eSports
Esports Integrity Commission named official body for ICE London’s Esports Arena as part of three-year partnership
The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has been confirmed as the official sanctioning body for the ICE Esports Arena $250k CS:GO tournament which takes place live on the show floor of ICE London (4-6 February, ExCeL London, UK). This year’s ICE London will be the venue for event organisers, Clarion Gaming, and the ESIC to sign a strategic three-year partnership which will see both organisations collaborating across a broad range of issues and topics impacting the developing relationship between the esports sector and the gambling industry.
Commenting on their presence as sanctioning body for the Esports Arena tournament, which will be broadcast live, ESIC Commissioner Ian Smith said: “We are delighted to be overseeing the officiating and rules and regulations for this important event. Our partnership with Clarion provides wonderful opportunities to raise awareness about the relationship between esports and betting on esports and helping to professionalise officiating in the industry. We look forward to developing this innovation with Clarion over the next three years.”
As part of the sanctioning body’s function, ESIC will be providing player education throughout the tournament on key competitive integrity risk areas including cheating, match fixing and doping. ESIC will also be providing external referee support to oversee tournament administration and ensure ESIC compliance during the operation of the tournament.
ICE London 2020 will also see the ESIC become a Supporting Partner interfacing across Clarion’s portfolio of market leading events and services. The three-year agreement will be signed at the ICE Esports Arena by Clarion Gaming Head of esports William Harding, and Stephen Hanna, Director of Global Strategy and Partnerships at the Esports Integrity Commission.
Heralding the agreement, William Harding stated: “In recent years esports and gambling have become inextricably interwoven. Inherently very different industries, esports has a very protective and authentic user base. A respectful and tailored approach from the gambling sector is required in order to support the fast growth within the sector. ESIC is quickly becoming a leading guiding force for the international esports industry, delivering a comprehensive range of services that significantly prevent foul play. In my opinion tournament organisers which operate in the gambling sector need to hold themselves to a very high standard. Fair gameplay is essential for operators to function commercially within this space. Our stakeholders based throughout the world look to Clarion Gaming to provide a platform for insightful, expert analysis and we are delighted to now be working alongside one of the leading authorities on esports.”
Echoing these sentiments, Stephen Hanna, Director of Global Strategy and Partnerships at the Esports Integrity Commission added: “Clarion Gaming has a reputation for delivering professional and well executed business-to-business events for the gambling industry. ESIC is excited to enter into this partnership which will see us working with Clarion to ensure that esports is authentically represented at their events, in a way that is helpful to both industries. By doing so, ESIC will continue to safeguard the integrity of esports on a global scale.”
amd
S8UL partners with AMD ahead of Esports World Cup 2026 campaign
AMD Ryzen and Radeon hardware will be used across S8UL’s esports, streaming and creator workflows as the Indian org ramps up its EWC push.
S8UL has signed a strategic partnership with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) ahead of its Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 campaign, as the Indian esports and gaming content organization targets further international expansion.
Under the agreement, AMD will equip S8UL’s players and creators with AMD Ryzen
AI 400 Series processor-based PCs, AMD Ryzen
9000 Series processors, and AMD Radeon
RX 9000 Series graphics cards for gaming, streaming, content creation and general productivity.
The deal lands as S8UL prepares for EWC 2026 after being selected for the Esports World Cup Foundation’s Club Partner Program for a second consecutive year. The organization said it has already secured qualification spots in Apex Legends, Chess, Fortnite, Honor of Kings, and Trackmania, while continuing to pursue additional slots in other titles. The partnership also follows S8UL onboarding Campa Energy as the Title Sponsor for its EWC 2026 campaign.
“S8UL has always focused on both competitive success and content creation. As we prepare for the Esports World Cup, AMD’s technology will support our players and creators across competition, streaming and content production. We’re excited to work together as we continue to grow our presence globally,” said Animesh ‘Thug’ Agarwal, Co-Founder and CEO, S8UL.
