eSports

Jarno Opmeer and Red Bull lead F1 Esports Pro Series ahead of the Grand Final next month

Published

5 years ago

November 20, 2020

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The penultimate round of this year’s F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco saw a trio of thrilling races at some of motorsport’s most iconic circuits as drivers fought it out at Silverstone, Spa and Monza in Event 3. Alfa Romeo’s Jarno Opmeer and Red Bull lead the respective championships as there are just three races left in this year’s Grand Final, as they attempt to get their hands on the $750,000 prize pot.

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.

In the first of Wednesday’s two races, Renault’s Nicolas Longuet took his maiden F1 Esports victory at Silverstone, following a dramatic race at the home of the British Grand Prix. He was pushed all the way to the end by McLaren’s Dani Moreno, who stole P2 outright on the final corner, and Alfa Romeo’s Dani Bereznay, who was bumped up to third after Red Bull’s Frede Rasmussen and Marcel Kiefer were both handed time penalties which meant they dropped further down the field.

Wednesday’s action continued with a trip to Spa, a circuit that is among drivers’ most loved tracks, combining challenging fast corners with long straights, and it did not disappoint. Rasmussen ran out eventual winner, sealing a crucial victory in the race for the title, ahead of Bereznay and Kiefer in second and third respectively.

Event 3 ended at one of Formula 1’s fastest tracks, Monza, as drivers were able to put pedal to the metal for almost the entire lap, giving us some of the quickest lap times we’ve seen this season. Knowing time is running out to pick up wins Ferrari’s David Tonizza gave it all he had to secure victory on the Italian circuit, with Opmeer and Mercedes’ Brendon Leigh rounding off the top three.

The Event 3 results mean Opmeer, Rasmussen, Kiefer and Longuet have a chance to win the title in the final rounds, whilst Alfa Romeo and Red Bull will be fighting to the end to take home the team’s championship this year.

Attention now turns to the Grand Final, on 16-17 December, as drivers take to the track for the last time this year with a double-header at Suzuka and Mexico City, before the season draws to a close at Interlagos, where many real-life world championships have gone down to the wire.

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 second and final dedicated qualifying event for the 2021 F1 Esports Series is now open until the end of November on F1 2020, the newly-released official videogame developed by Codemasters.

Julian Tan, Head of Digital Business Initiatives & Esports at Formula 1 said:

“The F1 Esports Series continues to demonstrate the very best of esports, where we are able to put on sensational racing entertainment for our fans, both old and new to the sport, in a safe and secure way. It’s been a terrific showcase all season and with only three races to go, all eyes will be on Jarno Opmeer, Marcel Kiefer and Frede Rasmussen to see who claims the 2020 F1 Esports Series Drivers’ Championship and which F1 team is crowned 2020 F1 Esports Series Constructors’ Champion!”

Frank Sagnier, CEO at Codemasters said:

“Even without the buzz of a packed arena, the competition has been as fierce and competitive as ever. As we enter the business end of the season, all eyes are now on Jarno Opmeer to see if he can bring home his and Alfa Romeo’s first World Championship.”

John Clarke, CEO at Gfinity said:

“This has been another brilliant racing spectacle for fans around the globe to enjoy. Even though the drivers are in different locations around the world, the races and the show oozes competitive tension. The scene is now been set for a stunning climax to the season, with the Gfinity Arena ready to rock. Bring it on!”

For more information on the F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco visit www.f1esports.com.

Brazilian Carnival

Esportes da Sorte transforms Carnival 2026 into a nationwide immersive experience

Published

5 days ago

February 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

esportes-da-sorte-transforms-carnival-2026-into-a-nationwide-immersive-experience

Leading Brazilian iGaming company Esportes da Sorte has transformed Carnival 2026 into a nationwide immersive experience, activating urban art installations, hydration stations and large‑scale attractions across nine cities in Brazil. As part of its expanded cultural engagement strategy, the brand is serving as an official sponsor in key Carnival locations and delivering experiential initiatives designed for revelers in the streets and major public spaces.

Esportes da Sorte’s nationwide platform builds on its history of investing in popular culture and public events, moving beyond traditional branding to create meaningful on‑site activations that enhance the urban environment and respond to the unique character of each city’s Carnival celebrations.

In Rio de Janeiro, the company’s efforts focus on the street Carnival experience with hydration points, cool zones and shaded areas in high‑traffic celebration routes. São Paulo’s megabloc circuits feature water trucks, hydration stations and on‑site urban support.

In Recife Antigo, one of Carnival’s cultural centers, Esportes da Sorte installed a standout Ferris wheel at Marco Zero, offering panoramic views of the festivities and historic landscape. Urban transformations like video mapping on iconic buildings and aerial installations along Rua Marquês de Olinda further blend public space with the Carnival experience.

Other cities such as Olinda and Salvador also feature tailored activations, including sensory design, refreshment tunnels and themed artistic displays that align with local traditions and festival dynamics.

In addition to physical structures, the initiative includes a robust communications strategy, sensory activations, public well‑being supports and content campaigns that amplify the carnival‑street experience across digital and traditional media.

