Latest News

Guild Esports Launches The Guild Academy

Published

5 years ago

May 17, 2021

George Miller

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The Guild Academy is the most comprehensive and innovative in the industry, developing the esports stars of tomorrow

Guild Esports today announces the opening of the Guild Academy – the world’s most comprehensive and innovative esports online academy.

The online academy will welcome budding players aged 11+, and provide a range of resources designed to nurture their learning and life skills, as well as gaming abilities. The Guild Academy will provide all players of any ability individualised support and personalised challenges.

Academy members will be able to access detailed training programmes, designed to improve specific areas of play. They will also be able to test their skills in tournaments, and have gameplay performance analysed by Guild’s team of experts.

For beginner and intermediate players, Guild will offer peer-to-peer coaching and advice, whereby players are able to record specific areas of gameplay which can then be reviewed by more experienced players and feedback and advice given.

Guild’s vision is to use its unique academy structure to find the next generation of talent within esports by scouting players showing the most potential. These players will be offered live player development, greater 1-2-1 support, and invitations to bootcamps to participate in local area network (LAN) tournaments. This is part of Guild Esports’ path to pro strategy – using its in-house talent scouts to recruit the next generation of players.

The Academy is launching first with Fortnite & Rocket League specific training, with more esports to follow in the next six months, including FIFA and Valorant. The Guild Academy online platform is the first step in creating an esports talent pipeline based on the traditional sporting model.

The mission at the heart of the academy is to ensure all players leave having acquired new skills, both in gaming and life, regardless of whether they turn professional. Guild’s priority is to put the person first, the player second. The academy will take the personal development of each player beyond gaming – with its industry-leading team delivering masterclasses designed to both improve learning, and provide knowledge and skills to succeed in later life.

Guild understands the importance of taking parents on the journey with their ambitious gamer children. As part of the online academy, there will be a dedicated Parents Centre, keeping them involved and informed about careers in esports. Robust policies will be in place to ensure a safe and friendly environment, and players will need the appropriate parental consent to join the academy, depending on local data protection laws.

Outside of esport-specific coaching, The Guild Academy offers a holistic approach to player development where the focus will be on building good habits through better nutrition, work-life balance and much more. The first activation will be alongside Guild’s main partner, and official Academy partner, Subway. Working together to develop a fully integrated programme to the Guild Academy which will provide opportunities and education to the membership—ranging from from career opportunities to health and wellbeing leaning on Subway’s values of empowering people to make better choices.

New players will be able to sign up to a 30-day free trial – access to The Guild Academy will be £4.99, or local currency equivalent, per month after this period.

Carleton Curtis, Executive Chairman at Guild Esports, said: “Over the last year, people have recognised us for building some of the most talented rosters in esports. The Guild Academy represents our vision for the future. The academy will contain the most comprehensive training platform in esports, with individualised support and tailored training programmes provided to develop the esports stars of tomorrow. Ingrained in all aspects of the academy will be our culture of excellence, and our priority is nurturing aspiring gamers to develop in all areas of their life. We’re thrilled to launch, and help to push the industry forward.”

Joe Sutton, Director of Academy at Guild Esports added, “We’re very proud to have created such a special and unique academy. The level of training and development resources we have on offer to players of all abilities, is what sets the Guild Academy apart. We’ll be working to provide each player the tools to reach their gaming potential, whilst also setting them up with life skills for the future. This is just the beginning, and we’re excited for the future of the academy.”

eSports

Esports Foundation names Faker Game Ambassador for EWC and ENC through 2028

Published

9 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

esports-foundation-names-faker-game-ambassador-for-ewc-and-enc-through-2028

Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Magnus Carlsen in the Esports Foundation’s Ambassador Program.

The Esports Foundation (EF) has appointed Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok as a Game Ambassador for the Esports World Cup (EWC) and Esports Nations Cup (ENC) through 2028, the organization said on July 15, 2026 in a statement issued from Riyadh and Paris.

EF said Faker joins Cristiano Ronaldo, listed as the Foundation’s Global Ambassador, and Magnus Carlsen as part of the Esports Foundation Ambassador Program. The Foundation said Faker will represent “the perspective of esports players” across its international events, athlete initiatives, media engagements and leadership forums.

