eSports
BLAST Premier and Bondly Team Up to Launch NFTs Featuring Chickens Synonymous with Counter-Strike
Partnership delivers gamified, collectable, affordable and carbon-positive NFTs to esports community
Esports tournament organiser BLAST Premier and Bondly, the premiere NFT solutions provider, have teamed up to launch a fun, affordable and gamified collection of NFTs featuring original artwork of chickens synonymous with Counter-Strike.
BLAST’s first NFT chicken-themed collection goes on sale on Tuesday, June 15. Powered by the Bondly platform, BLAST NFTs start at $18 USD. Through June 14, esports fans can sign up at (www.blastchickencoop.digital) to receive an exclusive BLAST founder’s edition NFT in a digital wallet.
Chickens are a popular and jovial reference point for Counter-Strike – becoming the unofficial animal and adopted pet of the game. BLAST and Bondly have taken this iconic and prevalent part of the Counter-Strike universe and created a digitalised offering that resonates with the esports and NFT community.
BLAST has created two teams (Team Red and Team Blue) of three chicken characters each with their own distinct personality. Through Bondly’s gamification process, the chicken NFT owner has the ability to upgrade it by blending multiple NFTs using BondSwap. In addition, users can choose their favourite character, collect an entire team or hold onto their best and rarest chicken NFTs through gamification.
Bondly utilises Polygon (MATIC) Proof-of-Stake (PoS) mechanism that allows for the safe, accessible and environmentally friendly creation, integration and purchase of NFTs – making for digital artwork collectibles that are available to everyone. Every chicken NFT created through this process will be carbon positive.
Faye Marlborough, Head of Merchandise for BLAST, said: “When we approached the idea of making available a range of collectable NFTs, we wanted to ensure we were creating something that was fun, accessible and affordable – while ensuring these collectables are more than just a product but an experience. We’re excited to work with Bondly to help navigate us through our first venture into NFTs, their technology and expertise will ensure a simple, environmentally aware and enjoyable introduction into the world of NFTs for our community.”
Jack Flaherty, CEO of Sports at Bondly, said: “BLAST’s chicken-themed NFTs developed by Bondly, extends the fan’s feeling of competition beyond the tournament through buying, collecting, and trading of our gamified NFTs. Combining our design studio and proprietary technologies, we have created the first ever NFT swap-based gamification experience for esports fans.”
Bondly was the first to go to market with unique products in partnership with influencers and musicians and collaborations with gaming/collectibles creators. Bondly created and distributed YouTuber/ Influencer Logan Paul’s first-ever limited-edition series of NFT collectibles for fans, selling out in only 30-minutes. Lewis Capaldi, two-time BRIT Award Winner with 15 Billion streams and chart topping hits worldwide, partnered with Bondly and quickly sold out his Big Fat Sexy Card Collection (NFT), with the vast majority purchased by a non-crypto audience. Singer/songwriter PelleK quickly sold out the first-ever NFT music album using Bondly’s core product, BONDSwap.
BLAST Premier is a global Counter-Strike tournament series that unites all major CS:GO events, offers opportunities to all regions across the globe and crowns the world champions of CS:GO. Up to 32 teams will take part in the seven BLAST Premier events this year with a combined prize pool of $2,475,000 on the line, where the best teams and players will compete.
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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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