eSports
Esports World Cup and The Esports Awards Announce Three-year Partnership

The Esports Awards and the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) have announced a three-year partnership that brings the world’s most prestigious esports awards ceremony and platform to the Esports World Cup, the world’s largest gaming festival set to take place this summer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The 2024 Esports Awards will be held on August 24 in Riyadh as a dynamic gala that honours the best in esports from every corner of the globe, celebrating clubs, athletes, content creators, games and more. The partnership ensures that the Esports Awards will deliver on a grander scale than ever before, with elevated experiences at the Lifetime Achievement mixer, Red Carpet Event, Esports Village and the awards ceremony itself. Fans can vote on awards finalists when they are revealed on June 27.
Since its inception in 2015, the Esports Awards has earned a reputation for recognising excellence in esports globally and supporting initiatives to grow the industry. Over the past decade, it has evolved from a London dinner event into the premier global awarding body and de-facto platform for esports recognition.
The global red carpet event has hosted unforgettable events in London, Dallas, and Las Vegas and now comes to Saudi Arabia for the first time. Last year’s star studded ceremony attracted over 22 million viewers and saw some of the biggest brands, athletes and publishers take home thirty awards across Entertainment, Industry, Creative, Pro, On-Air Talent and Collegiate categories. The event also secured a Guinness World Record for largest digital video game display when WWE superstars and gaming legends alike played Pac-Man on a 100,000 square foot screen.
As the industry advances, acknowledging the events shaping competitive gaming’s future is crucial. By hosting its annual event in a significant and growing esports hub like Saudi Arabia, the Esports Awards can further its mission alongside the Esports World Cup, one of the most exciting esports events of the year.
“Partnering with the Esports World Cup enables us to offer an even more exceptional experience to our nominees, guests and viewers. The Esports Awards have always been dedicated to celebrating incredible achievements in esports, so we naturally saw the opportunity to join forces with EWC in Riyadh as an excellent fit. The Middle East is home to one of the fastest growing and most passionate esports communities in the world and I’m delighted to be bringing the awards to the region for the first time. I cannot wait for this year’s ceremony, which I expect will be the most impressive and memorable one yet,” Michael Ashford, CEO of Esports Awards, said.
“Hosting the Esports Awards in Riyadh enriches the Esports World Cup, bringing the entire world together to commemorate esports excellence. Here, we can support the Esports Awards as a valuable bridge between Eastern and Western audiences. The Esports Awards is a fantastic gala that celebrates stakeholders from across the global esports ecosystem, recognizing not only competitive greatness but also greatness in production, broadcasting, leadership, creative design and more. I’m excited to attend the Esports Awards this year in Riyadh and honor the best in esports,” Ralf Reichert, CEO of Esports World Cup Foundation, said.
The post Esports World Cup and The Esports Awards Announce Three-year Partnership appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
Esports World Cup Foundation and Lenovo™ Partner to Power the Next Generation of Esports Champions

Lenovo’s Legion premium gaming brand joins the world’s largest esports event to fuel elite performance and elevate the fan experience through world-class hardware
The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) and Lenovo, announced a partnership to make Lenovo’s Legion brand of gaming devices the Official PC & Gaming Hardware partner of the Esports World Cup 2025 (EWC). Lenovo Legion is the one of the world’s leading gaming ecosystem brands, and will be bring its relentless commitment to innovation and performance to the global stage, empowering EWC athletes to compete at their highest level.
From training rooms to tournament zones, EWC athletes will be equipped with Lenovo Legion Towers, Lenovo Legion laptops, and peripherals – built for elite esports play with advanced thermal systems, high-performance silicon, high refresh-rate displays and low latency keyboards and mice that meet the demands of top-level competition.
Key models such as the Legion Tower 7i and Legion Tower 5i will feature across the event’s player infrastructure, delivering the reliability and power needed to perform under the intense pressure of elite competition. Designed for esports, both towers offer expansive I/O for a complete gaming setup and Legion Coldfront: Liquid cooling thermal solutions. The Legion Tower 7i boasts advanced cooling and an NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 5080 Desktop GPU for the extreme performance that top-tier esports athletes rely on, while the Legion Tower 5i pairs intelligent cooling with the RTX 5070 Ti Desktop GPU to deliver focused, winning gameplay.
EWC will also feature Legion Pro 7i laptops to give attendees the full Lenovo Legion experience. Legion laptops untether elite-level gaming experiences from the desk, allowing gamers to win anywhere they find themselves in competition for the top spot with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPUs and Legion Coldfront: Vapor thermal systems, allowing the laptop to deliver up to 250W TDP that brings the most demanding games to life on the 16” PureSight OLED display.
“We’re building the Esports World Cup to set a new global standard — in both competition and the technology behind it,” said Mohammed Al Nimer, Chief Commercial Officer at Esports World Cup Foundation. “Lenovo’s Legion brand understands what elite players need: speed, efficiency, and reliability under pressure. These machines deliver the competitive edge required on the world’s biggest stage, and together we’re pushing the limits of performance — while delivering an experience that meets the expectations of athletes, fans, and the future of global esports.”
“Lenovo Legion equips gamers around the world with outstanding devices to help them achieve their goals and reach their impossible,” said Volker Düring, VP, PC Gaming Business, Lenovo. “The Esports World Cup is the ultimate forum for the world’s best gamers to showcase their mettle and emerge at the top of the world leaderboards, and when the best gamers compete on Lenovo Legion devices, anything is possible.”
As part of the partnership, Lenovo’s Legion branding will appear across EWC’s global broadcast, digital content, and onsite experiences, including fully equipped festival zones with PCs, gear, and laptops available for attendees to play on-site, helping drive deeper engagement with fans while highlighting the ecosystem that supports world-class gaming.
Fans can expect exclusive content, player-focused storytelling, and digital activations across Lenovo Legion’s social channels, offering an inside look at the road to victory – and the technology that powers it.
Returning to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 7 to August 24, 2025, the Esports World Cup will unite global gaming communities for a celebration of esports culture. With 25 tournaments across 24 games, 2,000 elite players, and 200 Clubs from over 100 countries, the EWC will feature the largest prize pool in esports history, over $70 million. Fans can expect exclusive experiences, from high-stakes competition to live music, anime cafes, retro arcades, cosplay, and more, drawing millions of fans online and in person.
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eSports
BETBY REDEFINES CHESS BETTING WITH EXPANDED MARKET OFFERING AHEAD OF ESPORTS WORLD CUP DEBUT

