eSports
Celebrities From the Billion Dollar Esports Industry Celebrated at the Esports Awards

The Esports Awards, the Oscars of esports, is excited to announce the full list of winners from this year’s ceremony which were unveiled during an industry-first virtual celebration that saw millions of viewers tune in. Hosted by Eefje “Sjokz” Depoortere and presented by the likes of WWE Superstar Xavier Woods, renowned DJ Steve Aoki, and Tottenham footballer and EXCEL ESPORTS brand ambassador Dele Alli, over thirty awards were given out, more than ever before, showcasing the Esports Awards’ commitment to recognising every corner of the industry.
Esports is a billion-dollar industry that houses millions of fans and has seen big brands and big faces like TikTok, Louis Vuitton, Lexus, David Beckham, Drake, and Spotify enter the space. The Esports Awards is the only global annual ceremony that celebrates and honors figures from all areas of the industry. 2020 marks a landmark year for the Esports Awards as it celebrates its fifth year of celebrating and recognising excellence in esports. This year is its most ambitious event to date, with big-name partners in Lexus and Verizon, as well as a groundbreaking virtual online ceremony in partnership with LiveCGI. The CGI studio is a truly immersive and true-to-life showcase which has been handcrafted by LiveCGI’s unique expertise and top grade technology.
Among the big winners for the night were Riot Games who took home Esports Publisher of the Year In Association with LiveCGI and Esports Game of the Year in association with The Koyo Store for League of Legends. The awards didn’t stop there with Esports Content Team of the Year going to the League of Legends European Championship and the LOL Season Opening being named Esports Creative Piece of the Year.
Team Secret took home an impressive three awards including Esports PC Player of the Year for Michał “Nisha” Jankowski, Esports Coach of the Year for Lee “Heen” Seung Gon, and the coveted Esports Team of the Year for its Dota 2 roster.
In the player categories, Anthony “Shotzzy” Cuevas-Castro took home Esports Console Rookie of the Year in Partnership with SCUF and Esports Console Player of the Year in Partnership with SCUF after a breakthrough year which saw him take home multiple trophies including the biggest competition in the calendar, Call of Duty Championship. Elsewhere, Ryu “Keria” Min-seok picked up Esports PC Rookie of the Year In Association with Matrix Keyboards on the back of a stand out performance at the League of Legends World Championship and Made Bagas “Zuxxy” Pramudita took home Esports Mobile Player of the Year.
The full list of Esports Awards winners are:
- Esports Mobile Game of the Year presented by Verizon – Freefire
- Esports Publisher of the Year In Association with LiveCGI from Esports Supply – Riot Games
- Esports Game of the Year in association with The Koyo Store – League of Legends
- Esports Supporting Agency of the Year in association with Grind Gaming – CSA
- Esports Coverage Website of the Year in association with Sizzle Creative – Esports Observer
- Esports Play of the Year in association with Respawn – İsmailcan “XANTARES” Dörtkardeş (BIG)
- Esports Creative/Creative Team of the Year in Association with eBeatz – Paper Crowns
- Esports Journalist of the Year – Emily Rand
- Esports Content Team of the Year – League of Legends European Championship
- Esports Content Creator of the Year In Association with Esports Stadium Arlington – UpUpDownDown
- Esports Caster of the Year (Play by Play) – Clayton “CaptainFlowers” Raines
- Esports Caster of the Year (Colour) – Michael “KiXSTAr” Stockley
- Esports Host of the Year – Eefje “Sjokz” Deporteere
- Esports PC Rookie of the Year In Association with Matrix Keyboards – Ryu “Keria” Min-seok (T1)
- Esports Console Rookie of the Year in Partnership with SCUF – Anthony “Shotzzy” Cuevas-Castro (Dallas Empire)
- Esports Mobile Player of the Year – Made Bagas “Zuxxy” Pramudita (Bigetron RA)
- Esports Console Player of the Year in Partnership with SCUF – Anthony “Shotzzy” Cuevas-Castro (Dallas Empire)
- Esports PC Player of the Year – Michał “Nisha” Jankowski (Team Secret)
- Esports Team of the Year – Team Secret (Dota 2)
- Esports Personality of the Year presented by Lexus – Carlos “ocelote” Rodríguez Santiago
- Streamer of the Year Presented by Lexus – Ibai
- Esports Organisation of the Year – G2 Esports
- Esports Cosplay of the Year – Glory Lamothe
- Esports Creative Piece of the Year in association with eBeatz – LOL season opening
Last night the Esports Awards hosted the inaugural Esports Awards Prelude which saw a total of ten awards handed out. The winners included the likes of Logitech, Chad “SPUNJ” Burchill, and Eavesdrop Podcast. It also played host to the Lifetime Achievement in Esports Class of 2020 which honours individuals who have had a long-lasting impact and dedicated their professional life to improving the industry.