“India’s gaming ecosystem is expanding beyond competition, with creators playing an increasingly important role in how communities connect and grow,” said Vinay Sinha, Managing Director, Sales, AMD India. “Organizations like S8UL are helping shape that evolution, and we’re excited to support their players and creators with AMD technology as they continue to engage gaming and creators’ communities in India and around the world.”
EWC 2026 is scheduled for July 6 to August 23, with the Esports World Cup organisers stating it will feature more than 2,000 players and 200 clubs from over 100 countries competing for a $75 million prize pool.
The post S8UL partners with AMD ahead of Esports World Cup 2026 campaign appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
eSports
Esports Awards adds player-voted EWC Players’ Choice Award, extends Esports Foundation deal
The Esports Awards and the Esports Foundation (EF) on June 18, 2026, announced a three-year extension of their partnership through 2028 and introduced a new player-voted honor, the EWC Players’ Choice Award. The announcement was made in London, with voting tied to Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 in Paris.
The EWC Players’ Choice Award will be decided exclusively by professional esports players. According to the announcement, competitors attending EWC 2026 will vote in person, while a secure digital voting platform hosted by the Esports Awards will allow participation from additional eligible players and clubs.
Eligibility requires players to have competed in at least one qualifying S, A or B-Tier tournament during the official competitive season. Players will not be able to vote for themselves or teammates, with the Esports Awards overseeing the process.
“The talent and innovation of our sector should be getting the exposure it deserves.,” said Michael Ashford, CEO of the Esports Awards. “The Esports Foundation has done an incredible job in generating mainstream attention, and industry exposure outside of the standard circuit. Our partnership has enabled us to expand our operations and footprint and it’s through our continued collaboration that I hope we can bring the Esports Awards to the global community, and provide the industry with better visibility all year round.”
The Esports Awards also confirmed its 2026 ceremony will take place in the United States, starting what it described as a rotating host city model featuring “previously unvisited destinations.” The event previously staged its 2024 awards ceremony and the 2025 Decade Awards in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as part of the Esports World Cup program.
EWC 2026 is scheduled for Paris from July 06 through August 23, 2026, with more than 2,000 players and 200 Clubs from over 100 countries set to compete in 25 tournaments across 24 games. Voting for the EWC Players’ Choice Award will run from July 1 through August 18, 2026, with the winner to be revealed during the Esports Awards ceremony later this year. The Esports Awards said additional details about its 2026 event will be announced in the coming weeks.
The post Esports Awards adds player-voted EWC Players’ Choice Award, extends Esports Foundation deal appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
chess
ENC 2026 chess qualifiers wrap as 82 nations and territories make the field
The Esports Foundation (EF) has completed the online regional qualifiers for the Chess tournament at the Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ENC), scheduled to debut in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2-29, 2026.
EF said the 128-player chess field is now largely set. 64 players from 64 countries and territories received direct invitations via official Champions Chess Tour (CCT) rankings at the end of May, while 61 players qualified through online regional events operated by Chess.com across North America, South America, Africa, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East/India/Central Asia, and East Asia/Southeast Asia/Oceania.
A further slot was awarded to Amani Alazmi (Kuwait) via the Host Region Wildcard as the next highest-placing competitor from the host region. Two Wildcard Solidarity slots for underrepresented regions remain and will be announced at the end of August after all ENC qualifiers are completed. With qualifiers concluded, EF said at least 82 countries and territories will be represented in chess at ENC 2026.
EF highlighted that Jamaica, Paraguay, Singapore, South Africa, Tajikistan, Tunisia, and Turkmenistan each secured two qualifying slots despite not receiving a direct invitation. Honduras, Mexico, El Salvador, Venezuela, Morocco, Nigeria, Algeria, Jordan, Australia, and New Zealand secured one slot each.
The chess competition runs November 2-8. EF said the event will open with a round-robin group stage featuring 16 groups of eight players, before moving to a 64-player single-elimination playoff bracket. The full list of qualified players and nations is available on the ENC website’s chess page.
The post ENC 2026 chess qualifiers wrap as 82 nations and territories make the field appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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