eSports
YAS HEAT hails ‘best month yet’ as eye-catching results flood in
String of strong performances and Virtual Olympics qualification for esports squad as they continue to make waves in virtual motorsport sphere
YAS HEAT ESPORTS enjoyed its most successful month of racing to-date after a slew of head-turning results in May. Following the immensely popular Microsoft GP exhibition race – hosted by YAS HEAT earlier in the year – the team is continuing its upward trend and becoming ever-present in esports leagues across the globe.
In the Assetto Corsa Competizione (ACC)-based series, Sim Grid Endurance Cup, YAS HEAT kicked off its title defence with a hard-fought podium, whilst running a bespoke partner livery for Richard Mille.
After qualifying on pole position – with an enviable margin of three tenths of a second – the squad came under pressure before the first round of pit stops, conceding the lead before contact with the third-place car opened up a gap, denying them the opportunity to fight for the victory. Nonetheless, the team most definitely showed that they will once again be fighting at the top of the table.
Meanwhile, the opening round of the Sim Grid x VCO World Cup – also being run on ACC – saw YAS HEAT finish as the highest placed McLaren 720s in P9, with another special edition livery on the car, this time in a vibrant yellow Pirelli colour scheme.
The following 24h race was cut short by an internet issue for the team in the final hour of running, fuelling the fire for the squad to come back stronger and fight for the championship in the remaining rounds.
In the world of Gran Turismo Sport, Angel Inostroza took part in a week-long qualifying event for the 2021 Virtual Olympics. From 4,000 competitors, just 16 have progressed to the first-ever esports inclusive Olympic Games, with YAS HEAT’s own Inostroza qualifying P5 and recording the fastest time from Central and South America.
The YAS HEAT iRacing line-up of Dean Woods, Balazs Remenyik, Joao Văz and Josh Lad are competing in the 2021 ISOWC IndyCar Championship. After two rounds, Vaz is currently the highest placed with P2 in the championship, following his third-place finish at Sebring with team-mate Lad not far behind in fourth.
Since its launch in 2020, YAS HEAT has continued its meteoric rise to the pinnacle of esports entering a total of 1168 races and achieving a win and podium rate of 42.21% and 67.30% respectively.
Saif Al-Noaimi, Team Principal, YAS HEAT said: “May was the best month yet for YAS HEAT. All of our teams and drivers are doing so well in the various titles we are competing in. We’re already establishing ourselves as a top-tier esports team and we haven’t celebrated our first anniversary yet.
“For one of our drivers to qualify for the Virtual Olympics is something we’re hugely proud of, and when you couple that with all of our recent successes on Assetto Corsa and iRacing, we’re definitely on an upward trend!
“I think the statistics speak for themselves. To have a win rate of over 40% and a podium rate of just under 70%, I can’t think of too many teams with those kinds of figures. I can’t wait to see how many more wins and podiums we can achieve before the end of our first year!”
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eSports
GIANTX unveils its team for the Spanish Superliga of League of Legends
The global esports organization GIANTX has officially presented the roster for its League of Legends Superliga team, the most prestigious esports competition in Spain, organized by the LVP. The roster includes Feisty (midlaner) and Aetinoth (ADC), who continue for another year after establishing themselves as key players for the organization, and newcomers Badlulu (toplaner), Ferret (jungler), and Lospa (support).
The team, known as GIANTX Pride, will be led by Fearless, a veteran coach who has already won three Superliga titles with GIANTX. After previous stints with teams like Guasones and Rebels, Fearless returns to lead this young and promising roster as they pursue the organization’s long-awaited eighth Superliga trophy, with the season set to begin in January 2025.
The roster was revealed during an event at the Home of GIANTX in Málaga, attended by over 150 fans and supported by Opel, the team’s main partner in the Superliga. The event featured activities, giveaways, and a showmatch against Barça Esports, where fans got a first glimpse of the team in action.
Feisty (South Korea, 2003) and Aetinoth (Turkey, 2005) return for another year, having gained recognition as rising talents with potential for the LEC, Europe’s premier competition in which GIANTX also competes. Badlulu (France, 2002), with prior experience in the Superliga at CASE Esports, joins as the toplaner. Ferret (Turkey, 2001), a promising jungler from the Turkish scene, comes from FUT, while Lospa (South Korea, 2002), a former Iberian Cup champion, joins as support after training in Gen.G Academy.
GIANTX Pride is the most decorated organization in Superliga LVP history, with seven titles to its name. The last victory came in the summer of 2021, and the team is determined to add the elusive eighth trophy to its collection. The Superliga for 2025 will feature ten teams, including Barça Esports, Guasones, Los Heretics, LUA Gaming, Movistar KOI, Ramboot Club, UCAM Esports, VENI VIDI VICI, and ZETA, competing across three splits—winter, spring, and summer.
