eSports

Guild Esports Plc Enters VALORANT and Announces Full Team Line-Up

Published

5 years ago

October 21, 2020

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Guild Esports Plc (Guild), the global esports team organisation headquartered in London, today announces its entry into Valorant, a competitive 5v5 multiplayer tactical first-person shooter, with the signing of a top-flight roster of professional players who will compete in the upcoming First Strike tournament, Riot Games’ debut esports tournament for Valorant.

Guild’s Valorant team has been acquired from the top-ranked Swedish team Bonk, one of Europe’s most successful Valorant teams. The team was carefully chosen following a rigorous selection process and is comprised of five sought-after players: Yacine Laghmari ‘Yacine’, Malkolm Rench ‘bonkar’, Leo Janneson ‘Leo’, William Sundin ‘draken’, and Filip Gauffin ‘Goffe’. The team’s inaugural competition under the Guild banner will take place at the start of First Strike in early November.

The team has already achieved success, finishing in the top two in the recent Ignition Series and Mandatory.gg Cup tournaments and the players are excited to take the next step and emerge as champions under Guild.

Yacine is a top-tier former CS:GO player who has made waves early on in his Valorant career.

bonkar was Sweden’s first professional Valorant player. He is a former Paladins professional player and has won two Paladins World Championships. He is regarded as one of the best players in the game and is known for producing impressive results.

Leo, aged 16 is a talented emerging player known as “The Young Gun”. He has achieved professional success at a young age.

draken is a tier-one former CS:GO professional player and well known star player with a significant following.

Goffe is a former top CS:GO professional player and Valorant amateur who is widely regarded as an industry “one-to-watch” and is now ready to compete at a professional level.

The finalised Valorant roster marks Guild’s first step into hardcore PC-based esports, following its launch into the cross-platform Rocket League and EA Sports FIFA titles earlier this year.

Guild is developing a talent pipeline in the UK based on the traditional academy model which will see the most able players such as Valorant amateurs scouted by Guild’s talent scout network and coached by industry leaders in order to attain the skillset required to win and take their careers to the next level.

Valorant is a fast-growing esports title published by Riot Games, the renowned developer behind League of Legends. Valorant is followed by a large audience with recent tournaments reported to have recorded over one million viewers.

Carleton Curtis, Executive Chairman at Guild, commented: “Joining the Valorant community is a perfect step for Guild and we are delighted to expand into the new exciting and emerging esports space. Valorant is destined to become a major esport with global reach and deep fan bases and it benefits from the prestige of being developed by best-in-class publisher Riot Games. With these signings, Guild has established itself as a multi-disciplinary esports business and we are looking forward to fielding rosters in new games as we continue to scale and invest in our business utilising the war chest we raised in our IPO.

Valorant is an exciting esport and since its launch this year has already made a big impact on the competitive gaming ecosystem, winning over top pros from established games like Overwatch. We have high ambitions for our top-calibre team in the upcoming First Strike tournament. We are proud to welcome the players to our Guild family where we will coach and support them to become world champions.”

Yacine Laghmari ‘Yacine’, Professional Valorant Player at Guild, commented: “Valorant is one of the most dynamic esports out there and being in Guild’s first Valorant roster is an exciting opportunity. I’m looking forward to playing my part in the future of Guild and the team.

Guild is an organisation with big ambition that is on a path to achieve great things and I’m proud to be a part of that. I’ve always been an ambitious player and want to create a legacy that will last.

Our team has already proved itself at a top level and now the goal is to become world champions.”

Call of Duty Warzone esports

Team Vitality Expands FPS Dominance Ahead of Esports World Cup 2026 With PUBG, Warzone and CrossFire Entry

Published

5 hours ago

February 11, 2026

Wladimir P.

team-vitality-expands-fps-dominance-ahead-of-esports-world-cup-2026-with-pubg,-warzone-and-crossfire-entry

Team Vitality Accelerates FPS Expansion Ahead of Esports World Cup 2026

Team Vitality has officially announced a major competitive expansion ahead of the 2026 Esports World Cup (EWC), confirming its entry into three additional shooter titles: PUBG (PC), Call of Duty: Warzone, and CrossFire. The move strengthens the organisation’s growing dominance across FPS and tactical shooter esports, following championship success in Counter-Strike and VALORANT during the 2025 season.

