eSports

First Professional Esports Organisation in the Isle of Man Receives Government Sponsorship

Published

5 years ago

June 15, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The Isle of Man Government announces its sponsorship of the Island’s first professional esports organisation, underlining its long-term commitment to the industry.

Digital Isle of Man, part of the Government’s Department for Enterprise, has sponsored X7, a new team, with a roster in League of Legends at present and plans to enter further titles. The team was founded on the Isle of Man in December 2020.

The sponsorship follows growing interest in the Isle of Man esports scene at all levels, with Gilly Tho, an Island-based content creator, recently signing for LDN UTD and significant investment and education at the grassroots level.

X7 Esports plans to make an impact in the UK and global esports industry. Focussed on attracting and supporting exceptional talent from across the world, X7 will recognise, nurture and introduce some of the best competitive players to both the UK and European scene.

X7 made its debut during the League of Legends United Kingdom Esports League (UKEL) Summer Open Qualifiers, where they produced a flawless set of results with 10 wins and 0 losses, setting the standard for future Isle of Man Orgs.

Commenting on the sponsorship and sector more broadly, Chris Kissack, Digital Isle of Man’s Head of esports, said:

‘Esports is a fast-growing industry on the Isle of Man, and we are delighted to be able to support X7 on their journey. As the Island’s first professional esports Org competing in a recognised tournament within the industry. It is a very exciting opportunity and demonstrates that the Isle of Man is well-placed to support other such initiatives looking to grow and develop.

‘We continue to show and prove our authenticity and passion for growing esports on the Isle of Man and powering X7 to help them on their journey to compete at the highest level is another example of this. We hope they are the first of many Orgs with Isle of Man connections, whether that’s recruiting future Isle of Man stars or basing themselves here, and we will support them every step of the way.’

Josh Kingett, Founder of X7 Esports commented:

‘I am thankful to Digital Isle of Man for assisting X7 Esports in achieving our goals for the upcoming UKEL Summer 2021 split. All players and staff are excited to work with Digital Isle of Man during our debut professional performance and I feel this will be a strong and valued partnership for the organisation moving forward.

The Isle of Man has a lot to offer in terms of supportive structures and security, and they have already proven this with traditional sports and local companies. Getting involved with esports at such a pivotal time is a good move for the Isle of Man. It’s also great to see the Island continuing to support grassroot initiatives and those wanting to make a name for themselves in this space.

I trust that X7 Esports will be able to help put the Island on the map in this rapidly growing industry, and I look forward to seeing how the Isle of Man continues to support esports into the future.’

In addition to lead sponsorship from Digital Isle of Man, Amber Gaming have also partnered with X7 and are supporting them to scale their brand through the provision of consultancy and professional services, including corporate and accountancy services delivered through their group of companies.

Jade Zorab, Managing Director, Amber Gaming added: ‘The team at Amber Gaming have long been invested in the esports space. As this arena evolves, the growth of professional esports Org owners like X7 is going to be stratospheric so it is important that time is taken now to ensure that they have a robust structure and governance framework in place and are planning with protection, scalability and security in mind.

We are excited to work closely with Digital Isle of Man once again and extremely pleased to see they are supporting and promoting key organisations such as X7 at such a critical point in their journey. Esports has the makings to be a significant industry for the Island going forward and the time is now to get involved to help the sector and its participants reach its full potential.’

Brazilian Carnival

Esportes da Sorte transforms Carnival 2026 into a nationwide immersive experience

Published

1 hour ago

February 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

esportes-da-sorte-transforms-carnival-2026-into-a-nationwide-immersive-experience

Leading Brazilian iGaming company Esportes da Sorte has transformed Carnival 2026 into a nationwide immersive experience, activating urban art installations, hydration stations and large‑scale attractions across nine cities in Brazil. As part of its expanded cultural engagement strategy, the brand is serving as an official sponsor in key Carnival locations and delivering experiential initiatives designed for revelers in the streets and major public spaces.

Esportes da Sorte’s nationwide platform builds on its history of investing in popular culture and public events, moving beyond traditional branding to create meaningful on‑site activations that enhance the urban environment and respond to the unique character of each city’s Carnival celebrations.

In Rio de Janeiro, the company’s efforts focus on the street Carnival experience with hydration points, cool zones and shaded areas in high‑traffic celebration routes. São Paulo’s megabloc circuits feature water trucks, hydration stations and on‑site urban support.

In Recife Antigo, one of Carnival’s cultural centers, Esportes da Sorte installed a standout Ferris wheel at Marco Zero, offering panoramic views of the festivities and historic landscape. Urban transformations like video mapping on iconic buildings and aerial installations along Rua Marquês de Olinda further blend public space with the Carnival experience.

Other cities such as Olinda and Salvador also feature tailored activations, including sensory design, refreshment tunnels and themed artistic displays that align with local traditions and festival dynamics.

In addition to physical structures, the initiative includes a robust communications strategy, sensory activations, public well‑being supports and content campaigns that amplify the carnival‑street experience across digital and traditional media.

