Eastern Europe

Kyiv hosted an international esports tournament: WePlay! Mad Moon

Published

5 years ago

February 25, 2020

On Feb. 19-23 the Ukrainian capital hosted an international esports tournament WePlay! Dota 2 Tug of War: Mad Moon with a $300,000 prize pool. The event included players from Sweden, Poland, Jordan, Germany, Serbia, Argentina, Peru, and other countries.

Between Feb. 20 and 23, the players competed in front of a live audience at Kyiv concert-hall VDNG (pavilion #9). The residents and guests of the city had an opportunity to attend the event for free and meet esports legends such as Danil “Dendi” Ishutin, Clement “Puppey” Ivanov, Kuro “KuroKy” Salehi Takhasomi, and many others.

At the venue, WePlay! Esports and the event partners provided various activities. For example, the visitors could participate in amateur tournaments and win prizes at the WePlay! Tournament Platform stand. After their matches, the professional teams participated in autograph signing sessions.

Now that the tournament has ended, the WePlay! Esports team has received a plethora of positive feedback about the show component of the event. From SFM-clips, augmented reality, music performances, and the atmosphere of cyberpunk, the viewers were delighted by what they saw on live streams and on the stage. The approach to organizing esports events where competitive matches are a part of a show is something we call esportainment.

European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

“Each tournament is another challenge on the quest for our goal — organizing the most popular esports shows in the world. We thrive not only to live up to the expectations of our audience but also to exceed them. WePlay! Mad Moon proved once again that we are on the right path. In March, we will announce a new event plan. Trust me; it will be impressive.”
– Managing Partner of WePlay! Esports Yuriy Lazebnikov

One of the most extraordinary moments of the show happened when teams arrived on stage on board the Madmoontruck. This moment was extensively covered in the press and went viral on social media.

In the finals of WePlay! Mad Moon, champions of the two previous Dota Pro Circuit events went toe to toe in a nail-biter series. Team Secret won the first two games of the best of 5 series, but Team Nigma managed to come back and win the championship.

WePlay! Mad Moon prize pool allocation:

1st Team Nigma — $130,000
2nd Team Secret — $60,000
3rd Virtus.pro — $30,000
4th Gambit Esports — $20,000
5th/6th B8 — $12,000
5th/6th Aggressive Mode — $12,000
7th/8th Infamous — $8,000
7th/8th Ninjas in Pyjamas — $8,000
Amer “Miracle-“ Al-Barkawi (Team Nigma) won $10,000 as the core MVP
Maroun “GH Merhej (Team Nigma) won $10,000 as the support MVP

WePlay! Mad Moon is the final tournament of the Dota 2 Tug of War trilogy series. It also included WePlay! Radiant with a prize pool of $50,000 and WePlay! Dire with a prize pool of $30,000.

According to analytical company Esports Charts, the event attracted 295,110 peak viewers during the series between Team Nigma and Virtus.pro. The official English-speaking broadcast peaked at 91,093 viewers.

“We are happy about breaking yet another record in viewership. The WePlay! Esports team once again organized a show that WOWED! We’ve set the bar even higher for ourselves and esports in general. We will only allow ourselves to get better with time.”
– Business Development Manager компании WePlay! Esports.

#MadMoon, #WePlayDota2

Source: WePlay! Esports Press Office

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Compliance Updates

CEO of PIN-UP Global claims the charges against the Ukrainian partner to be legally absurd

Published

1 week ago

February 13, 2025

George Miller

ceo-of-pin-up-global-claims-the-charges-against-the-ukrainian-partner-to-be-legally-absurd

Reading Time: < 1 minute

The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) of Ukraine initiated criminal proceedings against the owner of the PIN-UP Ukraine operator (Ukr Game Technology LLC), Ihor Zotko, on charges of high treason and aiding and abetting Russia. It entailed freezing of the company’s accounts and complete suspension of its operations.

The accusations are based on license payments that Ukr Game Technology LLC (Brand PIN-UP.UA) transferred to PIN-UP Global (GuruFlow Team LTD), an international iGaming holding company registered in a European jurisdiction.

Marina Ilina, CEO of PIN-UP Global, strongly denies the accusations, stating that these are legitimate payments under the software license agreement. She emphasizes that GuruFlow Team LTD has transparent operations, is licensed in Europe and has no financial transactions with Russia.

“These accusations do not stand up to criticism. I am a Ukrainian and openly support my country. All the activities of my company are transparent and can be easily verified. We have no financial transfers to Russia, but only legitimate business operations. The case against Ukr Game Technology LLC may create a dangerous precedent in which standard commercial operations, such as royalty payments to international companies, are equated with a crime,” Ilina said.

According to her, the mere fact of the investigation led by the SBI raises serious concerns and looks like an element of pressure, since, according to the legislation, cases of high treason are in the competence of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), not the SBI.

