eSports
Jarno Opmeer and Red Bull crowned world champions of F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco
Alfa Romeo’s Jarno Opmeer and Red Bull were crowned world champions in the Grand Final of the 2020 F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco after a nail-biting finale this week, which saw some of the most intense battles of the season, as the championships went down to the wire. Jarno Opmeer got his hands on his first ever F1 Esports Series title, whilst Red Bull took home their second successive team’s championship to secure the lion’s share of the series’ $750,000 prize pot.
The driver’s championship standings were incredibly tight going in to the Grand Final, with Alfa Romeo’s Jarno Opmeer, Red Bull’s pairing of Marcel Kiefer and Frede Rasmussen, and Nicolas Longuet of Renault, all in with a shot of winning the main prize. Whilst the teams’ championship was on the line for Red Bull and Alfa Romeo.
Wednesday’s action started with a trip to Suzuka, as drivers battled it out on the high-speed track, negiotiating the iconic ‘S’ curves, where Frede Rasmussen secured a huge win in the race for the title. Nicolas Longuet took crucial points in P2, whilst Racing Point’s Daniele Haddad scored a surprise first podium of the season.
Jarno Opmeer rounded off Wednesday with a well-fought, much-needed win at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City, ahead of two-time Esports champion Brendon Leigh and title rival Frede Rasmussen, who finished second and third respectively.
The season culminated where many famous F1 campaigns have ended, in Interlagos, as Nicolas Longuet finished the year with a brilliant drive to take victory in a breathtaking race. Marcel Kiefer’s P2 finish secured the teams’ championship and Brendon Leigh finished on the podium to round off the series and end his season on a high. Jarno Opmeer settled for P7, but it was enough to secure the title, after a time penalty put Frede Rasmussen down in P11, as he won his first drivers’ championship by 22 points.
The Pro Series Grand Final closed a thrilling season of action and excitement, which has been historic in its own right as driver’s raced remotely for the first time, from their homes or team factories, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The two trophies, alongside the DHL Fastest Lap Award to AlphaTauri’s Joni Törmälä, were awarded virtually from the Gfinity Esports Arena in London, where this season’s live shows have been broadcast from, as fans around the world were treated to more content than ever before. Throughout the season, live shows have been 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).
F1 Esport’s ventures have flourished in the face of adversity in 2020, with over 30 million viewers tuning in for the Virtual Grand Prix series earlier this year, and the most popular Pro Series yet. The huge popularity of F1’s Esports output is mirrored by sales of Codemasters’ official F1 2020 video game, and record numbers of participants attempting to qualify for next year’s series.
The support of the series’ partners, Aramco, DHL and Fanatec is paramount to the F1 Esports Series’ ongoing success. For more information visit www.f1esports.com.
Chase Carey, CEO at Formula 1 said:
“A massive thanks and congratulations to all the teams and people that made this Esports season possible. I know it’s not been easy and the virus has created challenges for all of us but they’ve not only taken on those challenges but achieved success beyond our wildest expectations. It’s been an incredible year from end to end, with participation up over 100%. There’s been great energy in the Esports competition, and we look forward to an even more exciting year next year and continued growth!”
Christian Horner, Team Principal at Red Bull Racing Team said:
“Congratulations to the Red Bull Racing Esports team on successfully defending the constructors title, a fantastic job by all three of you [the drivers], so enjoy it! It is a great result and something for us to live up to next year on the main circuit.”
Frank Sagnier, CEO at Codemasters said:
“On behalf of the F1 2020 team, I’d like to congratulate Jarno Opmeer on his maiden championship. Despite the remote participation due to COVID-19, we have witnessed some incredible racing moments, and thanks go to the drivers and teams for their commitment during a very challenging season. It’s been a fantastic year for F1® 2020 and the F1 Esports Series, which has seen record participation and viewership numbers. We look forward to even bigger and better things in 2021, starting with the F1 Esports Series Challengers.”
John Clarke, CEO at Gfinity said:
“F1 Esports Series has once again demonstrated the power and excitement of virtual racing at the highest level. The drivers and teams keep raising the bar with their performances. Record numbers of fans now have an even deeper appreciation of the skill levels required to compete and win. Congratulations to everyone involved in another outstanding season. And bring on 2021!”.
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eSports
GIANTX unveils its team for the Spanish Superliga of League of Legends
The global esports organization GIANTX has officially presented the roster for its League of Legends Superliga team, the most prestigious esports competition in Spain, organized by the LVP. The roster includes Feisty (midlaner) and Aetinoth (ADC), who continue for another year after establishing themselves as key players for the organization, and newcomers Badlulu (toplaner), Ferret (jungler), and Lospa (support).
The team, known as GIANTX Pride, will be led by Fearless, a veteran coach who has already won three Superliga titles with GIANTX. After previous stints with teams like Guasones and Rebels, Fearless returns to lead this young and promising roster as they pursue the organization’s long-awaited eighth Superliga trophy, with the season set to begin in January 2025.
The roster was revealed during an event at the Home of GIANTX in Málaga, attended by over 150 fans and supported by Opel, the team’s main partner in the Superliga. The event featured activities, giveaways, and a showmatch against Barça Esports, where fans got a first glimpse of the team in action.
