eSports
IBM Enters Esports Arena with Activision Blizzard in New Multi-Year Deal as the Presenting Partner of the Overwatch League Grand Finals

IBM to help power interactive and analytical content for the Overwatch League, engaging fans and players through cloud, IBM’s Watson artificial intelligence, and machine learning
Today, IBM and the Overwatch League
Through the course of the deal, IBM and the Overwatch League plan to leverage IBM’s suite of advanced cloud and AI products. Starting in 2021, IBM and the Overwatch League will be working closely to develop technology solutions leveraging IBM’s expertise in natural language processing and machine learning to improve the league’s rankings system, and utilize IBM’s Watson AI capabilities to create live and in-broadcast predictive analysis, with specific solutions currently under development.
“We’re constantly striving to give fans the ability to more meaningfully engage with the Overwatch League, and teaming up with IBM enables us to do just that,” said Brandon Snow, Chief Revenue Officer of Activision Blizzard Esports. “IBM’s cutting-edge AI and machine learning, underpinned by cloud technologies, will help enable us to bring interactive and innovative engagement opportunities to our fans and teams. This is a fantastic benefit to our viewers, and we’re very excited to be announcing it during the biggest event of our season.”
“We’re thrilled to bring our world class Cloud platforms and Watson portfolio to one of the leading esports platforms in the world,” said Noah Syken, Vice President of Sports & Entertainment Partnerships, IBM. “The solutions we’re partnering to create can help the organizations, players, and fans enjoy an even more immersive, engaging experience. We look forward to working with the Overwatch League, to bring innovative solutions at scale, to broad and relevant audiences.”
The sponsorship with the Overwatch League will kick off in 2021 and include new solutions, that plan to be hosted on the IBM Cloud. Those solutions, which are currently under development, will leverage IBM’s suite of analytics tools to process in-match data, adding Watson’s AI capabilities through the use of Watson Machine Learning and the AutoAI functionality within Watson Studio. Additionally, the solutions will find new ways to showcase the wide array of historical statistics that the Overwatch League gets from live play.
The announcement of IBM and the Overwatch League teaming together is IBM’s first foray into the global world of esports and joins an impressive list of sports and entertainment partnerships that IBM technology powers around the world. IBM has been a part of gaming history as a hardware manufacturer, chip creator, and software provider for developers since 1985. Over the past 35 years, IBM has worked with gaming and esports entities through PowerPC processors, NLP, and cloud technology.
IBM has been a long-time partner to a range of sports organizations, teams, and events, including tennis (US Open and Wimbledon), golf (The Masters), football (via ESPN Fantasy Football), and the GRAMMY Awards. Through IBM’s partnerships, including IBM’s new engagement with the Overwatch League, IBM is able to reimagine sports, and entertainment experiences for fans, players and coaches alike, leveraging the flexibility of the hybrid cloud, and other AI-powered solutions.
SOURCE IBM
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Beşiktaş Esports
HAVIT Partners with Three Top International Esports Teams to Expand Global Presence

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HAVIT, a leading global consumer tech brand, officially announced strategic partnerships with three internationally renowned esports teams: Brazil’s Vivo Keyd Stars, Turkiye’s Galatasaray Esports and Beşiktaş Esports. This marks a new stage in HAVIT’s global esports expansion, further strengthening its influence in the global esports ecosystem.
HAVIT has achieved remarkable results in the esports sector across both the Turkish and Latin American markets.
In Turkiye, HAVIT’s gaming headsets consistently rank No.1 on the leading platform Trendyol. To further integrate into the local esports ecosystem, HAVIT partners with Galatasaray Esports and Beşiktaş Esports, celebrated for their prestigious legacy and youthful energy, each with a massive fan base. This collaboration not only reinforces HAVIT’s market leadership but also deepens its connection with the local esports community.
Moreover, HAVIT enters the second year of its partnership with Vivo Keyd Stars, Brazil’s leading esports team, providing high-performance gaming gear to support the team’s play. With HAVIT’s gear and their own relentless drive, VKS won the championship in LTA South 2025 Split 3 and will represent Brazil at the 2025 League of Legends World Championship. This partnership underscores both the team’s strength and HAVIT’s commitment to empowering Brazil’s esports development.
Brand Vision: Build a Global Esports Network
This strategic partnership across Brazil and Turkiye is a key step in HAVIT’s regional market expansion and lays a solid foundation for HAVIT’s future presence in wider esports ecosystems of Europe, the Americas and beyond.
“Partnering with these teams is a crucial implementation of HAVIT’s ‘For Fun. For Games. For Champions’ vision. By merging technology with esports, we aim to inspire gamers worldwide to break boundaries and shape the future of gaming,” Doug Pollard said.
The post HAVIT Partners with Three Top International Esports Teams to Expand Global Presence appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
2XKO
DATA.BET the First to Launch 2XKO Offering

