eSports
Virtus.pro Appoints New Sports Director
Ivan “Lazar’” Lazarev joins Virtus.pro as a Sports Director. Ivan is a former professional player of the CSKA basketball team, Euroleague, and the VTB United League champion. Ivan will combine his new role with commenting on Dota 2 matches in the RuHub Studio. Lazar’s duties include working with players and coaches to build an optimal training process, monitoring players’ psychological and physical condition, coordinating the work of a psychologist and physical training coaches, as well as working with team managers to implement new training plans.
Ivan “Lazar’” Lazarev, Virtus.pro Sports Director:
“First of all, I would like to thank everyone for their trust. I am really happy to join the Bears!
I have spent my whole life in professional basketball clubs. My interests have always included working on building a team and developing team-building programs for young athletes. Most of the disciplines Virtus.pro competes in are team-based, so my experience will be useful. Establishing communication and understanding within teams will be one of my most important tasks. I am glad to share the experience of building work processes from traditional sports to the system Virtus.pro”.
Sergey Glamazda, Virtus.pro CEO:
“We have been thinking about what skills and background a sports director should have for a long time, and we have focused our search on an employee who hasn’t grown up in the industry so that he could bring something fresh and new for us. Ivan has been a professional athlete of the highest level for many years, he felt the pressure of fans in the arena, he competed for championships many times, he knows the logic behind building a training process, and he has experience of solving crisis situations within the team. At the same time, he himself loves esports and has already become a part of it. Therefore, Ivan is exactly the person who will share his many years of experience from classical sports with our teams and will help us get closer to the coveted championships.”
Nikolay Petrossian, ESforce Holding Media Director, Head of Cybersport.ru and RuHub:
“We are glad Ivan gets a new opportunity for development in esports. He proved himself as a talented and responsible caster at RuHub, and now he will be able to share valuable expertise from the world of traditional sports in Virtus.pro to make the teams of the largest Russian esports club stronger and more effective. Such cooperation will be beneficial not only for him, but to Virtus.pro and RuHub as well. We wish success to our talent both in a new role and as a great caster of our studio!”
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Baltics
DATA.BET Now Powers Esports for Entain NCE Across Baltics & Nordics
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DATA.BET, a leading sportsbook solution supplier, has signed a content deal with Entain NCE, to strengthen the esports betting offer of their brands (Optibet and Klondaika) across the Baltics and Nordics – with Estonia as a key rollout market.
Through the collaboration, Entain and its portfolio of brands will receive DATA.BET’s premium esports coverage. The package includes a comprehensive Odds Feed, Risk Management, Bet Builder and a suite of engagement Widgets – Pitch Tracker (interactive 2D map), Scoreboards (visual representation of player statistics), live Video Streaming, Statistical Widgets (team history and game stats) and a Multi Widget that unites all these tools within one screen. The partnership is designed to help Entain brands and their clients increase profitability in esports by combining precise pricing and risk controls with engagement tools that lift turnover and margin.
With the deal, Entain’s customers get access to DATA.BET’s 30+ disciplines and over 10,000 monthly events, delivered with a down-to-the-second bet delay across leading titles such as Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Valorant, League of Legends and others. A phased expansion of additional disciplines and features will follow to meet Entain’s demand.
“This partnership sets a high bar for product excellence. Our role is to power that ambition with an esports layer that’s rich in content and strong on risk, enabling consistent margins and a best-in-class customer experience. We’ve aligned on a clear roadmap to scale, with more Entain brands scheduled to join the rollout next,” said Otto Bonning, Head of Sales at DATA.BET.
“We are thrilled to partner with DATA.BET who are renown for being the leading Esports provider and who share the same passion and commitment for Esports as we do. DATA.BET’s deep understanding of the esports ecosystem and its growing influence among modern audiences makes the collaboration a perfect fit. Together, we aim to elevate esports and deliver the best experience and entertainment to the fans across Baltics and Nordics regions,” said Hendrik Ahuna, Director of Sportsbook at Entain NCE.
The post DATA.BET Now Powers Esports for Entain NCE Across Baltics & Nordics appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
FURIA Pulls Off the Reverse Sweep to Win Thunderpick World Championship 2025
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Thunderpick, the leading esports betting platform delivering fans cutting-edge tools and experiences, announced that FURIA has emerged victorious at the Thunderpick World Championship 2025 — one of the tournament’s most competitive editions yet, featuring four of the world’s top 10 ranked teams. FURIA takes home the $500,000 first-place prize, with KSCERATO earning his first Grand Final MVP.
FURIA’s steady performance and relentless focus were on full display throughout the tournament, culminating in a Finals victory over Natus Vincere. After NAVI went up two maps to zero, FURIA did what many thought was impossible and completed a dominant reverse sweep with a 13:1 on the decisive map.
Natus Vincere finished second place, earning $150,000. The MongolZ, who won the Thunderpick World Championship last year, finished third after defeating Aurora earlier in the day, receiving $70,000 and $50,000, respectively. Venom, 9z, Imperial and OG all placed fifth through eighth, taking home $20,000 each.
“It is a privilege to congratulate FURIA as the Thunderpick World Champions! This tournament was thrilling, featuring exceptional gameplay. The success of our World Championship is thanks to the incredible teams, streamers, partners, staff, and everyone behind the scenes who made it possible, as well as the passionate fans who make this event so special,” said Kelly Sanders, Head of Strategy at Thunderpick.
This year marks the third consecutive Thunderpick World Championship. Last year, The MongolZ stunned HEROIC to claim their third international title of the season, cementing their status on the global CS2 stage. In 2023, FaZe Clan took the crown after defeating Virtus.pro, with Robin “ropz” Kool earning the MVP title. The TWC 2025 Finals are presented in collaboration with Hotspawn, a leading hub for esports news and analysis.
The post FURIA Pulls Off the Reverse Sweep to Win Thunderpick World Championship 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Betting
LEON Esports announces partnership with GamerLegion’s CS2 team
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LEON Esports is excited to announce a new partnership with GamerLegion’s Counter-Strike 2 team — a leading German esports organization ranked among the top 15 teams in the world, renowned for its consistent top-tier performances.
This collaboration marks a new chapter for LEON Esports, as the brand continues to expand its presence in competitive gaming. Over the years, LEON has become an active force in esports — supporting professional teams and hosting its own tournaments across titles like CS2, Dota, Free Fire and Deadlock.
Together with GamerLegion, LEON Esports aims to bring even more action and engagement to fans — with exclusive offers, special markets, social media giveaways, and more challenges made for true esports and betting enthusiasts.
This partnership follows LEON’s successful collaborations with other major esports organizations such as SAW (Portugal), FlyQuest (Australia), and NFA (Brazil) — strengthening its position as one of the key players in the global esports scene.
Get ready for the next level — follow the action on our channels:
The post LEON Esports announces partnership with GamerLegion’s CS2 team appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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