- Esports Collegiate Award – Tyrelle Appleton
- Esports Hardware Provider of the Year – Elgato
- Esports Commercial Partner of the Year – Logitech
- Lifetime Achievement in Esports – Class of 2020
- Johnathan “Fatality” Wendel
- Daigo Umehara
- Richard Lewis
- Craig “Torbull” Levine
- Michael Sepso
- Lim ‘Boxer’ Yo-Hwan
- Esports Photographer of the Year – Rich Loch
- Esports Videographer of the Year – Logan Dodson
- Esports Coach of the Year – Lee “Heen” Seung Gon (Team Secret)
- Esports Analyst of the Year – Chad “SPUNJ” Burchill
- Esports Content Series of the Year – Eavesdrop Podcast
- Panel’s Choice Award in association with Touch of Ginger – Michal Slowinski
- Panel’s Choice Award in association with Touch of Ginger – Steve Dudenhoeffer
“It has been a milestone year, not just for the Esports Awards, but for the esports industry. We have been faced with many challenges and hurdles as well as opportunities to showcase how resilient and talent led our industry is. As we conclude our fifth year with more votes, more viewership, and more mainstream partners than ever before I am pleased that we were able to put together an ambitious virtual event to celebrate those who have really made a difference and continued to push our industry forward.” said Michael Ashford, Managing Director, Esports Awards
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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.
Asia
KONAMI Teams Up with Sunil Chhetri to Celebrate Diwali with Exclusive eFootball™ Content and National Tournament

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Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. (KONAMI) today announced a historic collaboration with Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri, bringing his exclusive player card and avatar to eFootball. Launched today, 9th October, the move is timed with the celebration of Diwali, marking a milestone moment for Indian fans. Adding to the celebrations, Konami also unveils the Diwali Cup, a national level eFootball
tournament with a ₹1 Lakh prize pool, allowing fans a chance to celebrate one of the country’s most festive seasons and also play as a national icon.
Registrations for the tournament are now open via the eFootball India Discord server, closing on 16th October Matches commence between October 16 to 30, with top performers and the winner able to secure an opportunity to meet celebrity guests such as Sunil Chhetri, KL Rahul, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Focused Indian and Ahan Shetty at the exclusive event in Mumbai this December. The Diwali Cup is designed to blend competition with festivity, giving fans a chance to celebrate the season on and off the virtual pitch.
To further embrace the spirit of Diwali, the brand will also introduce a special in-game ‘Diwali Campaign’ From themed jerseys and firework goal effects to celebratory profile banners, these exclusive design elements aim to bring an Indian cultural flavor into the game. Ensuring fans can experience both the festival and the beautiful game in a unique way. Additionally, fans can look forward to obtaining the Sunil Chhetri Starter Set on sale from November onwards.
Speaking about the launch, Junichi Taya, eFootball General Producer at KONAMI, said: “India has an incredible passion for football, and Sunil Chhetri stands as a true symbol of that spirit. We are honored to celebrate his career with this special in-game card. Additionally, as we look to build a stronger presence in the sub-continent, we are seeking to embrace localized activations, and this aligns with our vision perfectly. This collaboration reflects our long-term commitment to Indian fans as we look forward to seeing them celebrate both their hero and their festival inside eFootball
.”
With over two decades of international football, Sunil Chhetri’s arrival in eFootball marks a new chapter in honoring his legacy. For fans across India, the launch is aimed to be a celebration of national pride, passion, and the growing power of Indian football. As KONAMI pushes ahead to deliver meaningful, localized experiences across the subcontinent, the brand seeks to ensure Indian fans remain at the heart of eFootball
.
The post KONAMI Teams Up with Sunil Chhetri to Celebrate Diwali with Exclusive eFootball™ Content and National Tournament appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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