Feisty (South Korea, 2003) and Aetinoth (Turkey, 2005) return for another year, having gained recognition as rising talents with potential for the LEC, Europe’s premier competition in which GIANTX also competes. Badlulu (France, 2002), with prior experience in the Superliga at CASE Esports, joins as the toplaner. Ferret (Turkey, 2001), a promising jungler from the Turkish scene, comes from FUT, while Lospa (South Korea, 2002), a former Iberian Cup champion, joins as support after training in Gen.G Academy.
GIANTX Pride is the most decorated organization in Superliga LVP history, with seven titles to its name. The last victory came in the summer of 2021, and the team is determined to add the elusive eighth trophy to its collection. The Superliga for 2025 will feature ten teams, including Barça Esports, Guasones, Los Heretics, LUA Gaming, Movistar KOI, Ramboot Club, UCAM Esports, VENI VIDI VICI, and ZETA, competing across three splits—winter, spring, and summer.
The LVP, part of Grupo Mediapro, has introduced changes to the Superliga’s format for 2025. The updated calendar will be released soon, setting the stage for another thrilling season.
The post GIANTX unveils its team for the Spanish Superliga of League of Legends appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
GRID Joins IBIA as an Associate Member, Strengthening Esports Integrity
GRID, an esports data platform, has officially joined the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) as a first esports-focused Associate Member. This collaboration signifies a pivotal moment for esports integrity, aligning GRID with IBIA and its globally recognized integrity-focused members, who monitor over $300bn in sports bets per annum and have a growing focus on esports betting.
With this partnership, GRID and IBIA are committed to collaboratively addressing any integrity issues in esports, fostering trust across stakeholders, and setting a benchmark for excellence in the ecosystem. GRID has been a certified member of IBIA’s Data Standards program since 2022, actively contributing to the development of tailored esports integrity protocols. This membership further underscores GRID’s dedication to transparency and collaboration in combating betting-related corruption within esports.
Since 2018, GRID has operated an internal integrity department pioneering official data-driven solutions for esports. This makes GRID one of the first companies to monitor tournament and data integrity in the competitive sports sector and actively flag and report suspicious behavior, enabling it to collect a large database of integrity reports and insights.
IBIA is a not-for-profit body that protects regulated sports betting markets from match-fixing. It represents over 50 of the world’s leading betting companies which operate over 125 sports betting brands. IBIA’s global monitoring network is a highly effective anti-corruption tool, detecting and reporting suspicious activity in regulated betting markets using transactional activity linked to individual customer accounts.
Under the partnership, GRID and IBIA will share information relating to suspicious esports betting and potential match manipulation from their respective monitoring and intelligence platforms. IBIA members will also benefit from free access to wider integrity-focused resources supplied by GRID.
Moritz Maurer, CEO of GRID, commented: “Integrity is at the heart of GRID’s mission. By joining IBIA as an Associate Member, we are taking a definitive step toward establishing esports as a trusted and credible industry. This partnership enables us to further our efforts in promoting transparency, reducing risks associated with esports betting, and strengthening operational practices across the ecosystem.’’
Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “We are delighted to welcome GRID as an Associate Member of IBIA. This partnership is a landmark for the esports sector and reflects our commitment to expanding our integrity initiatives into new markets. GRID’s expertise in esports data monitoring and integrity standards is an invaluable asset in our shared mission to combat betting corruption globally.”
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eSports
ComeOn Group and Astralis unite to drive esports engagement in the Nordics
ComeOn Group announced a sponsorship partnership between its flagship brand ComeOn! and Denmark based Astralis, one of the most esteemed esports organisations globally. As a global leader in esports, Astralis is providing a vibrant and engaging esports experience that is aligned with ComeOn!’s brand experience and is further enhanced by its focus in providing a leading esports betting destination.
As the official sponsor of Astralis, ComeOn! will be prominently featured across all of their platforms, including social media, team events, and competitive gaming content, boosting their brand exposure in key global markets with a focus on the Nordics. ComeOn! is already known as a vibrant brand in the Nordics and with the increased brand visibility it will be put at the heart of the fast-growing esports scene.
ComeOn Group continues to invest in its Sportsbook product experience that is powered by its proprietary sportsbook platform, where esports holds an important strategic market opportunity with its ever growing demand.
Juergen Reutter, Chief Executive Officer at ComeOn Group, said: “We are very excited to team up with Astralis as this collaboration not only allows us to showcase our innovative Sportsbook platform but also strengthens our ties to the esports community. This partnership is very much in the heart of one of the fastest growing betting markets globally. Esports has seen great demand by our audiences, and we want to provide the best betting experience for our customers. This partnership is also a testament to our localisation and personalisation focus and by working together with Astralis, we can deliver unique experiences that resonate with our players and elevate the entertainment experience around competitive gaming.”
Mads Rasmussen, Commercial Director at Astralis, said: ”We are proud to present ComeOn Group as our new global partner. This partnership holds great significance for Astralis both as an organization and as a business, and we look forward to bringing the agreement to life, benefiting the vast majority of our fanbase – who are adults. We have undergone a long and very positive process with ComeOn, and the fact that they are European-based with licenses in all our key markets, including Denmark, has been a decisive factor in our decision. Astralis fans, both in Denmark and internationally, can look forward to an innovative new digital activation, which promises to deliver an exciting and engaging experience.”
The post ComeOn Group and Astralis unite to drive esports engagement in the Nordics appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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