The expansion signals a decisive strategic push as Team Vitality looks to build on its Top 3 overall club finish at the 2025 Esports World Cup, positioning itself as one of the most versatile and ambitious multi-title organisations in global esports.

Call of Duty: Warzone – Vitality Returns With Proven EWC Pedigree

Team Vitality is officially re-entering the competitive Call of Duty: Warzone ecosystem for the 2026 season, assembling a veteran-heavy roster built for immediate impact. The lineup includes Angel “Sage” Quinones, who secured a third-place finish at last year’s Esports World Cup, alongside experienced EWC finalists.

The new Warzone squad begins its EWC qualification journey through the Warzone Resurgence Series, with two pivotal LAN finals scheduled at DreamHack Birmingham and DreamHack Atlanta. Strong performances at these events will be crucial in securing Team Vitality valuable points and a place at the 2026 Esports World Cup.

Call of Duty: Warzone Roster

Rasim “Blazt” Ogresevic (USA)
Logan “Skullface” Greifelt (USA)
Angel “Sage” Quinones (Mexico / Guatemala)
Ethan “Ebatez” Bates (USA) – Coach

PUBG (PC) – A Strategic Return to a Global Esports Pillar

Team Vitality is making its long-awaited return to PUBG (PC) competition, marking its first appearance in the title since 2019. The roster is anchored by players recently competing under the Nemiga banner, who finished sixth at the PUBG Global Championship, reinforcing Vitality’s intent to compete at the highest international level.

This return also unlocks strategic synergies with Bigetron by Vitality, the organisation’s established PUBG Mobile powerhouse in Southeast Asia. As PUBG’s global ecosystem increasingly bridges PC and Mobile competition, Team Vitality aims to unite its worldwide fanbase and elevate brand visibility across both platforms.

PUBG (PC) Roster

Aliaksandr “Gedrox” Puchko (Belarus)
Vladislav “Lev4nte” Tasenko (Russia)
Andrey “Qw1zzy” Pobedinskiy (Russia)
Artem “hallomybad” Baskakov (Russia)
Ramazan “H1RUZEN” Valiullin (Russia) – Coach
Sergei “MrTok” Britok (Russia) – Manager

CrossFire – Entering a New Region With Championship Ambitions

Expanding into CrossFire for the first time, Team Vitality has acquired ROC Esports’ former lineup, establishing its operations in Egypt with a dedicated gaming house. The squad will compete in the CrossFire West League (EMEA), with two critical competitive splits scheduled for March–April and June–July.

Success in the regional league is expected to be the gateway to qualification for the Esports World Cup, while long-term ambitions stretch further toward the CrossFire Stars World Championship in China. Team Vitality enters the ecosystem as a dangerous challenger, targeting dominance beyond regional competition.

CrossFire Roster

Youssef “tottziN” Nasser (Egypt)
Ahmed “SNARE” Salah (Egypt)
Mohamed “Snake” Ahmed (Egypt)
Mohamed “Horus” Mahrous (Egypt)
Abdelrahman “slayer” Fawzy (Egypt)
Andrei “strey” Solovev (Russia) – Coach
Kislay “Drolo” Satyaj (India) – General Manager
Ammar “Apps” Ahmed (Egypt) – Substitute
Abdelrhman “Bone” Mahmoud (Egypt) – Substitute

Building Toward a New FPS Dynasty

With momentum from a Top 3 finish at the 2025 Esports World Cup, Team Vitality is targeting even greater success in 2026, driven by the belief that every win counts.

Fabien “Neo” Devide, President and Co-founder of Team Vitality, commented that the expansion reflects the organisation’s commitment to elite competition and long-term growth across shooter esports. Corporate Director of Global Operations Danny Engels added that the move strengthens Vitality’s position to build a true multi-title FPS dynasty on the world’s biggest competitive stage.

As the countdown to the 2026 Esports World Cup begins, Team Vitality’s expanded shooter portfolio signals a clear message to rivals: the organisation is all-in on global FPS supremacy.

The post Team Vitality Expands FPS Dominance Ahead of Esports World Cup 2026 With PUBG, Warzone and CrossFire Entry appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

eSports

Decade of Impact — World Esports Summit Marks Its 10th Edition

Published

15 hours ago

February 11, 2026

Wladimir P.

