eSports

Tundra Announces First Major Expansion into Dota 2

Published

5 years ago

January 26, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Tundra, a London based esports organisation known for their international roster of the world’s best FIFA players is pleased to reveal their expansion into Dota 2 with the acquisition of Mudgolems, a new and upcoming European team. The team is led by Adrian “Fata” Trinks, a veteran of the Dota2 scene. Having started his professional career more than 8 years ago, Fata played under some of the biggest teams in Dota2, including Team Liquid, Cloud9 and Team Secret. In those years, he managed to participate in all Internationals and various Major Valve Tournaments. More recently, he switched to the hard support role, using his experience to create and captain his own team.

Tundra launched in 2019 with a world-renowned international FIFA roster and the ambition to house high profile talent with their eye on victory at every event they attend. Following a successful first year with the signing of TikTok as Principal Partner and Kappa as the Official Sportive Teamwear provider. Tundra will now expand into Dota 2 with the signing of Mudgolems who recently qualified for the EU Upper Division in DreamLeague Season 14. Performing extremely well and showing promising potential, it was the Mudgolems´ rapid rise to success that ultimately sparked Tundra´s interest in supporting the team.

“Signing a new roster in a new game is a significant investment for any esports organisation and not an overnight decision. Dota 2 continues to be a pinnacle esport and Mudgolems is a new team that is already making a name for itself and who share the same ambitions and passion as we do,” said Maxim Demin, owner of Tundra. “The potential is sky high and we believe Fata will be able to steer the team in the right direction and challenge some of the biggest names on the Dota 2 esports scene. At Tundra we want to compete at the highest level and in the world’s biggest esports, which is why we believe an expansion into Dota 2 is a natural step for us. With that being said, we realise that success doesn’t come overnight either.”

“Tundra Esports and I share the same drive to build a force within the Dota2 Esport scene and I believe this will let me take the team to the next level,” said Adrian “Fata” Trinks, Team Captain of Tundra’s Dota 2 team.

Adrian “Fata” Trinks has a strong roster of players supporting him, including:

Oliver “Skiter” Lepko – born in Slovakia, Skiter has recently achieved more than 10,000 MMR in-game, having previously played for PENTA Sports, Ninjas in Pyjamas and CR4ZY.
Leon “Nine” Kirilin – Half German, half Russian, Nine is best known for being the first German player to reach 9,000 MMR, playing for the likes of PENTA Sports, Team Spirit and J.Storm.
Neta “33” Shapira – A skillful Israeli offlaner with many games under his belt on teams such as Alliance, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Optic Gaming and Hellraisers.
Malthe “Biver” Winther – A support player hailing from Denmark with a track record of playing for Natus Vincere and Ninjas in Pyjamas.

Tundra fans can watch the official debut of the new Dota 2 team on Tuesday January 26th at 9pm CET, playing against OG in the DreamLeague Season 14 DPC EU Upper division.

BLAST

BLAST partners with MATCH on premium fan travel for 2026-27 events

Published

4 hours ago

June 11, 2026

Wladimir P.

blast-partners-with-match-on-premium-fan-travel-for-2026-27-events

Deal covers travel and hospitality packages across BLAST’s event slate, starting with BLAST Premier Hong Kong Rivals in November.

BLAST has signed a one-year partnership with MATCH to develop premium fan travel experiences and related commercial opportunities across BLAST events in 2026 and 2027, including the BLAST Premier Hong Kong Rivals 2026. The companies said the work will start immediately, with an initial focus on the BLAST Premier Hong Kong Rivals event in November.

BLAST VP of Destinations and Market Development James Woollard said: “We’re thrilled to partner with MATCH, a company with an unrivalled track record in delivering top-tier fan travel experiences at the biggest sporting events in the world. As BLAST continues to grow globally and attract growing numbers of travelling fans, this partnership represents an exciting opportunity to further elevate the live event experience for fans and audiences across esports.”

MATCH is best known for hospitality and accommodation programmes at major sports events, including four consecutive FIFA World Cups from 2010 to 2022, as well as Ryder Cup tournaments, Formula 1 Grands Prix and ATP tennis tournaments. MATCH Director of UK Events and Business Strategy Richard Parker said: “Esports is one of the most exciting growth frontiers in live entertainment, and BLAST stands out as a world-class platform with incredible potential. At MATCH, we see a tremendous opportunity to bring our expertise in creating premium fan experiences into the esports arena. We are very enthusiastic about the possibility of working together with BLAST to deliver innovative, unforgettable experiences for esports fans worldwide.”