BETBY, the innovative sportsbook supplier, is redefining how chess is experienced in the betting world, launching an innovative suite of markets designed to deepen engagement and bring fresh energy to one of the world’s oldest strategy games.
Marking a new chapter for chess within the iGaming space, BETBY’s upgraded betting content portfolio goes far beyond traditional markets like outright winner or total moves. Bettors can now engage with detailed, event-specific outcomes including the first move made, the first piece captured, number of checks, castlings, and whether a game will feature a pawn promotion, an en passant, or end in stalemate. Several markets also focus on the timing of critical moments, such as whether a checkmate will occur before a certain move, offering more dynamic, real-time decision-making for players.
This launch follows six months of dedicated product development across BETBY’s chess vertical and reflects the company’s long-term vision for the game as a core part of its sportsbook strategy. With chess now officially included in the Esports World Cup, the timing marks a natural convergence of two verticals where BETBY continues to strengthen its position: esports and traditional chess.
As part of this expansion, BETBY is also introducing another exclusive: live betting on the Top Chess Engine Championship (TCEC), a prestigious AI-based tournament. While the event follows a defined schedule, it opens up a new betting experience through intense matchups between powerful engines, enriching the overall chess offering.
Currently, BETBY offers pre-match coverage for around 20 chess tournaments per month, totaling approximately 400 matches. The addition of these expanded markets marks a strategic leap forward in delivering a modern, high-engagement chess product to sportsbook partners and players.
“Chess has always been a passion of ours, and today we’re proud to announce the launch of a truly comprehensive chess offering,” said Kirill Nekrasov, Head of Sportsbook Product at BETBY. “By expanding our market depth and introducing innovative tournaments, including both traditional and AI-driven formats, we’re giving our partners and players a completely new way to engage with the game. Our vision is ambitious: we want chess and betting to become synonymous, to the point where no modern sportsbook feels complete without chess markets. We’ve already done this with Betby.Games and esports, now it’s time to do the same with chess.”
BETBY’s long-term global brand ambassador, five-time world chess champion Magnus Carlsen, will represent Team Liquid at the Esports World Cup. His participation in the tournament, which begins on July 7th, reinforces chess’s growing presence in global esports and its potential as a premium betting vertical.
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Esportes da Sorte
Esportes da Sorte celebrates Brazilian culture with Parintins and São João Sponsorships

Esportes Gaming Brasil, the owner of Onabet and Esportes da Sorte, is making its debut at the 58th Parintins Folklore Festival with an interactive project that blends cultural promotion, economic development, and social responsibility.
The brand becomes the first regulated betting operator to offer institutional support to the event, which welcomes around 120,000 visitors and generates BRL 184 million in local economic activity, according to the Amazonas State Government.
This cultural commitment comes on the back of Esportes Gaming Brasil sponsoring 31 São João festivals during June in 27 cities across the Northeast and Southeast regions. This initiative strengthens the brand’s strategy of connecting with the public through the appreciation of Brazilian cultural expressions.
Esportes da Sorte’s focus was creating memorable experiences as each event featured scenography by Pernambucan artist Perron Ramos. Another notable element was the Vila Junina (June Village), a themed area blending traditional elements with interactive experiences. Classic games such as Pescaria da Sorte (Fishing of Fortune), Barraca do Beijo (Kissing Booth), and Argola da Sorte (Ring Toss) bring nostalgia to the festivities.
For the three-day Parintins Folklore Festival starting today, the brand will be energising Parintins with a series of experiences celebrating local culture. These include a panoramic lounge with a special view of the Bumbódromo, the Truck da Sorte — a space combining karaoke and free hydration — as well as a Social Arena installed in the Garantido and Caprichoso neighborhoods, featuring artistic performances, rest areas, free water distribution, and Instagram-worthy spots. Festivalgoers will also be able to get their hands on custom giveaways throughout the festival. All elements of the visual project are inspired by Amazonian art. The graphics feature illustrations by Curumiz, a Parintins-based duo formed by Alziney Pereira and Kemerson Freitas.
Sofia Aldin, CMO of Esportes Gaming Brasil, the group behind the brand commented: “Esportes Gaming Brasil cares passionately about regional values and strengthening Brazilian popular culture. It’s more than simply showcasing our brand, we want to create value for the people who live for events like the Parintins Folklore Festival and the São João festivals. Being part of these events backs our strategy of supporting traditions that drive local economies and celebrate regional identities.”
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