eSports

FIFAe Club World Cup 2021 to take football into another world

Published

5 years ago

February 23, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes

As the dust settles on the draw for the FIFAe Club World Cup zone finals, the remaining 42 teams represented by two players each eye up who stands between them and triumph. The greatest FIFAe club event, played on EA SPORTS FIFA 21, will see the best esports teams in the world battle it out for their share of the $350,000 in prize money.

With the sweet taste of glory resting at their fingertips and teamwork being a decisive ingredient for success, each club will start their journey to the title in the group stage starting on February 24. The best two teams from each of the six zones will then progress to the finals weekend, for their chance to be named FIFAe Club World Cup 2021 zone winners.

This will be the first of several FIFAe tournaments this year, as FIFA continues to invest in growing a new, dedicated esports vertical for future generations. A total of 480 teams from across the globe participated in the online qualifiers throughout four weeks of competition. This was a 150% increase on last year’s tournament, showing the huge appetite from clubs and the community.

As well as increased participation, the level of skill is also at an all-time high making for some thrilling matches. Every fan knows nothing compares to their favourite player running rings around the competition. Ultimately though it’s teamwork, not the individual, that wins big. In this two-person esports competition the same is true – individual superstars are teaming up and will need to be performing at their very best to walk away with the title.

Some of the biggest clubs of the scene such as record-participant Manchester City and reigning champion Complexity Gaming will compete to raise their club badge to new heights and to grow their club legacies.

The new #FameYourGame tagline complements FIFA’s ambition to ensure all competitive FIFA players are given the support they need to establish themselves as global superstars.

Christian Volk, Director of eFootball and Gaming at FIFA commented, “In the next few days we will see the most exciting, talented young esports players the world has to offer and take to the stage to create their club legacy. The FIFAe Club World Cup should be on your watchlist – make sure to tune-in!”

For fans eager to follow the competition all matches until the knockout stage, from 24 to 26 February, will be available on FIFA.gg. The main feed, which will be produced remotely from London, will start at 4.30pm CET on 26 February. Friends who want to watch the action unfold, as if they were in the same room, should check out FIFA’s newly created ‘watch together’ feature.

Aspiring commentators are also being given the chance to get involved in this year’s FIFAe Club World Cup. Each zone is being assigned a dedicated commentary team to report on live matches.

eSports

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

Published

2 days ago

June 19, 2026

Wladimir P.

esports-awards-adds-player-voted-ewc-players’-choice-award,-extends-esports-foundation-deal

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.

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chess

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

Published

3 days ago

June 18, 2026

Wladimir P.

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

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.

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1xBet

HLTV Awards returns to Belgrade on January 9, 2027, adding Lifetime Achievement honor

Published

4 days ago

June 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

hltv-awards-returns-to-belgrade-on-january-9,-2027,-adding-lifetime-achievement-honor

HLTV will stage the HLTV Awards presented by 1xBet in Belgrade, Serbia on January 9, 2027, returning to the Sava Center. The company said more than 1,000 players, industry professionals, creators, and fans are expected to attend.

HLTV also confirmed Dust2 creator David Johnston will feature as an award announcer. HLTV linked the booking to the 25th anniversary of Dust2.

For 2026, HLTV is updating its Hall of Fame process and eligibility rules. Four players will be inducted again, with “at least two and up to three” slots reserved for players from the Counter-Strike 1.6 and early eras. HLTV also removed the former “neo rule,” allowing players to be inducted for their playing careers even if they remain active in other roles such as coaching.

HLTV is adding a Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be decided by the Hall of Fame Board. The ceremony will also move Community Awards onto the main stage show for the first time, rather than the pre-show segment.

Separately, HLTV will kick off the 2027 Awards season with an invite-only “HLTV Awards by 1xBet Launch Party x GRID” in Cologne during the Major. HLTV said industry members can apply for an invite to the ceremony via its awards page.

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