eSports
F1 ESPORTS PRO SERIES EVENT 2 LIVE THIS WEEK, FEATURING BRAND NEW CIRCUIT, & NEW F1 TRACKS TAKEOVER
TIMING DETAILS, WHERE TO WATCH INFO, AND DRIVER QUOTES FOR F1 ESPORTS PRO SERIES PRESENTED BY ARAMCO
The F1 Esports Pro Series presented by Aramco started in style last month as Alfa Romeo’s Jarno Opmeer dominated in Event 1, securing two victories, and reigning champion David Tonizza also picked up a crucial win for Ferrari, as fans were treated to three fantastic races. You can view the ‘Top 5 moments’ from Event 1 on YouTube here, and are free to embed this in editorial if you wish.
Event 2 gets underway on Wednesday afternoon with a trip to Zandvoort, a brand new circuit for the F1 Esports Pro Series, before battling out it on a fan favourite – the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. Thursday’s action will see drivers go wheel to wheel at the Red Bull Ring, to round off the first half of the series.
The live shows will be streamed online via F1’s official channels on Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and Huya, as well as broadcast on television by international partners such as ESPN (US), Sky (UK) and Ziggo (Netherlands), whilst Qualifying show content will be streamed exclusively on Twitch, YouTube and Huya (China). For full information about the Pro Series visit: https://www.f1esports.com/
Please see the table below for the full breakdown of the platform splits so you don’t miss a moment of the action:
| Day | Session | Time (GMT) | Coverage |
| Wednesday 4 November | Qualifying Show 1 (featuring Quali. 1 highlights and Quali. 2 live) |
15:30 – 16:45 | Twitch / YouTube / Huya (China) |
| Evening Show 1 (featuring Quali. 1 and Quali. 2 highlights, Race 1 re-run and Race 2 live) |
19:30 – 21:00 | TV & Online | |
| Thursday 5 November | Qualifying Show 2 (featuring Qualifying 3 live) |
15:30 – 16:45 | Twitch / YouTube / Huya (China) |
| Evening Show 2 (featuring Quali/Race 1 and Quali/Race 2 highlights, Quali. 3 highlights and Race 3 live) |
19:30 – 21:00 | TV & Online |
Drivers competing in this year’s Pro Series have combined to build the ultimate gaming playlist for F1 Tracks, featuring songs that get them in the zone and the tunes they blast when they’ve secured a win! The playlist caters for all tastes, and features massive tracks from KAM-BU, Nothing But Thieves, You Me At Six, The Weeknd, Queen, Kings of Leon and even Elvis Presley! You can find links to the playlist below:
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2YmjQL3 / Deezer: https://bit.ly/3hBqsgc / Apple: https://apple.co/3jkgArh
Ahead of the second round of races for this year’s Pro Series, we also caught up with three of the competition’s stars to get their thoughts about the upcoming season. Please feel free to use these comments in editorial around the build-up to Event 2.
Marcel Kiefer
On visiting the Red Bull Performance Centre in October
Marcel: “I’ve been to the Red Bull Performance Centre with the team. It was a really great experience, because we got to know more stuff about all the other areas that we don’t usually cover in our Esports training, like the physical activities, scheduling and how important it is to sleep and get physical exercises that can really increase your performance. It helped us a lot, and I think it already shows we’re in a good position for the season.”
Who to watch out for in terms of competitors
Marcel: “I think Alfa Romeo definitely. I mean we already knew that Alfa Romeo would be good this year. I expected Mercedes to be stronger, but maybe they will bounce back from the first event because it didn’t go that well for them. Alpha Tauri were also pretty solid. Renault looks really strong this year. I think we are in a really close season and Ferrari probably people expected them to be a bit stronger. But they also had technical difficulties during the first event, so we don’t know. I think Alfa is the big surprise. They made a huge step from last year.”
On their chances to win the title
Marcel: “I think we can win both the Drivers and Team championship. We have a solid pair with me and Freddie. And I’ve already proven I can fight up there. And we all know Freddie can do it. So yeah, I believe we have what it takes for both titles. Obviously, the focus is on the Team championship, because we are already Team Champions from last year and we want to keep that title. But if it doesn’t work out, we will just reapproach next year, just try to improve other areas. I mean, it’s so tight that you cannot even be mad if you lose, you obviously want to win. But everyone’s so good. They all work incredibly hard all teams. So if they win, they deserve it.”