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The International Esports Federation (IESF) has successfully wrapped up the significant 10th edition of the World Esports Summit 2025, reinforcing its position as a key event for the progress of the World of Esports and global collaboration.

Focused on the theme “Shaping the World of Esports,” the 2025 Summit convened federations, publishers, global sports organizations, technology innovators, and integrity agencies to collaborate on the future of esports as a structured, credible, and universally unified field.

This anniversary edition showcased a robust and varied group of speakers, demonstrating IESF’s dedication to collaboration across sectors. Significant input was provided by Gustavo Arellano (FIBA), Eric Stranne (FIA), Ray Ng (Moonton), James Yang (Tencent), Valentin Capelli (WADA), Junghwan Han (KADA), Dipesh Makwana (Alibaba Cloud), Tomica Madjercic (Sportradar), and Ivan Dimitrijevic (EXPO 2027 Belgrade), as well as senior esports officials from across the globe.

Conversations during the Summit focused on essential aspects of IESF’s mission, such as governance and federation development, maintaining competitive integrity and anti-doping measures, technological advancements, and fostering sustainable ecosystem growth. The emphasis on diplomacy and collaboration emphasized esports’ increasing alignment with global sports standards and international organizations.

With the 10th edition of the World Esports Summit, IESF has once more showcased its leadership by uniting the global esports community, connecting regions, aligning stakeholders, and establishing common priorities for the future.

With unprecedented involvement, elevated discussions, and a distinct strategic vision, World Esports Summit 2025 represents a pivotal milestone in IESF’s continuous endeavor to influence the future of esports via unity, trustworthiness, and global cooperation.

The post Decade of Impact — World Esports Summit Marks Its 10th Edition appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

eSports

Esportes da Sorte to be official sponsor of Brazil’s leading Carnival celebrations in 2026

Published

1 day ago

February 10, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

esportes-da-sorte-to-be-official-sponsor-of-brazil’s-leading-carnival-celebrations-in-2026

Tuesday 10th February 2026: Leading Brazilian iGaming company Esportes da Sorte will deliver one of the most extensive Carnival activations in the industry for Carnival 2026, with an official presence at the country’s most iconic and emblematic celebrations.

The brand will serve as the official sponsor of festivities in seven Brazilian capitals — Recife, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Natal and Maceió — as well as having a strong presence in Olinda, a city of major cultural significance. The national project will also include special activations in Caicó (RN), a key production hub for the brand’s promotional merchandise.

This initiative reflects Esportes da Sorte’s continued investment in Brazilian popular culture, built over several years across different regions of the country. In 2026, this positioning takes shape through a structured national project that embraces the diversity of Carnival formats — from traditional street blocos to electric trios and major urban stages — with visual identity and activations designed city by city, respecting local symbols, aesthetics and narratives.

“Carnival is part of Brazil’s cultural identity and also part of Esportes da Sorte’s journey. Being present at the country’s main Carnival celebrations is a strategic choice that reinforces our long-term commitment to popular culture, to the cities, and to the people who live this festival in the streets,” said Darwin Filho, CEO of Esportes Gaming Brasil.

“Our Carnival project was designed city by city, respecting the unique characteristics and culture of each sponsored location. The idea is to ensure a real presence and unique experiences for Carnival-goers, integrating the brand organically into the rhythm of each celebration. Whether through blocos, trios or major urban hubs, we want to strengthen ourselves as the brand that elevates the connection between culture and entertainment,” said Marcela Campos, Vice President of Esportes Gaming Brasil.

Beyond its on-the-ground presence, Esportes da Sorte’s Carnival 2026 strategy includes an integrated media and engagement approach, featuring activations across TV, radio, out-of-home media and a national PR operation before, during and after the festivities, focused on high-quality coverage and organic content generation.

The project will also include content and influencer engagement initiatives across multiple locations, expanding organic reach while capturing behind-the-scenes moments and Carnival experiences.

In 2025, the brand was present in more than 100 blocos and street parties across different regions of the country. For 2026, Esportes da Sorte is taking things to the next level, consolidating a nationwide project and reinforcing its leadership role in Brazil’s largest popular event.

The post Esportes da Sorte to be official sponsor of Brazil’s leading Carnival celebrations in 2026 appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.