eSports
Softgiving supports Cloud9, Dignitas, FlyQuest, and Immortals for Wash Yo Hands Tourney, an online charity stream benefiting the COVID-19 LA County Response Fund
Cloud9, Dignitas, Immortals Gaming Club, and FlyQuest, some of the world’s top-ranked esports organizations, are collaborating on an online tournament with the fundraising platform Softgiving to raise money for the California Community Foundation’s COVID-19 LA County Response Fund.
Four esports organizations launched the Wash Yo Hands Tourney on March 16th, featuring online competition between the organizations’ League of Legends teams, continuing through March 19 in a collective effort to both support local communities affected by COVID-19 and build awareness on how to prevent further spread. Each team faces off in a round-robin format featuring off-role positions for each player, and includes a ban list containing the 10 most competitive League of Legends champions. Every dollar donated will go toward community grants in Los Angeles with an initial focus on education, health, homelessness, and individual assistance. Fans can donate at WashYoHands.org
The upcoming Wash Yo Hands Tourney events will take place on nightly at 6PM PDT on Twitch and can be viewed at Twitch.tv/Dignitas, Twitch.tv/Cloud9, and Twitch.tv/Immortals
The four participating esports organizations and Softgiving hope the Wash Yo Hands Tourney will extend beyond the four-day tournament and continue as a long-term charitable initiative. All parties strongly encourage esports fans to continue using the power of streaming and gaming to raise funds for those affected by COVID-19 while also building awareness on how individuals can mitigate further spread.
The Wash Yo Hands Tourney will directly benefit the LA County Response Fund, which was launched by the California Community Foundation to address the immediate and emerging needs of their region’s most vulnerable residents — from mitigation to eventual recovery.
To support the Wash Yo Hands tourney, Softgiving provided donation tools and created a landing page where the streaming and gaming community can donate to the cause, track the total amount raised, and view recent and top donors.
“During these difficult times, we’re proud to make our fundraising platform available to esports organizations and their community to generate much-needed funding to mitigate the impact of COVID-19,” said Matt Pfaltzgraf, Founder & CEO of Softgiving. “We’re equally honored to support the critical relief services of the LA County Response Fund who are supporting the evolving needs of their diverse residents.”
To donate to the Wash Yo Hands Tourney, benefitting the LA County Response Fund and their efforts to combat COVID-19, individuals can go to www.WashYoHands.org and make a contribution or create a Softgiving campaign to join the event.
SOURCE Softgiving Inc.
energy drinks
Team Vitality names FYZIO official sports nutrition and energy drinks supplier
Multi-year deal adds Laboratoires Gilbert’s new brand to jerseys across CS2, VALORANT, Rocket League and LoL teams ahead of a September 2026 launch.
Team Vitality has signed a multi-year partnership with FYZIO, naming the brand its new official sports nutrition and energy drinks supplier. FYZIO is a sports nutrition and hydration brand developed by Laboratoires Gilbert, a French healthcare company established in 1904.
The partnership will put FYZIO branding on the left sleeve of Team Vitality’s official jerseys for several flagship rosters, including CS2, VALORANT (VCT), Rocket League, and League of Legends teams across the LEC, LFL, and Rising Bees. FYZIO will also support Team Vitality teams competing in Teamfight Tactics, Tekken, and Trackmania.
FYZIO is scheduled to launch in September 2026. Team Vitality said the brand will supply products intended to support areas including hydration, fatigue and stress reduction, concentration and memory, and sleep quality.
“We are delighted to announce this partnership with FYZIO and proud to support the launch of this ambitious new brand from the French group, Laboratoires Gilbert. By integrating its specialised nutrition products into our teams’ routines, we are further strengthening our commitment to high-performance excellence,” comments Vas Roberts, Co-CEO of Team Vitality.
“For more than 120 years, Laboratoires Gilbert has been developing solutions dedicated to health and well-being. With FYZIO, we are bringing this expertise to a new ambition: helping everyone achieve their goals, whatever they may be, through a modern, accessible, and responsible approach to sports nutrition. Our partnership with Team Vitality reflects this shared vision of progress, high standards, and sustainable performance. Your performance, our nature“, explains Cédric Batteur, Chairman & CEO, Laboratoires Gilbert.
