eSports

Work hard, play hard: Parimatch means business in esports

Published

6 years ago

August 11, 2020

Reading Time: 3 minutes

When Parimatch looks for ambassadors, they favour the bold; Connor McGregor, Mike Tyson, and most recently, Daniil ‘Zeus’ Teslenko. However, while the former two are revered for their physicality, Teslenko is famous for equal shows of fighting spirit in esports – a market that Stepan Shulga, Head of Esports at Parimatch, believes will be in the top three for sports betting by 2021.

Parimatch has shown its ambition to remain at the forefront of the esports betting market with the appointment of Counter Strike 1.6 and CS:GO legend Daniil ‘Zeus’ Teslenko as brand ambassador.

Sticking to its philosophy of signing ambassadors who share the brand’s abundance of fighting spirit, Parimatch’s announcement of Teslenko signifies a continued belief that esports will continue to move up the charts as a sports betting market, and Stepan Shulga, Head of Esports, wants Parimatch to remain a leader of it.

“We have long been at the forefront of the burgeoning esports industry, recognising its growth potential early on and paying it the same amount of attention as traditional sports. A significant proportion of R&D at Parimatch is focused on developing esports features to dramatically enhance user experience, which is why the brand is considered to be one of the top esports bookmakers,” he explained. “Having ambassadors in different sports is a great practice, but we think it’s especially important to have ambassadors that exemplify our values of fighting spirit. Daniil is a unique sportsman, his career spanned two parts of the history of the legendary game Counter-Strike, he was the world champion in version 1.6 and reached the same heights in the current version of CS:GO. To do it twice, in different eras, shows more than just talent; it displays an elite mentality, and that’s why we brought Daniil on board.”

And it’s stars like Teslenko that have been pushing esports to new heights in 2020, with many analysts predicting that it is now on track to becoming the world’s most watched sport. It’s trajectory as a betting market has followed this upward trend, and Stepan expects to see esports overtake many of the more traditional markets by 2021.

“We are sure that esports is already in the top five sports worldwide if we talk about all sports betting globally,” he continued. “Our expectations are to see esports in the top three games in terms of turnover by 2021. The quarantine and global lockdown only strengthened our hypothesis that investing in esports is justified.”

Indeed, Parimatch invested in esports relatively early on in its journey to becoming a fully-fledged sports betting market, and it has found success by focussing on quality over quantity.

“More often, the average rate in esports is higher than in traditional markets, such as football, where naturally there is a much more significant volume,” said Stepan. “In football, it is also more obvious how to engage the audience of an event, and there are thousands of events with thousands of different audiences. In esports, there are much fewer events, and the audience, while large, can be harder to engage. Our challenge is to find the key to the audience, speak the same language with them, and give them the quality of service and product they expect.”

Another challenge for operators that separates esports from traditional sports is the lack of centralized regulation. Stepan explained that in sports, there is a governing force in the form of federations that have an established hierarchy and structure. In esports, there is no such authority yet, and that makes it more difficult for operators to establish a large supply of fixtures for customers to bet on. The events that Parimatch do offer, however, are always backed by reams of data and statistics to provide customers with a full view of the field.

“The most interesting aspect of esports is the accessibility of detailed data; about players, teams, and all sorts of various statistics,” concluded Stepan. “We always give our players the maximum amount of information relevant to them on all devices, as esports fans know how much fine margins can matter when it comes to winning or losing.”

With another natural born winner on its side in Teslenko, Parimatch has shown customers that it remains committed to leading the way in esports, while indicating to the industry that the market is well worth its attention and investment in 2020.

eSports

Team Vitality partners with Team Havok to expand in Fortnite

Published

21 hours ago

April 27, 2026

Wladimir P.

team-vitality-partners-with-team-havok-to-expand-in-fortnite

Team Vitality has signed a strategic partnership with French Fortnite esports club Team Havok, expanding its footprint in the title as part of its broader diversification strategy. The announcement was made this weekend.

Under the deal, Team Havok will compete as “Team Havok by Vitality” and wear a co-branded jersey featuring Team Vitality’s logo. Team Vitality said the partnership is designed to combine its performance and organisational support with Team Havok’s Fortnite competitive presence.

Team Havok’s recent results cited by the organisations include winning European Major 2 in 2025, finishing runner-up at the World Championship, and ranking as the second-best European team. The duo Tjino and PabloWingu have qualified for this summer’s Esports World Cup and will compete in Team Vitality’s black and yellow colours.

Team Vitality also positioned the partnership as a fan development play in France via co-streaming, content creation, and influencer-led activations. Team Havok co-founders and streamers ZetFar and WaZz were highlighted for their reach with younger audiences.

