eSports
Who will be crowned 2020/21 ePremier League champion?
The ePremier League (ePL) 2020/21 Online Finals take place from Tuesday 23 March, as some of the world’s finest EA SPORTS The ePL is the only tournament to give players based in the United Kingdom the opportunity to compete as and represent their favourite Premier League football club in formal competitive gaming entertainment.
After the 20 Premier League clubs hosted thrilling ePL Playoffs, 40 competitors have advanced to the Online Finals, which begin with the Xbox One Group Stages and Quarter-finals on Tuesday 23 March (2-8pm). The PlayStation 4® Group Stages and Quarter-finals take place on Wednesday 24 March (2-8pm), with the eight best players making it through to Friday’s Finals Day (6-10pm). They will compete for the coveted ePL trophy, a prize pool of £40,000 and all-important seats in the EA SPORTS FIFA 21 Global Series European Playoffs this summer. The ePL Finals are being hosted from the Gfinity Arena in London, with all gameplay taking place remotely. Fans in the UK can watch on Sky Sports, BT Sport, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport online. The Finals will also be shown on Premier League channels (premierleague.com, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube) and http://twitch.tv/EASPORTSFIFA, as well as being made available to viewers around the world by international licensees. Over the last two seasons, the ePL Finals reached more than 22 million fans.
Among those to advance to the Online Finals are last year’s winner Thomas ‘Hashtag Tom’ Leese, representing Tottenham Hotspur, and inaugural ePL champion Donovan ‘Fnatic Tekkz’ Hunt, who is once again playing on behalf of Liverpool.
Hashtag Tom said: “I would love to retain my ePremier League trophy as I think the best players are the ones who can do it consistently and win numerous honours. If I could win back-to-back ePL titles, it would be a big statement and secure my place as one of the top players in EA SPORTS FIFA.
“I am a massive Spurs fan and I’m buzzing to represent them. It would be great to defend my title on behalf of the club I support, so I’m very happy to be able to represent them.”
Last season’s surprise ePL runner-up Marc Marley is once again through to the finals, this time representing Brighton & Hove Albion. Other established names from the EA SPORTS FIFA Global Series who will be competing include Spencer ‘HUGE GORILLA’ Ealing (Sheffield United), Diogo ‘Falcons Diogo’ Mendes (Chelsea), Tunahan ‘Bundled Unsal’ Ünsal (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Damian ‘Damie’ Augustyniak (Fulham), Olle ‘Ollelito’ Arbin (Leeds United) and Manchester City duo Ryan ‘MCFC Ryan’ Pessoa and Shaun ‘Shellzz’ Springette. Premier League Commercial Director Will Brass said: “We are looking forward to the third ePremier League Finals, with some of the highest-ranked EA SPORTS FIFA players going head to head on behalf of Premier League clubs. It’s great to see familiar faces from previous years returning to fight for the title, alongside some new challengers.
“Sadly, we are unable to host the finalists at a venue for the second year running due to Covid-19 but, thanks to EA SPORTS and our broadcast partners, fans in the UK and around the world will be able to tune in live as the matches take place remotely with expert commentary and analysis from the live studio.
“There will be plenty of thrilling action on the way to finding out who will become this season’s ePremier League Champion, and I look forward to seeing who is going to be the latest star to get their hands on the trophy.”
The ePL 2020/21 Online Finals will consist of three tournament stages: a double-elimination group stage featuring 20 players per console, a single-elimination playoff bracket with the top eight players per console from the group stage, and the cross-console final which pits the top player from each platform against each other for the ultimate honour of ePL Champion and a £20,000 first prize.
Brent Koning, Group Director & Commissioner, FIFA Competitive Gaming said: “The Premier League is the most popular football league in the world and the ePremier League featuring the most-played sports game on the planet shows the unrivalled ability of EA SPORTS FIFA to connect fans to football at scale through esports. “We believe competitive gaming entertainment is the number-one opportunity for growing the love of sports. The ePL and the involvement of all 20 world-renowned clubs illustrates just how much EA SPORTS FIFA is integrated into the future of football.”
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Partnership to drive EWC’s expansion in China, leveraging Tencent E-sports’ networks and expertise to connect Chinese esports with EWC’s global ecosystem
The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) announced a partnership with Tencent, making Tencent E-sports the EWCF’s strategic partner in China to drive the expansion of the Esports World Cup’s presence in the region. This partnership marks a significant milestone in the EWCF’s purpose to unite global esports fans under one competitive umbrella and underscores its commitment to integrating the world’s most important and rapidly growing esports market into the Esports World Cup platform. The agreement was formalized at the Empower Esports Worldwide Series – The Esports Operation and Technology Session in Shenzhen, China.