BLAST said MATCH will also bring its network of clients, sponsors, federations, agents and media partners to support international attendance and partner activation, alongside MATCH’s technology and operational infrastructure. The announcement follows BLAST’s 2025 live events activity, where the organiser said it delivered 15 arena shows across 10 countries spanning five titles and sold 194,421 tickets.

The post BLAST partners with MATCH on premium fan travel for 2026-27 events appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Counter-strike

Team Vitality opens V.Hub fan zone for IEM Cologne Major

Published

8 hours ago

June 11, 2026

Wladimir P.

team-vitality-opens-v.hub-fan-zone-for-iem-cologne-major

Team Vitality is launching an official fan zone, V.Hub, to coincide with the 2026 IEM Cologne Major. The venue will run June 18-21 at KWB im Stadtpalais, a short walk from the LANXESS Arena.

Access to V.Hub will be free for fans who sign up, with limited availability. Team Vitality said the space is intended to bring together its community, partners and Counter-Strike fans attending the event.

The fan zone will include dedicated areas hosted by Team Vitality and partners Skin.Club, ASUS ROG, EVNIA and Blacklyte. The club said activations will include hands-on experiences and opportunities to play bespoke Counter-Strike maps.

Team Vitality also plans match watch parties, a pop-up shop for official merchandise and giveaways, including an ASUS ROG x Team Vitality co-branded mousepad. During the playoff stage, the club said V.Hub will be set up for trophy photo opportunities with its Major trophies.

Food and drink will be available on site throughout the event, including vegetarian options.

The post Team Vitality opens V.Hub fan zone for IEM Cologne Major appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

eSports

Esports World Cup 2026 Opens Registration for Last Chance Qualifiers

Published

2 days ago

June 9, 2026

Wladimir P.

esports-world-cup-2026-opens-registration-for-last-chance-qualifiers

The Esports Foundation (EF) announced the official lineup and details for the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) tournaments that will award the final spots in eight different competitions at this year’s Esports World Cup, set to be hosted in Paris, France, from July 6 through August 23.

The programme forms the final stage of qualification for EWC 2026, concluding a global Road to EWC that spans more than 230 tournaments and qualification events worldwide and is expected to engage more than 350,000 competitors across publisher ecosystems, regional leagues and official circuits.

The Last Chance Qualifier series consists of eight open tournaments across Counter-Strike 2, EA FC, Rocket League, TEKKEN 8, Chess, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves and Street Fighter 6.

Held in Paris between July 5 and August 10, the events will award the final qualification spots for 37 solo competitors and six Clubs at the Esports World Cup 2026, including four Clubs in Counter-Strike 2 and one Club each in Rocket League and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. EA FC qualifiers will advance to the Play-Ins stage, while all other LCQ winners will qualify directly for the main event.

LCQ Schedule and Qualification Slots

• Street Fighter 6 (July 5): 4 players qualify

• Chess (July 9-11): 14 players qualify

• EA FC (July 24-26): 6 players qualify for Play-Ins

• TEKKEN 8 (July 31-August 2): 4 players qualify

• Rocket League (July 31-August 2): 1 Club qualifies

• FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves (August 4-6): 4 players qualify

• Counter-Strike 2 (August 7-9): 4 Clubs qualify

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (August 8-10): 1 Club qualifies

Some of the most remarkable moments in EWC’s history have come as a result of the LCQ. In 2024, EA FC pro João “JafonsogV” Vasconcellos battled through the LCQ before going on to claim the championship, etching his name into esports history. His performance inspired the creation of the Jafonso Award, which is awarded to teams or players that win an EWC championship after qualifying through the LCQ.

In 2025, Team Falcons’ Overwatch roster pulled off that feat to not only claim the first Jafonso Award and the OWCS Midseason Championship, but win what would turn out to be a crucial tournament victory that cemented Falcons’ second straight Club Championship. In the same year, Chess Grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Levon Aronian both reached the playoffs after qualifying for the first EWC Chess main event through the LCQ.

The Esports World Cup 2026 will be hosted at Paris Expo Port de Versailles, in Paris, France, from July 6 through August 23, bringing together more than 2000 players and 200 Clubs from over 100 countries across 25 tournaments and 24 games for a record-breaking $75 million+ prize pool.

The post Esports World Cup 2026 Opens Registration for Last Chance Qualifiers appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.