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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Compliance Updates
Stake joins ESIC as official anti-corruption partner
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The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) is pleased to announce that Stake has joined as an Official Tier 1 Anti-Corruption Partner.
As a global entertainment and technology brand, Stake’s collaboration with ESIC underscores a shared commitment to strengthening integrity frameworks and supporting fair competition across the esports ecosystem.
ESIC’s Anti-Corruption Supporter program brings together key industry stakeholders who contribute directly to the detection, analysis, and investigation of suspicious betting activity. Through data sharing, operational cooperation, and collaborative monitoring, the program enhances ESIC’s capacity to identify and address potential issues in real time.
As part of Stake’s Anti-Corruption Partner role, Stake will contribute to ESIC’s integrity monitoring network, helping advance the Commission’s efforts to ensure transparency, accountability, and sustainability within the global esports industry. This collaboration reinforces both organisations’ commitment to safeguarding the credibility and long-term development of competitive gaming worldwide.
Stephen Hanna, CEO of ESIC, commented: “The addition of Stake to ESIC’s Anti-Corruption Supporter network reinforces the sentiment that integrity is a shared responsibility. ESIC’s Anti-Corruption Supporter program relies on the active collaboration of partners like Stake, whose operational insights contribute directly to our ability to identify and mitigate integrity threats. Together, we are building a stronger foundation of trust and accountability that supports the sustainable growth of esports worldwide.”
Jarrod Febbraio, Director of Stake, commented: “This partnership formalizes Stake’s commitment to protecting integrity and transparency across the global esports ecosystem. As the world’s leading online-first betting operator, supporting the industry is central to our strategy and our scale makes this collaboration with ESIC essential to safeguarding its integrity. Together, we’re ensuring the ecosystem remains fair, transparent, and trusted by fans and participants worldwide.”
The post Stake joins ESIC as official anti-corruption partner appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Central Europe
Oddin.gg Wins the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Central Europe for the Second Year in a Row
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For the second consecutive year, Czech-based esports technology company Oddin.gg has taken the top spot in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Central Europe, underscoring the company’s sustained momentum and highlighting the global demand for an innovative and high-performing esports betting infrastructure.
The Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Central Europe program recognizes the region’s fastest-growing technology companies across sectors including fintech, software, communications, environmental tech, hardware, healthcare, media and entertainment. Rankings are based on percentage revenue growth.
Commenting on the win, CEO and Co-Founder Vlastimil Venclík shared: “Being recognized by the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 for the second year in a row is an honor. It reflects not only our growth, but the trust our partners place in us and the hard work of our team. Esports is evolving quickly, and we’re committed to delivering reliable, high-performing infrastructure that helps operators succeed, now and in the years ahead.”
Founded in 2018, Oddin.gg is dedicated to elevating the excitement of digital esports competitions and equipping sportsbook operators with reliable solutions that maximize engagement, betting activity and profitability.
Vlastimil Venclik credits the company’s growth to its industry expertise, its focus on the betting vertical, and its forward-thinking, customer-first product strategy.
“Our team blends former professional players with data scientists and engineers. That mix gives us the deep esports knowledge and technical capability needed to solve real challenges for operators and deliver measurable results, while also reducing their exposure to risk.”
Oddin.gg stands apart by offering a unified, end-to-end ecosystem for esports betting, allowing operators to work with a single vendor for odds feeds, risk management, widgets, BetBuilder, iFrame and 24/7 eSimulators while also producing and managing everything in-house. This integrated approach is a core pillar of Realms Group, where Oddin.gg leads the effort to shape how audiences experience live digital entertainment.
“We’re expanding in two major directions. First, by building faster, smarter, more interactive products that deepen engagement for fans and bettors. Second, by growing geographically, supported by recent certifications in Brazil as well as earlier approvals in the United States and Canada. This makes us one of the most secure and trusted providers in the market,” Venclik said.
The post Oddin.gg Wins the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Central Europe for the Second Year in a Row appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Adrian Jones
Personar Partners with StarLadder as Official Technology Partner for Budapest Major 2025
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Personar, an award-winning provider of AI sports technology, announced its partnership with StarLadder as the official technology partner for the Budapest Counter-Strike 2 Major 2025. This collaboration marks Personar’s entry into esports. It will bring advanced real-time communications and interactive fan features directly into the live broadcast across all stages of the tournament, making one of Counter-Strike 2’s most distinctive elements – team communications – accessible to a global audience.
As part of the partnership, the tournament will carry the title Presented by PERSONAR, with branding integrated throughout the arena, live streams and digital broadcasts. The event will bring thousands into the stadium and reach millions of viewers worldwide.
TrackSwift, Personar’s award-winning platform for real-time sports decision intelligence, will power several key broadcast innovations throughout the tournament:
• Live In-Match Voice Communications: The broadcast will feature live transcriptions of every key communication moment.
• Voice Communication Replays: Dedicated replay segments that provide fans with a deeper understanding of the tactical decisions and split-second calls that define championship-level Counter-Strike 2 play.
• Fan Engagement Features: Personar TrackSwift will enable fans to support their favourite teams and players throughout the broadcast with real-time information.
“The Budapest Major represents one of the most significant events in competitive gaming, and we’re thrilled to bring our TrackSwift technology to enhance the fan experience. Team communications are at the heart of Counter-Strike 2’s excitement, and our technology removes barriers, giving fans unprecedented insight into the strategic brilliance of the world’s best teams. This is a bold moment for Personar. Esports is global, fast-paced, and redefining how audiences experience competition. TrackSwift now brings the precision, analytics, and broadcast intelligence of professional sports communication to competitive gaming,” said Adrian Jones, CEO of Personar.
“Partnering with Personar allows us to bring fans closer to the teams than ever before. TrackSwift adds a new level of clarity and insight to live Counter-Strike 2, and we’re excited to showcase this innovation at the Budapest Major as part of our ongoing commitment to pushing the boundaries of the esports experience,” said Tina Balan, COO of StarLadder.
TrackSwift’s real-time processing capabilities let fans experience the intensity and strategy of competitive Counter-Strike 2 without missing crucial context of live team communication.
The StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 will take place from 24 Nov to 14 Dec in Budapest, Hungary, featuring a USD 1,250,000 prize pool and 32 of the world’s best Counter-Strike 2 teams competing for esports’ highest honours.
The post Personar Partners with StarLadder as Official Technology Partner for Budapest Major 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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