The organisation said the tie-up follows prior structural collaborations including PSG Esports and Bigetron Esports, and could expand into Fortnite map development, exclusive merchandising, and influencer marketing. “This partnership with Team Havok reflects our ambition to work with the best in order to continue growing Team Vitality. Their performance, creativity, and ability to engage the French community make them an ideal partner,” said Fabien “Neo” Devide, President and Co-founder of Team Vitality. “We are incredibly proud to join Team Vitality. This collaboration with such a prestigious organisation marks a new milestone in the story we are building with our community,” said Grimz, caster at Team Havok.

The post Team Vitality partners with Team Havok to expand in Fortnite appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

eSports

Esports Foundation Appoints More Than 700 Game Coaches for the Inaugural Esports Nations Cup 2026

Published

1 day ago

April 27, 2026

Wladimir P.

esports-foundation-appoints-more-than-700-game-coaches-for-the-inaugural-esports-nations-cup-2026

The Esports Foundation (EF) has confirmed the appointment of over 700 game coaches representing the National Team Partners (NTPs) from more than 100 nations and territories for the Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ENC), the global nation-based esports competition set to debut in Riyadh from November 2-29, 2026. The announcement marks the start of team roster selections, due by May 10, with coaches now responsible for identifying players, defining team strategy and building competitive lineups.

Drawn from more than 90 leading esports organisations across the globe, the group of coaches spans world champions, established leaders and rising stars building local scenes, connecting team development directly to the highest level of global competition. The list of National Team Coaches is available on the ENC website.

The coaching pool, from seasoned veterans who have faced each other on the biggest stages to a new generation of coaches looking to make their mark, reflects the breadth of global esports. In League of Legends, LEC stalwart and G2 Esports coach Dylan Falco (Canada) will take on rising coaching stars like Quentin “Zeph” Viguié (France) and Jonas “Memento” Elmarghichi (Morocco). In Rocket League, the Netherlands’ Jos “ViolentPanda” van Meurs brings a world-championship legacy, while the youngest coach in the field, Abdulrahman Saad “d7oom-24” Bin Fayez, age 22, will lead a strong contender in Saudi Arabia.

Fans will also see international appointments across borders, including Swedish legend Fabian “Fabian” Hällsten coaching the United States’ Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege team alongside Brazil’s Guilherme “gohaN” Alf coaching Indonesia.

The appointments also highlight a growing group of women coaches who will be shaping teams throughout the world. In PUBG MOBILE, Camila “Mia” López (Chile), a professional manager, analyst and coach, brings experience from the global mobile circuit, while Nikol “Kehayoyo” Kehayova will look to lead Poland. In other game titles, Sabrina “SYA” Starke (Germany) heads up Honor of Kings and Angela “Kaylio” Sun Zhou (Australia) steps in for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, while in VALORANT Felicia “Felly” Cersac (Moldova) and Syeda “Skel” Samman (Pakistan) will lead teams from emerging esports markets.

“The Esports Nations Cup is being built step by step, and appointing team coaches is the next critical layer in that structure. If teams are what make esports intuitive for a mainstream audience, coaches are what make them credible for players and fans. They bring identity, direction, and standards to each team. With more than 700 coaches now in place across over 100 National Team Partners, we’re turning the idea of nation-based competition into something people can understand instantly and believe in — a system that is structured, real, and ready to perform on the world stage,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports Foundation.

Coaches from the remaining nations and territories, including the ones without an NTP, will be announced at a later date. Attention now turns to finalising player selections, as teams take shape ahead of the ENC’s global qualification pathway. Competitors in solo-player games as well as in the remaining team-based titles will be identified through full open qualifiers, with details to be announced in the coming weeks.

The ENC introduces nation-based competition to the global esports calendar in a structured and recurring format. By enabling nations and territories to organise teams, develop talent pathways and compete on a global stage, the ENC creates new opportunities for players while strengthening connections between local ecosystems and international competition.

The post Esports Foundation Appoints More Than 700 Game Coaches for the Inaugural Esports Nations Cup 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

chess

Team Vitality re-signs Javokhir Sindarov for 2026–2027 chess roster

Published

5 days ago

April 23, 2026

Wladimir P.

team-vitality-re-signs-javokhir-sindarov-for-2026–2027-chess-roster

Team Vitality has re-signed chess player Javokhir Sindarov to its Chess roster for 2026 and 2027, bringing the 2025 FIDE World Cup winner back to the organisation.

The club said Sindarov is coming off a win at the 2026 Candidates Tournament, positioning him for a potential world title match against reigning champion Gukesh Dommaraju.

“We are incredibly proud to welcome Javokhir back to Team Vitality. He represents the new generation of chess: bold, ambitious, and unafraid to make big moves. His trajectory speaks for itself, and we know he has everything it takes to become the next World Champion,” said Danny Engels, Chief International Officer at Team Vitality. “This signing is a natural step in our ambition to be at the forefront of chess and esports, and to bring the game to new audiences around the world.”

Team Vitality also pointed to Sindarov’s interest in gaming—specifically Counter-Strike—as a fit with the organisation’s esports positioning. His next scheduled appearance under Team Vitality is the Chess.com Open, running April 23–26.

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