eSports
Alfa Romeo and Jarno Opmeer lead F1 Esports Pro Series after races in Bahrain, Vietnam & China
The first round of the F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco got underway with three thrilling races in Bahrain, Vietnam and China, as drivers set their sights on the huge $750,000 prize pot, in what is poised to be the biggest and best season yet.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic drivers are racing remotely for the first time this year, but the popular live shows continue to be broadcast from the Gfinity Esports Arena in London, as we ensure fans don’t miss a moment of the action.
On Wednesday evening drivers took to the Bahrain International Circuit for the season opener, competing at the increased 35% race-length for the first time this year. Alfa Romeo dominated in the only ‘night race’ on the calendar, with Jarno Opmeer and Daniel Bereznay finishing P1 and P2 ahead of Red Bull’s Marcel Kiefer, who joined them on the podium for the first time this season.
Wednesday’s double-header continued with an F1 first as the drivers became the first to race competitively on the brand-new Hanoi Street Circuit in Vietnam, albeit on the F1 2020 official video game developed by Codemasters, rather than the real thing. The multiple long straights and sharp turns made for dramatic racing, which saw last year’s champion David Tonizza come out on top for Ferrari in a tense battle with Renault’s Nicolas Longuet for the win; Jarno Opmeer rounded off the top three.
This year’s first event ended in style with a third and final race in China on Thursday evening, as Jarno Opmeer raced home at the Shanghai International Circuit for his second win of the season. Marcel Kiefer and Daniel Bereznay finished P2 and P3 respectively to crown a successful first round.
This week’s results mean Jarno Opmeer leads the way in the driver standings, whilst Alfa Romeo top the team’s championship.
Attention now turns to the second event, on 4-5 November, as we get set to race for the first time at the Zandvoort Circuit and visit a fan favourite in Canada, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, before finishing at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, where this year’s revised F1 2020 schedule began with an entertaining double-header.
Following the first round of action, the overall standings are as follows:
| DRIVER STANDINGS | |||
| Position | Driver | Team | Points |
| 1 | Jarno Opmeer | Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN F1 Esports | 65 |
| 2 | Marcel Kiefer | Red Bull Racing Esports | 41 |
| 3 | Daniel Bereznay | Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN F1 Esports | 33 |
| 4 | Nicolas Longuet | Renault Vitality | 28 |
| 5 | Frederik Rasmussen | Red Bull Racing Esports | 28 |
| 6 | David Tonizza | FDA Hublot Esports | 25 |
| 7 | Joni Törmälä | Scuderia AlphaTauri Esports | 20 |
| 8 | Brendon Leigh | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Esports | 18 |
| 9 | Álvaro Carretón | Williams Esports | 14 |
| 10 | Lucas Blakeley | BWT Racing Point F1 Esports | 9 |
| 11 | Enzo Bonito | FDA Hublot Esports | 6 |
| 12 | Daniel Moreno | McLaren Shadow | 6 |
| 13 | Fabrizio Donoso | Renault Vitality | 5 |
| 14 | Cedric Thomé | Haas F1 Team Esports | 4 |
| 15 | Daniele Haddad | BWT Racing Point F1 Esports | 1 |
| 16 | Bono Huis | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Esports | 0 |
| 17 | Bardia Boroumand | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Esports | 0 |
| 18 | Michael Romanidis | Williams Esports | 0 |
| 19 | James Baldwin | McLaren Shadow | 0 |
| 20 | Salih Saltunç | Williams Esports | 0 |
| 21 | Manuel Biancolilla | Scuderia AlphaTauri Esports | 0 |
| 22 | Simon Weigang | Haas F1 Team Esports | 0 |
| TEAM STANDINGS | ||
| Position | Team | Points |
| 1 | Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN F1 Esports | 98 |
| 2 | Red Bull Racing Esports | 69 |
| 3 | Renault Vitality | 33 |
| 4 | FDA Hublot Esports Team | 31 |
| 5 | Scuderia AlphaTauri Esports Team | 20 |
| 6 | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Esports Team | 18 |
| 7 | Team Williams Esports | 14 |
| 8 | BWT Racing Point F1 Esports | 10 |
| 9 | McLaren Shadow | 6 |
| 10 | Haas F1 Team Esports | 4 |
The live show was streamed online via F1’s official channels on Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and Huya, as well as broadcast by international television partners such as ESPN (US), Sky (UK) and Ziggo (Netherlands).
Following a huge year for F1 Esports, which saw over 30 million people tune in to the Virtual Grand Prix Series, more people than ever want to get involved. The first qualifying event for the 2021 F1 Esports Series is now open until the end of October on F1 2020, the newly-released official videogame developed by Codemasters. For more information visit www.f1esports.com.
Julian Tan, Head of Digital Business Initiatives & Esports at Formula 1 said:
“We’re thrilled to see the Pro Series back underway and to do it safely and remotely as the world continues to navigate the global pandemic. The first event has shown exhilarating racing with three fantastic races giving us five different podium finishers. We’re definitely in for a thrilling season with it all to play for as the F1 teams battle it out for our huge $750,000 prize pot. We can’t wait to see what the rest of the championship has in store for us!”
Frank Sagnier, CEO at Codemasters said:
“The F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco is back with the bang. We have our most competitive line-up to date, and the drivers didn’t disappoint for the opening series of races. Time will tell if a new rival will emerge to break the dominance we’ve seen from the likes of David Tonizza, Frede Rasmussen & Daniel Bereznay last year, or if Brendon Leigh can roar back and reclaim his crown. We’re off to an incredible start, and we can’t wait for the next round of races.”
John Clarke, CEO at Gfinity said:
“What a start to our biggest season so far, we’ve got a great new game, amazing drivers, thrilling racing, all delivered live and remotely. F1 is once again leading the way in delivering great entertainment for fans from around the world who love gaming and motorsport. Everyone involved has risen to the challenge of having the drivers spread across the globe. Get ready for the best season of racing yet.”
For more information on the F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco visit www.f1esports.com.
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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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