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EXCEL ESPORTS launches BT Power of Better Awards, names gaming charity SpecialEffect as inaugural winner of main award

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EXCEL ESPORTS, the leading British competitive gaming culture brand, has today announced that UK based gaming charity SpecialEffect has won EXCEL’s inaugural BT Power of Better Award, the focal award at its recently launched BT Power of Better Awards.

  • The BT Power of Better Awards, organised by EXCEL and its lead partner BT, is a new series of awards for EXCEL, its staff, players and its community.
  • The focal award is the BT Power of Better Award itself, which recognises an individual or organisation in the esports community that has made a lasting better change for the esports community in 2020.
  • UK Gaming Charity SpecialEffect has been presented with the award due to its ongoing support in 2020 for severely physically disabled and vulnerable people, by continuing its life-transforming work through online assessments, remote support and equipment supervision, despite the impact of COVID-19.
  • SpecialEffect is a charity that specialises in helping physically disabled people play video games. The organisation works with developers to create personalised game control devices as well as make their games more accessible.
  • Other BT Power of Better Awards include the LOL Player of the Year, LOL Blooper of the Year, LOL Fan of the Year, LOL Doggo of the Year and LOL Moment of the Year.
  • The Power of Better Awards follows EXCEL’s recent brand update which included the unveiling of a bold and unique visual identity in esports that saw it evolve into a professional team that adds purpose to its passion for gaming through its unique vision of The Power of Better; a commitment to improve in everything it does and to use its platform to have a positive impact on the wider gaming and esports community.
  • As part of the award win, EXCEL and BT have made a donation of £500 towards the charity.

Kieran Holmes Darby, Co-Founder and Chief Gaming Officer of EXCEL ESPORTS said: Every single year I’m completely blown away by the work that SpecialEffect does and in the face of a global pandemic, the charity has gone above and beyond to continue to support the vulnerable people it exists to help, by bringing them the fun and inclusivity that video games have to offer. I’m truly honoured to name the charity the winner of the inaugural BT Power of Better Award, there is simply no other organisation that I know of that deserves this more than them.” 

Tom Donegan, Fundraising and Communications Team Leader, at SpecialEffect, said: “Kieran and the team at EXCEL ESPORTS were one of the first organisations to welcome us into the world of esports several years ago, when we first started attending events and tournaments to raise awareness of SpecialEffect amongst the community. Since then, we’ve been really lucky to make many great friends from across the esports ecosystem, from individual players and teams, to national and international organisations, who have all been incredibly generous in their support of the charity. What seems to be true across the board is a real affinity with our work and a deep understanding of how enabling people with physical disabilities to play videogames can have such a positive and life-changing impact. In a year that has brought with it so many serious challenges, it is wonderful to have our work recognised with this award and we are incredibly grateful to everyone involved.”

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S8UL partners with AMD ahead of Esports World Cup 2026 campaign

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AMD Ryzen and Radeon hardware will be used across S8UL’s esports, streaming and creator workflows as the Indian org ramps up its EWC push.

S8UL has signed a strategic partnership with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) ahead of its Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 campaign, as the Indian esports and gaming content organization targets further international expansion.

Under the agreement, AMD will equip S8UL’s players and creators with AMD Ryzen™ AI 400 Series processor-based PCs, AMD Ryzen™ 9000 Series processors, and AMD Radeon™ RX 9000 Series graphics cards for gaming, streaming, content creation and general productivity.

The deal lands as S8UL prepares for EWC 2026 after being selected for the Esports World Cup Foundation’s Club Partner Program for a second consecutive year. The organization said it has already secured qualification spots in Apex Legends, Chess, Fortnite, Honor of Kings, and Trackmania, while continuing to pursue additional slots in other titles. The partnership also follows S8UL onboarding Campa Energy as the Title Sponsor for its EWC 2026 campaign.

“S8UL has always focused on both competitive success and content creation. As we prepare for the Esports World Cup, AMD’s technology will support our players and creators across competition, streaming and content production. We’re excited to work together as we continue to grow our presence globally,” said Animesh ‘Thug’ Agarwal, Co-Founder and CEO, S8UL.

