORANT to the ACL. Our ambition is to make ACL into a truly comprehensive tournament, providing a larger stage for players and teams across various competitions while delivering more exciting content for our audience.”
Danny Tang, Co-Founder and CEO of Hero Esports, said: “We are pleased by the progress of the ACL and its ability to attract top teams and titles to compete across Asia. We look forward to the continued collaboration between Hero Esports, ACL and the Esports World Cup Foundation, which is testament to our shared ambition to shape and empower esports globally.”
The post Valorant Added to Hero Esports Asian Champions League appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Partnership to drive EWC’s expansion in China, leveraging Tencent E-sports’ networks and expertise to connect Chinese esports with EWC’s global ecosystem
The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) announced a partnership with Tencent, making Tencent E-sports the EWCF’s strategic partner in China to drive the expansion of the Esports World Cup’s presence in the region. This partnership marks a significant milestone in the EWCF’s purpose to unite global esports fans under one competitive umbrella and underscores its commitment to integrating the world’s most important and rapidly growing esports market into the Esports World Cup platform. The agreement was formalized at the Empower Esports Worldwide Series – The Esports Operation and Technology Session in Shenzhen, China.
The collaboration will establish a dedicated Development Team to enhance EWC’s visibility, engagement, and industry collaboration in China, while leveraging EWC’s and Tencent E-sports’ networks and expertise to connect Chinese esports with EWC’s global ecosystem. Tencent E-sports will provide marketing expertise, strategic consulting, and operational support to deliver diverse content and experiences.
“The Esports World Cup has created a global stage for competitive gaming, demonstrating its influence not only in China but across the world,” said Mars Hou, Vice President of Tencent Games and General Manager of Tencent E-sports. “Through this partnership, we are committed to elevating EWC’s presence in China and integrating our esports industry with the world’s largest competitive gaming event. We look forward to deepening our collaboration with EWCF to push esports forward on a global scale.”
“The Esports World Cup’s purpose is to create a global platform for esports and gaming fans worldwide, and investing in key growth markets for esports is a core pillar of our mission,” said Thamer Al Shuaibi, Chief of Staff at the Esports World Cup Foundation. “China plays a critical role in this vision, and Tencent’s leadership in gaming and esports positions it as an essential partner. By combining our expertise, we will continue to strengthen esports as an industry, providing new opportunities for Chinese players and Clubs, and bringing the best of the Esports World Cup to Chinese fans.”
Esports World Cup 2025 will once again unite gaming and esports communities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for a global competition that will crown the next Esports World Cup Champion. The tournament’s unique cross-game format will reward Clubs and players competing for a life-changing prize pool in a mix of platforms and genres, bringing together esports’ best players, Clubs and games under one banner in the largest-ever celebration of esports.
The post Esports World Cup Foundation Announces Strategic Partnership with Tencent appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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