“You can’t talk about esports without mentioning Faker. He is the defining athlete of competitive gaming: a champion whose excellence, discipline and longevity have inspired an entire generation,” said Ralf Reichert, Chief Executive Officer of the Esports Foundation. “As our Game Ambassador, Faker represents something fundamental to the Ambassador Program: esports creates its own global sporting icons. Across EWC, ENC and NGSC, he will help ensure that the players who built this sport have a voice in shaping where it goes next.”

Faker said: “Competition has shaped my life, and I am proud to join the Esports Foundation as Game Ambassador. I want to continue competing for the biggest titles with T1 while representing the players and fans who have helped esports grow worldwide. Through the Esports World Cup, Esports Nations Cup and the Foundation’s wider platforms, I hope to inspire the next generation to pursue excellence, remain resilient and believe in how far competitive gaming can take them. There is still much more to achieve.”

EF highlighted Faker’s competitive record, describing him as a six-time League of Legends World Champion, EWC 2024 winner, two-time MSI champion and ten-time domestic champion with T1. The Foundation also said Faker became the first esports athlete to receive the Blue Dragon Medal in 2026, describing it as the Republic of Korea’s highest sporting honor awarded by President Lee Jae-myung.

The post Esports Foundation names Faker Game Ambassador for EWC and ENC through 2028 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Brand Partnerships

Midnite signs as Middlesbrough FC principal partner for 2026/27 season

Published

16 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

midnite-signs-as-middlesbrough-fc-principal-partner-for-2026/27-season

Midnite has agreed a partnership with Middlesbrough FC that will see the UK bookmaker become the club’s principal partner and front-of-shirt sponsor for the 2026/27 campaign, which Middlesbrough describes as its landmark 150th season.

The companies announced the deal alongside a fan activation at Riverside Stadium on Thursday, July 9, branded “This Season’s On Us”. The initiative offered supporters prizes including 2026/27 season tickets, 2026/27 shirts, match tickets, or a £25 club shop voucher, with fans required to answer Middlesbrough trivia and complete a football challenge.

Middlesbrough former players Craig Hignett and David Wheater attended the event, and, according to the company, took bonus attempts on behalf of participants who missed out.

Andrew Mook, Midnite’s Head of Brand Marketing, said:

“Middlesbrough have a storied history and we’re delighted to announce this partnership during such a monumental year with the club celebrating their 150th anniversary.

“It was great to see so many Middlesbrough fans at the “This Season’s On Us” activation, we hope they enjoyed taking part and meeting club legends, with David Wheater hitting top bins on several occasions and allowing fans to win big with season tickets.

“We can’t wait to get to Riverside Stadium in August to kick-off a new season and we’re excited to say that we have plenty of new and captivating campaigns planned.”

Lee Fryett, Middlesbrough FC Chief Commercial Officer, added:

“We’re delighted to welcome Midnite as our new Principal Partner.

“We’re looking forward to working closely with Midnite to develop engaging campaigns, content and unique experiences that bring our fans even closer to the club.

“We’re confident this partnership will provide real value for our supporters while supporting our ambitions both on and off the pitch.”

The post Midnite signs as Middlesbrough FC principal partner for 2026/27 season appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AGCO

ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch

Published

16 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

thrilltech-secures-agco-supplier-licence-for-ontario-launch

ThrillTech has been awarded a Gaming-Related Supplier licence by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), clearing the company to launch in Ontario’s regulated market.

The licence allows ThrillTech to deploy its opt-in side bet jackpots technology with regulated online casino, sports betting and lottery operators across the province.

Benjamin Bradtke, Co-Founder of ThrillTech, said: “Securing our AGCO licence is a major step in our mission to transform how jackpots are delivered at scale across regulated markets. This latest certification is testament to our robust technology and trusted compliance frameworks, allowing us to continue our global growth trajectory. We are thrilled to bring our proven, compliant jackpot technology to Ontario, empowering locally licensed operators to uplift revenue without cannibalising existing spend.”

The company said its “ThrillPots” mechanics sit as an independent, player-funded side bet and do not alter the underlying game’s return-to-player mathematics.

ThrillTech said the Ontario approval enables its existing multinational partners that also operate in the province to launch its side bet jackpots locally, while it also holds talks with potential new operator partners. The company lists its regulated footprint as including the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, Romania, Malta, Gibraltar, Brazil and Peru.

The post ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.