“India’s gaming ecosystem is expanding beyond competition, with creators playing an increasingly important role in how communities connect and grow,” said Vinay Sinha, Managing Director, Sales, AMD India. “Organizations like S8UL are helping shape that evolution, and we’re excited to support their players and creators with AMD technology as they continue to engage gaming and creators’ communities in India and around the world.”

EWC 2026 is scheduled for July 6 to August 23, with the Esports World Cup organisers stating it will feature more than 2,000 players and 200 clubs from over 100 countries competing for a $75 million prize pool.

The post S8UL partners with AMD ahead of Esports World Cup 2026 campaign appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Esports Awards adds player-voted EWC Players’ Choice Award, extends Esports Foundation deal

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The Esports Awards and the Esports Foundation (EF) on June 18, 2026, announced a three-year extension of their partnership through 2028 and introduced a new player-voted honor, the EWC Players’ Choice Award. The announcement was made in London, with voting tied to Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 in Paris.

The EWC Players’ Choice Award will be decided exclusively by professional esports players. According to the announcement, competitors attending EWC 2026 will vote in person, while a secure digital voting platform hosted by the Esports Awards will allow participation from additional eligible players and clubs.

Eligibility requires players to have competed in at least one qualifying S, A or B-Tier tournament during the official competitive season. Players will not be able to vote for themselves or teammates, with the Esports Awards overseeing the process.

“The talent and innovation of our sector should be getting the exposure it deserves.,” said Michael Ashford, CEO of the Esports Awards. “The Esports Foundation has done an incredible job in generating mainstream attention, and industry exposure outside of the standard circuit. Our partnership has enabled us to expand our operations and footprint and it’s through our continued collaboration that I hope we can bring the Esports Awards to the global community, and provide the industry with better visibility all year round.”

The Esports Awards also confirmed its 2026 ceremony will take place in the United States, starting what it described as a rotating host city model featuring “previously unvisited destinations.” The event previously staged its 2024 awards ceremony and the 2025 Decade Awards in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as part of the Esports World Cup program.

EWC 2026 is scheduled for Paris from July 06 through August 23, 2026, with more than 2,000 players and 200 Clubs from over 100 countries set to compete in 25 tournaments across 24 games. Voting for the EWC Players’ Choice Award will run from July 1 through August 18, 2026, with the winner to be revealed during the Esports Awards ceremony later this year. The Esports Awards said additional details about its 2026 event will be announced in the coming weeks.

The post Esports Awards adds player-voted EWC Players’ Choice Award, extends Esports Foundation deal appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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ENC 2026 chess qualifiers wrap as 82 nations and territories make the field

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The Esports Foundation (EF) has completed the online regional qualifiers for the Chess tournament at the Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ENC), scheduled to debut in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2-29, 2026.

EF said the 128-player chess field is now largely set. 64 players from 64 countries and territories received direct invitations via official Champions Chess Tour (CCT) rankings at the end of May, while 61 players qualified through online regional events operated by Chess.com across North America, South America, Africa, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East/India/Central Asia, and East Asia/Southeast Asia/Oceania.

A further slot was awarded to Amani Alazmi (Kuwait) via the Host Region Wildcard as the next highest-placing competitor from the host region. Two Wildcard Solidarity slots for underrepresented regions remain and will be announced at the end of August after all ENC qualifiers are completed. With qualifiers concluded, EF said at least 82 countries and territories will be represented in chess at ENC 2026.

EF highlighted that Jamaica, Paraguay, Singapore, South Africa, Tajikistan, Tunisia, and Turkmenistan each secured two qualifying slots despite not receiving a direct invitation. Honduras, Mexico, El Salvador, Venezuela, Morocco, Nigeria, Algeria, Jordan, Australia, and New Zealand secured one slot each.

The chess competition runs November 2-8. EF said the event will open with a round-robin group stage featuring 16 groups of eight players, before moving to a 64-player single-elimination playoff bracket. The full list of qualified players and nations is available on the ENC website’s chess page.

The post ENC 2026 chess qualifiers wrap as 82 nations and territories make the field appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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