According to Germana Casal, Production Coordinator at the Esportes Gaming Brasil Group, the goal is to “be present in a meaningful way at the country’s biggest popular celebration,” respecting each city’s identity and delivering initiatives that improve the Carnival experience for participants.

Esportes da Sorte’s Carnival 2026 project builds on the brand’s presence at more than 100 Carnival parties and street blocos in 2025, reinforcing its leadership role in Brazil’s largest cultural event and deepening its connection with urban celebration culture nationwide.

The post Esportes da Sorte transforms Carnival 2026 into a nationwide immersive experience appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

chess esports

Team Vitality announces E.Leclerc as new Main Partner

Published

1 hour ago

February 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

team-vitality-announces-e.leclerc-as-new-main-partner

Team Vitality, one of France’s leading esports organizations, has announced a strategic new partnership with French retail giant E.Leclerc, naming the supermarket chain as the club’s Main Partner for 2026.

Under the agreement, E.Leclerc’s logo will feature prominently on Team Vitality’s international team jerseys, including rosters for League of Legends (LEC and LFL), Valorant (VCT EMEA), Rocket League, Rising Bees and Chess.

Shared Values and Fan Initiatives

The partnership aims to promote accessibility, wellness, and nutrition within the esports community, while bringing gaming culture into E.Leclerc retail spaces through immersive experiences, tournaments and activations designed to engage fans across France.

Team Vitality’s holistic wellbeing program, KARE, which supports performance, nutrition and mental health, aligns closely with E.Leclerc’s focus on responsible lifestyle initiatives. Together, they plan to champion inclusivity, provide unique gaming opportunities, and celebrate esports culture in both digital and physical environments.

With a global audience exceeding 10 million followers, Team Vitality’s influence in competitive gaming makes this partnership a landmark moment for both brands. E.Leclerc’s commitment to youth engagement and cultural connection positions the retailer as a significant non‑endemic supporter of the growing esports ecosystem.

Nicolas Maurer, CEO and Co‑Founder of Team Vitality, described the alliance as a historic milestone that will broaden esports’ reach across everyday life in France and reinforce its cultural legitimacy.

The post Team Vitality announces E.Leclerc as new Main Partner appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AI chatbot esports

G2 Esports and Theta Labs Launch AI Agent Sami

Published

2 hours ago

February 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

g2-esports-and-theta-labs-launch-ai-agent-sami

G2 Esports has partnered with Theta Labs to launch “Sami,” a next-generation AI agent designed to enhance fan engagement across multiple competitive esports titles.

The AI-powered assistant will provide G2’s global fanbase with instant access to match schedules, player stats, team rosters, tournament standings, and real-time competitive updates. Sami supports major titles including League of Legends, Counter-Strike 2, VALORANT, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, and Call of Duty.

Accessible via the official G2 website and Discord starting February 17, Sami is built to deliver accurate, always-on responses to fan queries in natural language. From tournament updates to player performance metrics and G2-specific trivia, the AI agent reflects the organization’s unique brand voice and competitive culture.

AI-Powered Fan Engagement at Scale

Sami is trained and deployed using Theta EdgeCloud’s hybrid cloud-edge infrastructure, which integrates over 30,000 distributed edge nodes with cloud services from Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services. The system delivers approximately 80 PetaFLOPS of GPU compute power, enabling real-time processing and analysis at significantly reduced costs compared to traditional centralized cloud platforms.

The AI infrastructure dynamically assigns workloads to high-performance GPUs, including NVIDIA A100 and H100 cloud GPUs, as well as RTX 3090 and 4090 desktop GPUs, optimizing performance and cost efficiency. This decentralized architecture allows G2 to scale fan engagement globally while maintaining low latency and high reliability.

Strengthening Esports AI Innovation

Theta Labs has rapidly expanded its presence in the esports industry, powering AI-driven fan experiences for organizations such as Cloud9, FlyQuest, Evil Geniuses, NRG, Gen.G, Dignitas, 100 Thieves, Method, and Team Heretics.

According to Mitch Liu, CEO of Theta Labs, esports fans increasingly demand instant access to team data and competitive updates. AI agents like Sami enable organizations to provide 24/7 automated engagement while maintaining a unique community personality.

Sabrina Ratih, COO of G2 Esports, emphasized that Sami is more than a standard chatbot. Built to reflect G2’s playful and competitive tone, the AI assistant combines advanced machine learning with brand-driven communication to deliver both entertainment and functionality.

The Future of AI in Esports

The launch of Sami positions G2 Esports at the forefront of AI-driven fan engagement in competitive gaming. By leveraging decentralized GPU infrastructure and blockchain-powered cloud computing, the partnership with Theta Labs signals a broader industry shift toward scalable, cost-efficient AI solutions for esports organizations.

As AI integration becomes a competitive differentiator in esports, solutions like Sami are expected to redefine how teams interact with their global communities in real time.

The post G2 Esports and Theta Labs Launch AI Agent Sami appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.