eSports

Team Vitality to welcome new Co-CEO from adidas

Published

5 years ago

March 11, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Guillaume de Monplanet will leverage his 20 years of experience building some of the biggest lifestyle brands in the world such as adidas and Reebok to mastermind Team Vitality’s global expansion, and oversee its growth into a brand that drives culture.

Leading global esports organisation Team Vitality is pleased to announce the appointment of Guillaume de Monplanet as its Managing Director and Co-CEO who joins with over 20 years of experience in the sports and lifestyle industries, including at iconic sportswear brands adidas and Reebok. Having established themselves as a pinnacle esports organisation, Team Vitality has brought Guillaume onboard to elevate its goals of global expansion with physical foundations already set in India and Germany.

The arrival of Guillaume de Monplanet is a major turning point in Team Vitality’s history as it looks to achieve its goal of being a world leader in the esports industry. It’s also a key moment for the sector as one of the most influential business leaders, responsible for building some of the biggest brands around the world, joins the industry. Following the recent recruitment of ex professional Olympic handball player Bruno Martini, the announcement furthers Team Vitality’s strategy to grow with the expertise and experience from pioneers in the sports world.

Guillaume de Monplanet’s move to Team Vitality marks his entrance into the esports industry, having spent the last eight years at adidas where he was the Managing Director for adidas France, overseeing full P&L and overall organisation responsibility for 700+ employees. As part of his role Guillaume drove forward and overhauled the infrastructure of the organisational branch, with a new HQ and management team which focused on diversity and inclusion. Prior to adidas, Guillaume was the Country Brand Director in France for Reebok where he spearheaded the brand’s positioning and growth which included its integration into the adidas group.

In his role at Team Vitality, Guillaume will utilise his background in brand management and growth, as well as his experience of working in cities across the globe to help with Team Vitality’s international expansion and brand awareness. He will also work on refining the organisation’s structure in order to ensure efficiency is part of its foundation, as the brand looks to strengthen its position outside of the esports industry.
“With Reebok and adidas I was very fortunate to grow and cater for two of the most influential global youth culture brands. Rooted in esports, I believe Vitality has the potential to be part of that group of brands. What the team has achieved in just 8 years is amazing. The level of talent and creativity demonstrated everyday at V.Hive and Stade de France, as well as at our international premises, is just stunning. I am looking forward to exploring a new industry and hope my business and leadership expertises will help Team Vitality reach new heights globally. ” said, Guillaume de Monplanet, Managing Director and Co-CEO, Team Vitality

“Vitality has been an amazing journey for the last 8 years and we couldn’t be prouder of what we already achieved. However, we still want to push further to reach the highest heights and this is precisely why we wanted to bring in someone able to carry us to the next level. Guillaume has been a perfect match from the get-go and I’m super humbled and excited to start working with him. Together, we aspire to make Vitality the best esports team in the World. This isn’t our dream, it’s our objective. Also on a more personal note, I’m certain that collaborating with Guillaume will be a fantastic learning experience.” added, Nicolas Maurer, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Team Vitality

Since its inception in 2013, Team Vitality has grown into one of the most notable esports organisations and home to some of the industry’s best esports players who compete in the biggest global esports titles. Over the last six month, Team Vitality has continued to build upon its esports legacy, most recently announcing its expansion efforts into India and signing a roster in one of the industry’s most advancing games, VALORANT. Team Vitality is also partnered with some of the biggest brands from across tech and lifestyle including adidas, Orange, Philips, Aldi and Corsair.

Brazilian Carnival

Esportes da Sorte transforms Carnival 2026 into a nationwide immersive experience

Published

3 days ago

February 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

esportes-da-sorte-transforms-carnival-2026-into-a-nationwide-immersive-experience

Leading Brazilian iGaming company Esportes da Sorte has transformed Carnival 2026 into a nationwide immersive experience, activating urban art installations, hydration stations and large‑scale attractions across nine cities in Brazil. As part of its expanded cultural engagement strategy, the brand is serving as an official sponsor in key Carnival locations and delivering experiential initiatives designed for revelers in the streets and major public spaces.

Esportes da Sorte’s nationwide platform builds on its history of investing in popular culture and public events, moving beyond traditional branding to create meaningful on‑site activations that enhance the urban environment and respond to the unique character of each city’s Carnival celebrations.

In Rio de Janeiro, the company’s efforts focus on the street Carnival experience with hydration points, cool zones and shaded areas in high‑traffic celebration routes. São Paulo’s megabloc circuits feature water trucks, hydration stations and on‑site urban support.

In Recife Antigo, one of Carnival’s cultural centers, Esportes da Sorte installed a standout Ferris wheel at Marco Zero, offering panoramic views of the festivities and historic landscape. Urban transformations like video mapping on iconic buildings and aerial installations along Rua Marquês de Olinda further blend public space with the Carnival experience.

Other cities such as Olinda and Salvador also feature tailored activations, including sensory design, refreshment tunnels and themed artistic displays that align with local traditions and festival dynamics.