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Introducing Riot Games’ newest title to the esports landscape
DATA.BET, the award-winning sports betting solution supplier, has pioneered the betting market by launching 2XKO, a new dynamic competitive format.
2XKO marks a new addition to the global esports scene. With its fast-paced, double-elimination structure, it brings a distinctive rhythm of short yet high-stakes matches — a setup that potentially opens new avenues for betting engagement and audience retention as the format evolves.
At this stage, DATA.BET’s coverage focuses on key pre-match markets, including Winner and To Reach the Final for overall tournament outcomes, as well as Winner within individual matches. During the final stages of the competition, the company also plans to expand its offering with Map Winner markets for each map.
What makes 2XKO unique is the combination of short-form, high-intensity gameplay. This setup maximizes player engagement, mirroring the popularity of competitive fighting games worldwide while translating seamlessly into a betting environment.
DATA.BET debuted its 2XKO betting coverage at the upcoming 2 NICE KO tournament in Nice, France (Oct 10–12, 2025), featuring nearly 300 players across top fighting titles.
Bogdan Holovnov, Head of Esports at DATA.BET, said: “Esports thrives on creativity and innovation, and 2XKO is the perfect example of how new formats can drive excitement for players and bettors alike. At DATA.BET, we’re proud to be the first to bring this to market — giving our partners exclusive access to content that captures the speed, intensity, and global appeal of fighting games. This launch reinforces our commitment to expanding esports betting with fresh, high-impact experiences.”
The post DATA.BET the First to Launch 2XKO Offering appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Akshat Rathee
PlayStation and NODWIN Gaming Announce the Fourth Edition of the PlayStation India Cup Featuring EA SPORTS FC 26

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NODWIN Gaming, a leader in new-age youth entertainment, gaming and esports, has announced the fourth edition of the PlayStation India Cup, featuring EA SPORTS FC 26, exclusively on PS5 console.
The tournament marks the return of India’s only official console esports tournament, and features daily online qualifiers, followed by an online playoffs. The top 8 players will progress to the grand finale, which will take place during Delhi Comic Con at NSIC Grounds, Okhla, New Delhi, from 5th December to 7th December 2025. Fans will witness the country’s top EA FC 26 players competing for a total prize pool of ₹4,00,000. With the rise of football fandom in India and the ever-growing EA SPORTS FC community, this year’s championship promises bigger competition and unmatched excitement.
The previous edition of the India Cup Finals at Delhi Comic Con 2024 also featured an immersive PlayStation gaming pavilion with hands-on demos and live commentary, which saw strong engagement from Comic Con attendees.
This year, in addition to the sizable prize pool, all finalists will receive official PlayStation merchandise, making the competition even more rewarding for players who make it to the big stage.
How to Register
Registrations for the PlayStation India Cup started on October 08, 2025. Players across India can participate in the daily online qualifiers through the following steps:
Step-by-Step Registration Process
Step 1: Boot up the PlayStation 5 and ensure it is connected to the internet.
Step 2: Navigate to the “Events” or “Tournaments” section on the PS5 dashboard.
Step 3: Look for the “PlayStation India Cup FC 26” (EA SPORTS FC 26) tournament listing.
Step 4: Select the tournament and follow the on-screen prompts to complete registration.
Step 5: Confirm participation and monitor notifications for match schedules or additional requirements.
The Daily Cups conclude on November 10, 2025. Players are encouraged to register early to secure their spot in the daily qualifiers.
Akshat Rathee, Co-Founder and Managing Director of NODWIN Gaming, said: “The console esports scene in India is a premium niche, and the PlayStation India Cup with EA FC captures that perfectly. Delhi Comic Con, where our journey began over a decade ago, provides the ideal stage, bringing together fans who love both pop culture and competitive gaming. Hosting the tournament in our 40,000 sq. ft. Gaming Arena adds to the festive spirit of Comic Con, where football fans can compete, cheer, and experience EA FC like never before. It’s a true celebration of Delhi’s vibrant fandom and the growing console esports community in India.”
The tournament will be amplified with influencer-led content, live streams and weekly updates, ensuring both players and fans remain engaged throughout the journey.
The post PlayStation and NODWIN Gaming Announce the Fourth Edition of the PlayStation India Cup Featuring EA SPORTS FC 26 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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