Dani Bereznay
On preparing for Event 2 of the season
Dani: “We’ve had a lot less time to prepare compared to what we had ahead of the first event. I don’t think the field will be as tight as it was [last time] as people who adapt faster to the new circuits can have a bigger advantage. I’m pretty confident that we are the ones to beat ahead of the second event but Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, even the Williams guys, look pretty strong. Alpha Tauri and Renault included. To get in the top 10 will be really difficult.”
On main competitors for the title
Dani: “I think it’s good to be the team to beat but Alpha Tauri with Joni Tormala and Red Bull with Marcel Kiefer and Frederik Rasmussen are an insanely fast pair. Also, Ferrari with Enzo Bonito and the former champion, David Tonizza, are really big threats. If you see the timings and not just the results, there is maximum one tenth of a second that separates us from most of the field. It’s basically one apex, one little mistake, and the championship can turn upside down pretty quickly. That’s why esports is so good! We definitely don’t treat it like we’ve already won and we definitely won’t let off as the others are super motivated.”
On esports drivers making mistakes
Dani: “The gaps are pretty small in esports and it’s crazy to watch because we as drivers remember every single mistake of our laps. There are some mistakes that are inevitable, but there are some minor inaccuracies in our driving that we get frustrated about. What separates Jarno [Opmeer] from other drivers is that what he can do in a practice session he can pretty much replicate in the real life thing which is really hard as the pressure is so high.”
On his relationship with teammate Jarno
Dani: “It’s really important for me [to have a partner like Jarno]. I think we can push each other and the thing is with f1 esports is that we don’t know any of the other teams lap times. So to have a competitive teammate sets a good benchmark because if you have a slower teammate and you are beating him by one or two tenth of a second per lap you don’t know what kind of level you’re at. But with Jarno, if you’re beating him, you’re basically beating all the top guys. I think we push each other forward and set a pretty great benchmark on what could be the actual lap times. I want him to perform well and I want to perform well myself. Of course I want to finish in front but if I finish second then I want it to be my teammate rather than someone from another team.”
Cedric Thome
On what he learnt from former teammate Jarno Opmeer
Cedric: “Jarno is rapid, he’s amazing. He was really quick last year as well but he had some moments where he was really unlucky. He’s doing an amazing job [this year], he’s first in the championship and he deserves to be where he is.”
On his passion for darts
Cedric: “Yes, I love darts and obviously with us racing from home this year I have a board in my room so if I can throw a few [darts]. I feel like it’s a good chance to free your mind and just throw some darts. It doesn’t really help my concentration for F1.”
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eSports
MSI Joins Forces with Red Bull Expanding the Scale of MSI MGA, Empowering a New Era for Premier Esports Tournaments
MSI (Micro-Star International), a world-leading brand in AI, high-performance computing, and gaming, announced a strategic partnership between its renowned MGA (MSI Gaming Arena) platform and Red Bull.
This collaboration is poised to not only solidify MSI’s leadership position within the esports sector but also to significantly broaden the MGA’s reach to a wider gaming community. Furthermore, the partnership will enhance MGA’s global visibility and introduce the experience of MSI’s cutting-edge esports hardware to more diverse and dynamic event settings.
This collaboration will encompass three of Red Bull’s flagship annual esports tournaments: Red Bull Home Ground with its European events, Red Bull Team5 and another event that will be announced soon. As part of this partnership, MSI will equip these events with its top-tier gaming laptops and desktops, comprehensively upgrading the competition hardware and enhancing the on-site experience to deliver more thrilling and technologically advanced esports spectacles for global audiences.
MSI’s participation extends beyond mere hardware provision; it signifies an amplified investment in its MGA initiative. Now celebrating its 15th year, MGA has been steadfast in its mission to cultivate esports culture and offer a global platform for players to demonstrate their prowess. Through this alliance, MSI will infuse the MGA spirit into these larger-scale Red Bull tournaments, collaborating with Red Bull to champion the worldwide advancement of esports.
Sam Chern, Vice President of Marketing at MSI, said: “By sponsoring Red Bull’s premier esports tournaments, we are honored to further champion the spirit that MGA represents—leveraging world-class performance and innovative technology to unleash player potential, ignite competitive passion, and forge countless unforgettable highlight moments.”