The LVP, part of Grupo Mediapro, has introduced changes to the Superliga’s format for 2025. The updated calendar will be released soon, setting the stage for another thrilling season.
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eSports
GRID Joins IBIA as an Associate Member, Strengthening Esports Integrity
GRID, an esports data platform, has officially joined the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) as a first esports-focused Associate Member. This collaboration signifies a pivotal moment for esports integrity, aligning GRID with IBIA and its globally recognized integrity-focused members, who monitor over $300bn in sports bets per annum and have a growing focus on esports betting.
With this partnership, GRID and IBIA are committed to collaboratively addressing any integrity issues in esports, fostering trust across stakeholders, and setting a benchmark for excellence in the ecosystem. GRID has been a certified member of IBIA’s Data Standards program since 2022, actively contributing to the development of tailored esports integrity protocols. This membership further underscores GRID’s dedication to transparency and collaboration in combating betting-related corruption within esports.
Since 2018, GRID has operated an internal integrity department pioneering official data-driven solutions for esports. This makes GRID one of the first companies to monitor tournament and data integrity in the competitive sports sector and actively flag and report suspicious behavior, enabling it to collect a large database of integrity reports and insights.
IBIA is a not-for-profit body that protects regulated sports betting markets from match-fixing. It represents over 50 of the world’s leading betting companies which operate over 125 sports betting brands. IBIA’s global monitoring network is a highly effective anti-corruption tool, detecting and reporting suspicious activity in regulated betting markets using transactional activity linked to individual customer accounts.
Under the partnership, GRID and IBIA will share information relating to suspicious esports betting and potential match manipulation from their respective monitoring and intelligence platforms. IBIA members will also benefit from free access to wider integrity-focused resources supplied by GRID.
Moritz Maurer, CEO of GRID, commented: “Integrity is at the heart of GRID’s mission. By joining IBIA as an Associate Member, we are taking a definitive step toward establishing esports as a trusted and credible industry. This partnership enables us to further our efforts in promoting transparency, reducing risks associated with esports betting, and strengthening operational practices across the ecosystem.’’
Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “We are delighted to welcome GRID as an Associate Member of IBIA. This partnership is a landmark for the esports sector and reflects our commitment to expanding our integrity initiatives into new markets. GRID’s expertise in esports data monitoring and integrity standards is an invaluable asset in our shared mission to combat betting corruption globally.”
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eSports
ComeOn Group and Astralis unite to drive esports engagement in the Nordics
ComeOn Group announced a sponsorship partnership between its flagship brand ComeOn! and Denmark based Astralis, one of the most esteemed esports organisations globally. As a global leader in esports, Astralis is providing a vibrant and engaging esports experience that is aligned with ComeOn!’s brand experience and is further enhanced by its focus in providing a leading esports betting destination.
As the official sponsor of Astralis, ComeOn! will be prominently featured across all of their platforms, including social media, team events, and competitive gaming content, boosting their brand exposure in key global markets with a focus on the Nordics. ComeOn! is already known as a vibrant brand in the Nordics and with the increased brand visibility it will be put at the heart of the fast-growing esports scene.
ComeOn Group continues to invest in its Sportsbook product experience that is powered by its proprietary sportsbook platform, where esports holds an important strategic market opportunity with its ever growing demand.
Juergen Reutter, Chief Executive Officer at ComeOn Group, said: “We are very excited to team up with Astralis as this collaboration not only allows us to showcase our innovative Sportsbook platform but also strengthens our ties to the esports community. This partnership is very much in the heart of one of the fastest growing betting markets globally. Esports has seen great demand by our audiences, and we want to provide the best betting experience for our customers. This partnership is also a testament to our localisation and personalisation focus and by working together with Astralis, we can deliver unique experiences that resonate with our players and elevate the entertainment experience around competitive gaming.”
Mads Rasmussen, Commercial Director at Astralis, said: ”We are proud to present ComeOn Group as our new global partner. This partnership holds great significance for Astralis both as an organization and as a business, and we look forward to bringing the agreement to life, benefiting the vast majority of our fanbase – who are adults. We have undergone a long and very positive process with ComeOn, and the fact that they are European-based with licenses in all our key markets, including Denmark, has been a decisive factor in our decision. Astralis fans, both in Denmark and internationally, can look forward to an innovative new digital activation, which promises to deliver an exciting and engaging experience.”
The post ComeOn Group and Astralis unite to drive esports engagement in the Nordics appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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