eSports
2020 Was the Year of Possibilities for WePlay Esports
2020 is a year we will always remember, but at WePlay Esports, we will also recall those difficult months for a very different reason. To us, it was a time of growth, change, and exploration.
While the year brought about social distancing, only gathering in small groups, and working from home, it also marked a new direction for WePlay Esports, leading to a handful of firsts. Let’s look at those more closely. WePlay Esports hosted its first Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) event, WePlay! Bukovel Minor 2020, which also happened to be the first of its tournaments to be hosted in a remote location. The Bukovel ski resort in Ukraine made an excellent backdrop for our winter holiday theme and, according to Esports Charts, garnered 233,124 peak viewers and 5,484,237 hours watched. This made it the most-watched Minor in the history of the DPC.
“Fresh from the holiday season, we wanted to hold on to all that revelry and share it with the community we love. So, the WePlay Esports team prepared the biggest gift — a DPC Minor to remember,” says Yura Lazebnikov, Managing Partner at WePlay Esports.
WePlay! VALORANT Invitational
VALORANT brought Riot Games’ free-to-play business model to first-person shooters, and WePlay Esports was one of the first tournament operators to host an event in the new esports discipline. WePlay! VALORANT Invitational was a $50,000 prize pool tournament with a neon cyberpunk vibe. The event became a part of the official VALORANT IGNITION SERIES. According to Esports Charts, running from July 15 to 19, the event secured a peak viewership of 54,021 and 687,359 hours watched. The company learned that half the VALORANT tournament audience was aged between 18 and 24. Additionally, we discovered that those who both watched broadcasts on WePlay Esports’ English Twitch channel and visited the event page on the website, love movies and technology just as much as they do video games.
WePlay Dragon Temple
Before the year was over, we added yet another new discipline, Mortal Kombat 11, to our list, but this also meant we had stepped into a new genre. The $60,000 WePlay Dragon Temple event gained 10,718 peak viewers and 163,401 hours watched with an air time of 29 hours (Esports Charts provided the data). These statistics made it the Mortal Kombat 11 tournament of 2020 ranked second by highest peak viewers and hours watched outside NetherRealm Studios’ official event. From the wardrobe to stage setup, WePlay Dragon Temple was one of our most impressive productions yet. That we were able to do this during the pandemic year and keep all players, talent, and staff safe is an achievement I’m very proud of,” says Oleg Krot, Managing Partner at WePlay Esports.
The year 2020 will remain in our collective memory as a difficult one, following the hardships experienced worldwide due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, 2020 was not without its merits, as WePlay Esports was able to adapt quickly to the new state of affairs. It was no groundhog day, that’s for sure!
A Year Full of Firsts
WePlay! Bukovel Minor 2020
Weathering the Storm
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Pioneering esports odds, data and betting products provider now available to operators powered by leading platform supplier with the integration facilitated by Sporting Solutions
PandaScore, the award-winning provider of esports odds, data and betting products, has integrated its suite of solutions with Playbook Engineering, the global sportsbook platform provider.
The partnership has been facilitated by Sporting Solutions, which has strategic partnerships with both PandaScore and Playbook Engineering.
Playbook Engineering has established itself as a leading sportsbook platform provider, supporting brands such as Star Sports, AK Bets, Priced Up, Bet Wright, Gentleman Jim, and Dragon Bet.
Following the integration, online sportsbooks powered by Playbook Engineering can access PandaScore’s Odds feed allowing them to offer comprehensive and competitive esports odds for some of the most popular disciplines.
The scope of markets and the value of odds are unrivalled with PandaScore using sophisticated models backed by a team of experienced traders including specialist traders for disciplines like CS2, Dota 2 and LoL.
A growing number of platform providers and operators are making a move into the lucrative esports betting space, with PandaScore recently surpassing €1bn of bets through its platform off the back of a sharp rise in demand among players and operators.
Joseph Noone, Senior Sales Manager at PandaScore, said: “Playbook Engineering powers some renowned sportsbooks as well as up and coming brands that are really making an impact.
“It’s great that these sportsbooks can access our esports odds, data and betting products, allowing them to engage new and existing player cohorts with a compelling esports offering that stands out when it comes to the range and value of odds.
“The integration wouldn’t have been possible without our shared partner Sporting Solutions, and stands as an example of what can be achieved when providers work together.”
Luke Cousins, Commercial Director at Playbook Engineering, added: “Sportsbook operators simply can’t ignore the demand for esports betting and in PandaScore, we have a premium odds, data and betting product provider that lives and breathes esports.
“This partnership, done through our mutual friends, Sporting Solutions, further positions Playbook Engineering as a tier-one platform provider to some of the most exciting sportsbook brands around the world. This makes it a win for us, our partners and their players.”
The post PandaScore and Playbook Engineering join forces appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Phygital International (PI), the exclusive rights holders and custodians of The Games of the Future (GOTF), announced that Brazil, Serbia, South Africa, and Uzbekistan are the shortlisted applicants to host GOTF 2027. The Games of the Future is the world’s leading phygital sports tournament, bringing together sports and esports athletes from around the world.
With the UAE set to host GOTF 2025 and Kazakhstan in 2026, the competition for the 2027 edition has drawn significant interest from nations eager to position themselves as leaders in the world of phygital sports.
Nis Hatt, CEO of Phygital International, said: “We received bids from right around the world which highlights the growing awareness and passion for phygital sports globally. We would like to thank all the nations who bid to host The Games of the Future 2027 and are pleased to announce that Brazil, Serbia, South Africa, and Uzbekistan have been selected as the nations shortlisted as potential hosts.”
Following further evaluations and detailed assessments of each finalist’s proposal, the final decision on the host country for GOTF 2027 will be announced in the summer of 2025.
The post Four Countries Shortlisted to Host GOTF 2027 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The HERO ESPORTS Asian Champions League (ACL), Asia’s premier multi-title esports tournament hosted by Hero Esports, has officially announced the addition of VALORANT to its inaugural lineup.
Previously, ACL unveiled six game titles: Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2 (CS2), Honor of Kings, Teamfight Tactics, Delta Force, and Crossfire. With VALORANT joining the roster, the total number of games now stands at seven, with more titles expected to be announced soon.
Through continued collaboration with the Esports World Cup, ACL has revealed that the champions of the ACL CS2 and Honor of Kings Tournaments will secure direct entry to the Esports World Cup. Further collaborations on the remaining titles of the ACL are anticipated.
The ACL VALORANT Tournament will be the only international-level VALORANT tournament held in China during the first half of 2025, attracting top teams from overseas. The Final of the event will take place offline in Shanghai. The event will use world-class production and cutting-edge live broadcasting technology to enhance audience experience.
The ACL is set to take place in the first half of 2025, with the Finals of the ACL CS2 Tournament and Honor of Kings Tournament scheduled for May. The ACL will have a total prize pool of $2 million.
Jonny Wang, CEO of the Asian Champions League, said: “We are excited to announce the addition of VALORANT to the ACL. Our ambition is to make ACL into a truly comprehensive tournament, providing a larger stage for players and teams across various competitions while delivering more exciting content for our audience.”
Danny Tang, Co-Founder and CEO of Hero Esports, said: “We are pleased by the progress of the ACL and its ability to attract top teams and titles to compete across Asia. We look forward to the continued collaboration between Hero Esports, ACL and the Esports World Cup Foundation, which is testament to our shared ambition to shape and empower esports globally.”
The post Valorant Added to Hero Esports Asian Champions League appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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