The collaboration will establish a dedicated Development Team to enhance EWC’s visibility, engagement, and industry collaboration in China, while leveraging EWC’s and Tencent E-sports’ networks and expertise to connect Chinese esports with EWC’s global ecosystem. Tencent E-sports will provide marketing expertise, strategic consulting, and operational support to deliver diverse content and experiences.
“The Esports World Cup has created a global stage for competitive gaming, demonstrating its influence not only in China but across the world,” said Mars Hou, Vice President of Tencent Games and General Manager of Tencent E-sports. “Through this partnership, we are committed to elevating EWC’s presence in China and integrating our esports industry with the world’s largest competitive gaming event. We look forward to deepening our collaboration with EWCF to push esports forward on a global scale.”
“The Esports World Cup’s purpose is to create a global platform for esports and gaming fans worldwide, and investing in key growth markets for esports is a core pillar of our mission,” said Thamer Al Shuaibi, Chief of Staff at the Esports World Cup Foundation. “China plays a critical role in this vision, and Tencent’s leadership in gaming and esports positions it as an essential partner. By combining our expertise, we will continue to strengthen esports as an industry, providing new opportunities for Chinese players and Clubs, and bringing the best of the Esports World Cup to Chinese fans.”
Esports World Cup 2025 will once again unite gaming and esports communities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for a global competition that will crown the next Esports World Cup Champion. The tournament’s unique cross-game format will reward Clubs and players competing for a life-changing prize pool in a mix of platforms and genres, bringing together esports’ best players, Clubs and games under one banner in the largest-ever celebration of esports.
The post Esports World Cup Foundation Announces Strategic Partnership with Tencent appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) implemented its comprehensive anti-doping testing program at IEM Katowice 2025, organised by ESL FACEIT Group (EFG). Conducted at EFG’s request, this initiative reinforced the commitment of both organisations to maintaining the highest standards of competitive integrity in esports.
ESIC’s anti-doping procedures, carried out in accordance with the ESIC Anti-Doping Code, ensured that all participating competitors at IEM Katowice adhered to globally recognised best practices. The programme featured advanced testing protocols, thorough monitoring and rigorous enforcement measures, all designed to uphold fair competition.
“At ESIC, our mission is to protect the integrity of the esports ecosystem. By deploying our anti-doping testing at IEM Katowice 2025, we reaffirmed our dedication to supporting event organizers like EFG in hosting competitions where athletes compete responsibly and ethically,” Stephen Hanna, Chief Executive Officer of ESIC, said.
Over the past few years, ESIC has administered more than 700 anti-doping tests at major esports events, including those hosted by EFG. This extensive experience further cements ESIC’s reputation for providing industry-leading services that prioritise player welfare, competitive fairness and a culture of transparency.
“Protecting integrity is paramount for esports, which is why EFG and ESIC are constantly working together to ensure fair competition. ESIC have proven themselves to have the experience, as well as an advanced system that provides the credibility and peace of mind needed at one of our biggest and most prestigious events, IEM Katowice,” Carsten Kramer, Director of Tournament Management at EFG, said.
The post ESIC Implemented its Anti-doping Testing Programme at IEM Katowice 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
New partnership will see Kambi’s Esports division deliver its full suite of esports products, including odds via Kambi’s Odds Feed+ API, to Kindred’s in-house sportsbook
Abios, a leading esports data and odds provider and part of Kambi Group, is pleased to announce a multi-year partnership with Kindred Group, one of the world’s leading online betting and gaming operators, to provide its full range of best-in-class esports betting solutions.
Abios will supply its complete esports package, including odds, data, widgets and always-on content, to Kindred’s Unibet and 32Red brands, providing the operator’s in-house sportsbook with unrivalled esports betting experiences.
Leveraging Kambi’s Odds Feed+ API, Abios will deliver its high-uptime odds feed which includes comprehensive esoccer and ebasketball coverage, as well as leading esports titles such as Counter-Strike 2, League of Legends, Dota 2 and VALORANT. Utilising automated modelling, Abios’ low latency odds feed utilises official tournament data to power leading features such as bet builder and player props.
The new agreement is in addition to the Esports odds service Abios currently provides to Kindred as part of Kambi’s Turnkey Sportsbook service.
Anton Janér, Managing Director and Co-founder of Abios, said: “We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with Unibet and the wider Kindred Group, a leader in the global sports betting and gaming market. This agreement showcases the value of Abios’ full esports odds packages and our ability to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of operators and enables them to reach new audiences through the growth of esports.”
Ben Colley, Sportsbook Director of Kindred Group, added: “Esports continues to grow in popularity, and it’s essential that we offer our customers the best possible experience in this exciting category. Extending our partnership with Abios via Kambi’s Odds Feed+ API and leveraging their deep expertise and esports odds solutions ensures we remain at the forefront of esports betting, delivering unparalleled products and services to our players.”
The post Abios partners with Kindred Group to provide full esports betting solutions appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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