The post MSI Joins Forces with Red Bull Expanding the Scale of MSI MGA, Empowering a New Era for Premier Esports Tournaments appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has launched the opening press conference for the 2025 Esports World Cup (EWC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, officially marking the start of the world’s largest esports and gaming festival. Running until August 24, the event features more than 2000 elite players, 25 tournaments across 24 leading titles and a record-breaking prize pool of over $70 million, cementing its status as the biggest and most significant esports event ever.
EWC 2025 brings together the world’s top 200 Clubs to compete in a first-of-its-kind cross-title format. At the heart of the competition is the Club Championship, where teams accumulate points across multiple games to become the EWC Club Champion, claim a $7 million grand prize and hoist the coveted EWC Club Championship trophy. The $70+ million prize pool also includes $38+ million for individual Game Championships, $5 million in global qualifier rewards and $450,000 in MVP bonuses.
Speaking at the opening press conference, HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, Chairman, Saudi Esports Federation, said: “Guided by the ambitious vision and leadership of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz AlSaud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom is cementing its position as a global leader in gaming and esports. The Esports World Cup is a clear reflection of that progress. We are immensely proud to welcome back the world in Riyadh for the Esports World Cup. This event stands as a global milestone for esports by showcasing the scale, ambition, and future of competitive gaming. It is a moment that will shape the direction of the industry for years to come.”
He continued: “Hosting this event reflects our deep commitment to building a world-class, sustainable esports ecosystem. It demonstrates the Kingdom’s belief in the power of gaming to connect, inspire, and create meaningful opportunities for future generations. It also supports our broader ambition to diversify the economy and position the Kingdom as a global hub for sports, gaming, and entertainment in line with Vision 2030 and the National Gaming and Esports Strategy. Esports is no longer niche. It is a global sport, a cultural movement, and the Esports World Cup is its most powerful and unifying stage. We are honoured to lead this transformation and shape the future of the industry from here in Saudi Arabia.”
“EWC 2025 is about bringing the gaming world together – iconic games, elite players, and millions of fans around a shared celebration. Through new ways of global broadcasts, original shows, and documentary storytelling, we’re opening doors, creating opportunities, and sharing esports in new and exciting ways. With record-breaking competition, this summer is special—not just for gamers, but for everyone who joins us,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation.
Faisal bin Homran, Chief Product Officer at Esports World Cup Foundation, added: “The Esports World Cup is redefining what’s possible in esports. It brings together the world’s top teams to compete in the most iconic and advanced arenas, delivering a level of excitement that is unmatched across the industry. Through EWC, the world has witnessed inspiring stories of triumph, heartbreak and glory, for players, teams and communities across the world.”
He continued: “The event is also a powerful platform for leading publishers, brands and creators to connect with global audiences and shape the future of esports. As we look ahead to EWC 2025, we invite the world to be part of what comes next. Together, we are setting new standards, creating new opportunities and driving the industry forward.”
The post Esports World Cup 2025 Press Conference Kicks Off in Riyadh appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Compliance Updates
ESIC Issues Lifetime Ban to StarCraft II Player Xue “Firefly” Tao Following Match-Fixing Investigation
The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) announced the outcome of its investigation into serious integrity breaches involving professional StarCraft II competitors Xue “Firefly” Tao and Jinhui “Jim” Cao. Mr. Xue has been banned from ESIC Member events and competitions for life, while Mr. Jinhui has been provisionally suspended pending further sanction.
Following a detailed inquiry spanning April to July 2024, ESIC uncovered evidence of a coordinated match-fixing and profit-sharing scheme. The investigation found that Mr. Xue deliberately manipulated match outcomes to benefit illicit betting activity orchestrated by Mr. Jinhui, with whom he had a long-standing association.
Key findings include:
• Pre-match wagers placed by Mr. Jinhui predicting Firefly’s losses — often by precise scorelines.
• Consistent match losses by Firefly aligning with those wagers across seven tournaments.
• Large Alipay transfers from Jim to Firefly immediately following these matches.
• A WeChat exchange on 21 August 2024 directly referencing prior payments and an effort to conceal evidence.
ESIC has concluded that Xue “Firefly” Tao committed 21 breaches of the ESIC Integrity Programme, spanning both the Anti-Corruption Code and Code of Conduct. As a result, he has been handed a lifetime ban from all ESIC member events and competitions in any capacity.
Mr. Jinhui has been provisionally suspended and served with a Notice of Charge. He has until 14 July 2025 to respond before ESIC issues a formal sanction.
The post ESIC Issues Lifetime Ban to StarCraft II Player Xue “Firefly” Tao Following Match-Fixing Investigation appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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