eSports
Shellzz Wins 2020/21 ePremier League Title for Manchester City
Shaun ‘Shellzz’ Springette has been crowned the 2020/21 ePremier League Champion on behalf of Manchester City after a thrilling climax to the EA SPORTS Shellzz came out on top as eight leading players took their place in the final stages of the competition on Friday night, beating Leeds United’s Olle ‘Ollelito’ Arbin in a dramatic penalty shootout in the cross-console final. After a 4-2 victory on his less-favoured Xbox in the first leg, he was on the reverse of the same scoreline in the second leg before keeping his nerve to settle the tie on spot-kicks.
“Words can’t describe it,” he said after clinching the title. “It has been a long ride to get here and to be able to call myself ePremier League champion, I’m so, so happy. “Ollelito is No5 in the world on Xbox for a reason and I knew it would be tough against him, but I played really well. I have done a lot of work on the mental side of my game and it’s paid off.”
The drama wasn’t reserved for the grand final for Shellzz, who beat Leicester City’s Cosmin ‘NFG Cosmin’ Petrescu on penalties in the quarter-finals before beating last season’s runner-up Marc ‘MarcMarleyyy’ Marley (Brighton & Hove Albion) 4-2 at the semi-final stage. He then won 4-3 in the PlayStation4 Final against Sheffield United’s Mitchell ‘RISE MHaywxrd’ Hayward.
As well as winning the coveted ePL trophy, Shellzz also picked up the £20,000 first prize and a Hublot watch. Runner-up Ollelito collected £10,000, with the runners-up of the two console finals MHaywxrd (Sheffield United) and Diogo ‘FalconsDiogo’ Mendes (Chelsea) each winning £5,000. They also won all-important seats in the EA SPORTS FIFA 21 Global Series European Playoffs this summer.
Premier League Commercial Director Will Brass said: “Congratulations to Shellzz and Manchester City on winning the 2020/21 ePremier League. The standard of play in this year’s Finals was incredibly high and it was great to see such exciting competition across all stages of the tournament.
“Over three seasons, the ePremier League has proved popular with FIFA players of all abilities, and consistently brought together established pros and new faces. It has also attracted a growing audience worldwide and provided clubs with a new way of engaging with their supporters. “Many thanks to EA SPORTS and our broadcast partners for their support, ensuring we have been able to bring another enjoyable and high-quality tournament to fans globally. We look forward to continuing to develop the ePremier League over coming seasons.”
After more than 22 million fans tuned in to the first two ePL Finals, the climax to this year’s tournament was televised in the UK by Sky Sports, BT Sport and BBC Sport, as well as being shown around the world by the Premier League’s international licensees. All players competed remotely in this season’s Finals as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the event hosted live from the Gfinity Arena in London.
ePremier League is operated by esports tournament organisers Gfinity. For more information visit e.premierleague.com.
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Craig Levine
Zenni Optical Announces Partnership with ESL FACEIT Group (EFG)
Zenni Optical, the world’s leading online eyewear retailer, announced a partnership with ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), the leading esports and video game entertainment company. Designed to integrate eye health education with innovative eyewear solutions for the esports community, the partnership will officially launch at DreamHack festival in Dallas, taking place from May 31 to June 2.
This collaboration will showcase a co-branded collection of lifestyle and competitive eyewear and accessories, highlighting Zenni Optical’s commitment to promoting overall eye health, particularly in addressing issues like eye fatigue and strain. Additionally, the initiative will incorporate essential eye health education across various DreamHack Festivals, in alignment with EFG’s broader mission to foster inclusive gaming worlds and engaged, supported communities.
“DreamHack and ESL represent some of the most community-centric and prestigious competitive events in the world. In their own unique ways, they embody esports for everyone. By partnering with these incredible brands across the gaming and esports spaces, we aim to create engaging experiences that combine eye-health education with innovative eyewear solutions for players and fans at all levels,” said Robb Chiarini, Head of Gaming, Sports, & Events at Zenni Optical.
“We are thrilled to partner with Zenni Optical as the Official Eyewear Partner of DreamHack and ESL. The genuine passion that Zenni has for the esports industry is a refreshing sight to see, and a major driving factor for the decision behind our partnership. Zenni’s ongoing commitment to provide eyewear for everyone mirrors our own drive to create worlds beyond gameplay for gamers everywhere,” Craig Levine, Co-CEO at EFG, said.
Bucks Gaming
CREAM CITY CONVERGENCE ESPORTS TOURNAMENT SELECTED AS CAPCOM PRO TOUR EVENT
Bucks Gaming’s Cream City Convergence Esports Tournament has been selected as a Capcom Pro Tour event, becoming one of just three tournaments in North America chosen to be a qualifier for the prestigious Capcom Cup.
The Capcom Cup is an annual Street Fighter 6 competition, hosted by video game developer and esports organizer Capcom, with a $1 million first place prize. Each year, Capcom selects a small number of tournaments worldwide to serve as Capcom Pro Tour events, with the winning players from each event qualifying for the Capcom Cup. As one of the tournaments selected by Capcom for the honor this year, Cream City Convergence will become the first esports event run by an NBA team to work with a major esports organizer.
Top-ranked Street Fighter 6 players will compete at Cream City Convergence when it returns for its second year on Saturday, Aug. 24, at Baird Center. In addition to Street Fighter 6, this year’s tournament will also have brackets for Tekken 8; Super Smash Bros Ultimate; Super Smash Bros Melee; and Guilty Gear: Strive.
eSports
Kambi and Abios Join ESIC as Anti-Corruption Supporters
The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has announced Kambi and Abios, its esports data subsidiary, as new ESIC Anti-Corruption Supporters. This partnership signals the alignment of Kambi’s longstanding commitment to corporate probity and sports integrity with ESIC’s ongoing battle against match-fixing and corruption in esports.
Kambi and Abios join a distinguished class of other Anti-Corruption Supporter stakeholders who have historically worked with ESIC to ensure that attacks against the competitive integrity of esports competition are appropriately reported and dealt with. Anti-Corruption Supporters assist ESIC in investigating suspicious betting activity, supporting ESIC’s broader mission to combat cheating and betting fraud in the esports industry. Kambi and Abios’ entrance into the Anti-Corruption Supporter class will see the entities actively work with ESIC to assist in ESIC’s mission to disrupt, prevent, investigate and prosecute all attempts to compromise competitive integrity in esport competition.
Abios’ Managing Director and Founder, Anton Janér, commented: “Our mission at Abios has always been to enable the sustainable growth of esports. As such, we’re incredibly excited to join ESIC in their mission to future-proof esports through combatting match-fixing and other integrity-related malpractices. Fair play is a crucial component in ensuring the viability of esports as a long-term community and investment and we hope to be able to support the industry together with ESIC going forward.”
Stephen Hanna, ESIC’s Chief Executive Officer, commented: “We are pleased to welcome Kambi and Abios as Anti-Corruption Supporters. Kambi and Abios are well trusted and recognised operators in their respective industries, and their entrance into the Anti-Corruption Supporter class of ESIC membership emphasises their shared commitment to upholding the highest standards of integrity and fair play within the esports industry.”
The post Kambi and Abios Join ESIC as Anti-Corruption Supporters appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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