The post Team Vitality names FYZIO official sports nutrition and energy drinks supplier appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
eSports
McDonald’s Germany signs on as presenting partner for G2 NORD and G2 Hel
McDonald’s Germany has partnered with G2 as presenting partner of G2 NORD, the organisation’s League of Legends academy team competing in Germany’s Prime League. The deal also includes support for the return of G2 Hel, G2’s women’s League of Legends team.
Under the agreement, McDonald’s Germany branding, including the “ich liebe es” (I’m lovin’ it) tagline, will appear on G2 NORD and G2 Hel jerseys. The partners also plan a year-long content programme focused on player storytelling and behind-the-scenes access, including a series featuring team president Niklot “Tolkin” Stüber.
G2 positioned the partnership around its regional development pathway. G2 NORD was formed earlier this year through a collaboration between G2 and NORD Esports, and the organisation said the roster has already won the Prime League Winter Snowdown and reached the playoffs in its first EMEA Masters run.
The company said McDonald’s Germany’s backing enables G2 Hel’s return, with the team set to compete in the upcoming Game Changers circuit. “This partnership goes beyond traditional sponsorship, it’s a shared commitment to pushing the boundaries of talent development and creating meaningful opportunities within the space,” said Alban Dechelotte, CEO of G2. Stijn Mentrop-Huliselan, CMO of McDonald’s Germany, added: “We’re proud to support G2 Nord and to celebrate the return of G2 Hel – a strong signal for equity, visibility and inclusion in esports.”
To launch the collaboration, McDonald’s and G2 released an announcement video featuring Jankos, Sola, Tolkin, Team Nord and Caltys, produced in-house by G2. McDonald’s Germany said its lead agency Scholz & Friends supported the development and execution of the partnership.
The post McDonald’s Germany signs on as presenting partner for G2 NORD and G2 Hel appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
chess
S8UL’s Aravindh Chithambaram qualifies for Esports World Cup 2026 chess event
S8UL’s Grandmaster Aravindh Chithambaram has qualified for the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 Chess main event after winning the Road to EWC qualifier at DreamHack Atlanta, according to the organization. S8UL said the result makes him the first Indian player to secure qualification for the Chess main event.
The qualifier used a group stage and playoffs format, with two games per series and Armageddon as the tiebreaker, played at 10 minutes with no increment. Aravindh advanced from Group B into the Upper Bracket semifinals after wins over Kyler Raines, Justin Liang, Oleksander Bortnyk, and Christopher Woo.
In the Upper Bracket semifinals, Aravindh beat Woo 2-1 after two draws and an Armageddon decider. He then defeated Alexey Sarana 2-1 in the Upper Bracket Final to reach the grand final, where he faced Sarana again. S8UL said the grand final used a double-match format, and after Sarana won the opening two games from the Lower Bracket side, Aravindh came back to win the Armageddon decider to take the qualifier.
The win earned the 26-year-old USD 15,000 (~INR 14 lakh) and one of the eight qualification slots confirmed so far for the EWC 2026 Chess main event, scheduled for August 11 to 15 with a USD 1.5 million (~INR 14 crore) prize pool. S8UL said it is now qualified for three EWC 2026 titles, following Fortnite and Honor of Kings.
“Qualifying for the Esports World Cup this year is a very proud and exciting moment for me, especially with so many top players and organizations from around the world competing at the event. This particular format leaves very little room for error, as every decision matters when you are playing 10-minute games without increment against some of the strongest players in the world. I am also very grateful to the team at S8UL for their consistent support and belief in me since last year. Their approach towards chess and nurturing Indian talent has been incredibly encouraging, and I am looking forward to representing the organization and giving my best at the main event” Chithambaram said.
S8UL added that fellow Grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Pranesh M remain in contention to qualify for EWC 2026 Chess via the Champions Chess Tour Leaderboard, Last Chance Qualifiers, and an India Rising slot scheduled to conclude on July 5. “One of the things we’ve consistently focused on at S8UL is creating opportunities for Indian talent to compete and succeed on the biggest global stages. Aravindh Chithambaram qualifying for the Esports World Cup is a huge moment, not just for us as an organization, but for Indian chess overall. The level of competition and pressure in this format is extremely high, which makes this achievement even more special. We’ve always believed India has the talent to stand alongside the very best in the world, and seeing Aravindh become the first Indian to qualify really reinforces that belief,” said Animesh Agarwal, Co-founder and CEO, S8UL Esports.
The post S8UL’s Aravindh Chithambaram qualifies for Esports World Cup 2026 chess event appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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