In addition to physical structures, the initiative includes a robust communications strategy, sensory activations, public well‑being supports and content campaigns that amplify the carnival‑street experience across digital and traditional media.

According to Germana Casal, Production Coordinator at the Esportes Gaming Brasil Group, the goal is to “be present in a meaningful way at the country’s biggest popular celebration,” respecting each city’s identity and delivering initiatives that improve the Carnival experience for participants.

Esportes da Sorte’s Carnival 2026 project builds on the brand’s presence at more than 100 Carnival parties and street blocos in 2025, reinforcing its leadership role in Brazil’s largest cultural event and deepening its connection with urban celebration culture nationwide.

The post Esportes da Sorte transforms Carnival 2026 into a nationwide immersive experience appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

chess esports

Team Vitality announces E.Leclerc as new Main Partner

Published

3 days ago

February 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

team-vitality-announces-e.leclerc-as-new-main-partner

Team Vitality, one of France’s leading esports organizations, has announced a strategic new partnership with French retail giant E.Leclerc, naming the supermarket chain as the club’s Main Partner for 2026.

Under the agreement, E.Leclerc’s logo will feature prominently on Team Vitality’s international team jerseys, including rosters for League of Legends (LEC and LFL), Valorant (VCT EMEA), Rocket League, Rising Bees and Chess.

Shared Values and Fan Initiatives

The partnership aims to promote accessibility, wellness, and nutrition within the esports community, while bringing gaming culture into E.Leclerc retail spaces through immersive experiences, tournaments and activations designed to engage fans across France.

Team Vitality’s holistic wellbeing program, KARE, which supports performance, nutrition and mental health, aligns closely with E.Leclerc’s focus on responsible lifestyle initiatives. Together, they plan to champion inclusivity, provide unique gaming opportunities, and celebrate esports culture in both digital and physical environments.

With a global audience exceeding 10 million followers, Team Vitality’s influence in competitive gaming makes this partnership a landmark moment for both brands. E.Leclerc’s commitment to youth engagement and cultural connection positions the retailer as a significant non‑endemic supporter of the growing esports ecosystem.

Nicolas Maurer, CEO and Co‑Founder of Team Vitality, described the alliance as a historic milestone that will broaden esports’ reach across everyday life in France and reinforce its cultural legitimacy.

The post Team Vitality announces E.Leclerc as new Main Partner appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AI chatbot esports

G2 Esports and Theta Labs Launch AI Agent Sami

Published

3 days ago

February 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

g2-esports-and-theta-labs-launch-ai-agent-sami

G2 Esports has partnered with Theta Labs to launch “Sami,” a next-generation AI agent designed to enhance fan engagement across multiple competitive esports titles.

The AI-powered assistant will provide G2’s global fanbase with instant access to match schedules, player stats, team rosters, tournament standings, and real-time competitive updates. Sami supports major titles including League of Legends, Counter-Strike 2, VALORANT, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, and Call of Duty.

Accessible via the official G2 website and Discord starting February 17, Sami is built to deliver accurate, always-on responses to fan queries in natural language. From tournament updates to player performance metrics and G2-specific trivia, the AI agent reflects the organization’s unique brand voice and competitive culture.

AI-Powered Fan Engagement at Scale

Sami is trained and deployed using Theta EdgeCloud’s hybrid cloud-edge infrastructure, which integrates over 30,000 distributed edge nodes with cloud services from Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services. The system delivers approximately 80 PetaFLOPS of GPU compute power, enabling real-time processing and analysis at significantly reduced costs compared to traditional centralized cloud platforms.

The AI infrastructure dynamically assigns workloads to high-performance GPUs, including NVIDIA A100 and H100 cloud GPUs, as well as RTX 3090 and 4090 desktop GPUs, optimizing performance and cost efficiency. This decentralized architecture allows G2 to scale fan engagement globally while maintaining low latency and high reliability.

Strengthening Esports AI Innovation

Theta Labs has rapidly expanded its presence in the esports industry, powering AI-driven fan experiences for organizations such as Cloud9, FlyQuest, Evil Geniuses, NRG, Gen.G, Dignitas, 100 Thieves, Method, and Team Heretics.

According to Mitch Liu, CEO of Theta Labs, esports fans increasingly demand instant access to team data and competitive updates. AI agents like Sami enable organizations to provide 24/7 automated engagement while maintaining a unique community personality.

Sabrina Ratih, COO of G2 Esports, emphasized that Sami is more than a standard chatbot. Built to reflect G2’s playful and competitive tone, the AI assistant combines advanced machine learning with brand-driven communication to deliver both entertainment and functionality.

The Future of AI in Esports

The launch of Sami positions G2 Esports at the forefront of AI-driven fan engagement in competitive gaming. By leveraging decentralized GPU infrastructure and blockchain-powered cloud computing, the partnership with Theta Labs signals a broader industry shift toward scalable, cost-efficient AI solutions for esports organizations.

As AI integration becomes a competitive differentiator in esports, solutions like Sami are expected to redefine how teams interact with their global communities in real time.

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