According to Germana Casal, Production Coordinator at the Esportes Gaming Brasil Group, the goal is to “be present in a meaningful way at the country’s biggest popular celebration,” respecting each city’s identity and delivering initiatives that improve the Carnival experience for participants.

Esportes da Sorte’s Carnival 2026 project builds on the brand’s presence at more than 100 Carnival parties and street blocos in 2025, reinforcing its leadership role in Brazil’s largest cultural event and deepening its connection with urban celebration culture nationwide.

The post Esportes da Sorte transforms Carnival 2026 into a nationwide immersive experience appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

chess esports

Team Vitality announces E.Leclerc as new Main Partner

Published

5 days ago

February 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

team-vitality-announces-e.leclerc-as-new-main-partner

Team Vitality, one of France’s leading esports organizations, has announced a strategic new partnership with French retail giant E.Leclerc, naming the supermarket chain as the club’s Main Partner for 2026.

Under the agreement, E.Leclerc’s logo will feature prominently on Team Vitality’s international team jerseys, including rosters for League of Legends (LEC and LFL), Valorant (VCT EMEA), Rocket League, Rising Bees and Chess.

Shared Values and Fan Initiatives

The partnership aims to promote accessibility, wellness, and nutrition within the esports community, while bringing gaming culture into E.Leclerc retail spaces through immersive experiences, tournaments and activations designed to engage fans across France.

Team Vitality’s holistic wellbeing program, KARE, which supports performance, nutrition and mental health, aligns closely with E.Leclerc’s focus on responsible lifestyle initiatives. Together, they plan to champion inclusivity, provide unique gaming opportunities, and celebrate esports culture in both digital and physical environments.

With a global audience exceeding 10 million followers, Team Vitality’s influence in competitive gaming makes this partnership a landmark moment for both brands. E.Leclerc’s commitment to youth engagement and cultural connection positions the retailer as a significant non‑endemic supporter of the growing esports ecosystem.

Nicolas Maurer, CEO and Co‑Founder of Team Vitality, described the alliance as a historic milestone that will broaden esports’ reach across everyday life in France and reinforce its cultural legitimacy.

The post Team Vitality announces E.Leclerc as new Main Partner appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AI chatbot esports

G2 Esports and Theta Labs Launch AI Agent Sami

Published

5 days ago

February 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

g2-esports-and-theta-labs-launch-ai-agent-sami

G2 Esports has partnered with Theta Labs to launch “Sami,” a next-generation AI agent designed to enhance fan engagement across multiple competitive esports titles.

The AI-powered assistant will provide G2’s global fanbase with instant access to match schedules, player stats, team rosters, tournament standings, and real-time competitive updates. Sami supports major titles including League of Legends, Counter-Strike 2, VALORANT, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, and Call of Duty.

Accessible via the official G2 website and Discord starting February 17, Sami is built to deliver accurate, always-on responses to fan queries in natural language. From tournament updates to player performance metrics and G2-specific trivia, the AI agent reflects the organization’s unique brand voice and competitive culture.

AI-Powered Fan Engagement at Scale

Sami is trained and deployed using Theta EdgeCloud’s hybrid cloud-edge infrastructure, which integrates over 30,000 distributed edge nodes with cloud services from Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services. The system delivers approximately 80 PetaFLOPS of GPU compute power, enabling real-time processing and analysis at significantly reduced costs compared to traditional centralized cloud platforms.

The AI infrastructure dynamically assigns workloads to high-performance GPUs, including NVIDIA A100 and H100 cloud GPUs, as well as RTX 3090 and 4090 desktop GPUs, optimizing performance and cost efficiency. This decentralized architecture allows G2 to scale fan engagement globally while maintaining low latency and high reliability.

Strengthening Esports AI Innovation

Theta Labs has rapidly expanded its presence in the esports industry, powering AI-driven fan experiences for organizations such as Cloud9, FlyQuest, Evil Geniuses, NRG, Gen.G, Dignitas, 100 Thieves, Method, and Team Heretics.

According to Mitch Liu, CEO of Theta Labs, esports fans increasingly demand instant access to team data and competitive updates. AI agents like Sami enable organizations to provide 24/7 automated engagement while maintaining a unique community personality.

Sabrina Ratih, COO of G2 Esports, emphasized that Sami is more than a standard chatbot. Built to reflect G2’s playful and competitive tone, the AI assistant combines advanced machine learning with brand-driven communication to deliver both entertainment and functionality.

The Future of AI in Esports

The launch of Sami positions G2 Esports at the forefront of AI-driven fan engagement in competitive gaming. By leveraging decentralized GPU infrastructure and blockchain-powered cloud computing, the partnership with Theta Labs signals a broader industry shift toward scalable, cost-efficient AI solutions for esports organizations.

As AI integration becomes a competitive differentiator in esports, solutions like Sami are expected to redefine how teams interact with their global communities in real time.

The post G2 Esports and Theta Labs Launch AI Agent Sami appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.