Ilina believes that the development of the situation around Ukr Game Technology LLC may affect the international business perception of the investment climate in Ukraine and create risks for operation of foreign iGaming companies in the country.

The post CEO of PIN-UP Global claims the charges against the Ukrainian partner to be legally absurd appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Compliance Updates

Imagine Live Receives ONJN License

Published

2 weeks ago

February 10, 2025

George Miller

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Imagine Live, the live casino provider has been approved by ONJN – the Romanian regulator

Imagine Live is thrilled to announce that it has successfully obtained the Class II license in Romania through its subsidiary ImagineLive Ro for the streaming of Live Casino games.

Martin Martirosyan Imagine Live Group CEO, commented: “Imagine Live is an established brand committed to delivering exceptional products and gaming experiences by putting the player at the centre of the live gaming experience. Imagine Live is equally committed to providing premium and customised live dealer solutions with bespoke tables and studios for our Romanian operator partners to ensure a complete brand experience that players enjoy and return, which drives deeper engagement and revenue opportunities.

The successful regulatory Class II approval from the Romanian ONJN regulatory authority further underpins our company’s growth plans and investments for state-of-the-art live dealer studios and customised live dealer product experiences.”

The post Imagine Live Receives ONJN License appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Central Europe

GamingTECH CEE Awards 2025: The Online Voting Battle Begins February 12!

Published

2 weeks ago

February 10, 2025

George Miller

gamingtech-cee-awards-2025:-the-online-voting-battle-begins-february-12!

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The highly anticipated GamingTECH CEE Awards 2025 is entering its next thrilling phase as the online voting period kicks off on February 12 and runs through February 28, 2025. Nominees, get ready to enter the spotlight and prepare your communications campaigns! From the moment voting opens, all nominated companies and individual professionals will be visible, giving them the opportunity to rally support via social media and beyond to secure votes.

The GamingTECH CEE Awards celebrates outstanding achievements, embracing the latest advancements and industry trends in the region. Following a rigorous nomination process that concluded on January 19, the upcoming online voting session will determine the shortlists.

Key Dates:

Online Voting Period: February 12–28, 2025
Shortlist Announcement: March 4, 2025
Final Live Vote & Awards Ceremony: March 25, 2025, at the Prague Gaming & TECH Summit

New Rule for 2025:

This year, the GamingTECH CEE Awards introduces an important update: Each voter will only be allowed one vote for the entire online voting period. Nominees are encouraged to actively engage their industry peers and supporters to maximize their chances of advancing to the finals.

From “Shortlisted” to “Finalist”

Additionally, only shortlisted nominees who confirm their attendance at the Awards by purchasing a ticket for the Prague Gaming & TECH Summit will be eligible to advance to the final voting stage. This ensures a fair competition for the Awards between equally committed finalists, and a strong industry presence at the Summit to foster greater networking and engagement.

The final live vote will take place at the Prague Gaming & TECH Summit on March 25, 2025, where all event participants will have the opportunity to cast their votes and determine the ultimate winners. The winners will then be officially announced at the GamingTECH CEE Awards Ceremony, proudly sponsored and presented by Endorphina.

Awards Categories:

Individual Categories:

CEE iGaming Leader of the Year: Recognizing an individual from the CEE region who has demonstrated exceptional leadership, vision, and a strong impact in the iGaming industry. This person has driven growth and innovation in the region, setting the benchmark for others.
CEE Rising Star in iGaming: Celebrating an individual from the CEE region who has shown remarkable promise and potential in the iGaming industry early in their career. This award highlights emerging talent that is expected to shape the future of iGaming in the region.
CEE Innovator of the Year: Awarding the individual who has introduced the most groundbreaking innovations in the CEE iGaming sector. This person has significantly contributed to the evolution of the industry through unique products, services, or technologies tailored to the regional market.
CEE iGaming Influencer of the Year: Honoring a prominent individual whose influence and insights have significantly shaped the CEE iGaming community. Their thought leadership, content, or social presence has driven trends and fostered growth within the regional iGaming space.
Best iGaming CEO in CEE: Recognizing the CEO based in the CEE region who has led their company to new heights with outstanding strategic direction and business acumen. This award honors their ability to navigate the unique challenges of the CEE market and achieve exceptional business growth.

Get Involved & Secure Your Spot

Set your reminders and be ready for action on 12 February 2025! Encourage your peers, partners, and clients to participate in the voting process and ensure that your company or favorite nominee makes it to the final stage!

For more details on the awards, voting process, and ticketing information, visit https://hipther.com/events/prague/gamingtech-awards/ or contact HIPTHER at [email protected].

Join us in shaping the future of gaming and technology in CEE – Cast your vote and be part of the journey!

The post GamingTECH CEE Awards 2025: The Online Voting Battle Begins February 12! appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.