eSports
Danny Lopez Joins Galaxy Racer As Chief Content Officer
Galaxy Racer (GXR), one of the fastest-growing esports organizations in the world, headquartered in Dubai, has announced the appointment of Danny Lopez as Chief Content Officer.
Lopez has over six years of experience at a senior level in esports and gaming, and will lead the development and implementation of best-in-class global content strategy by creating show-stopping entertainment across all areas of the business. He has recently been nominated as a finalist for ‘Esports Creative Of The Year’ by the Esports Awards, which is dedicated to showcasing top class performance and innovation.
Lopez was previously the Director of Brand and Content at Guild Esports, an esports team co-owned by David Beckham, where he led the creative content development and execution across the board. He has also held Creative Director roles at a number of organizations, including the likes of Fnatic. Further to this, he played an instrumental role in the viral content between Dr. Disrespect (one of the biggest global streamers) & Astralis (4 time CS:GO major world champions).
Galaxy Racer was founded in 2019 with an impressive roster of eleven esports teams in League of Legends, Dota 2, CS:GO, Fortnite, PUBG Mobile and Free Fire, with over 60 male and female esports athletes from 22 countries, with over 20 content creators across Middle East North Africa (MENA) and Southeast Asia (SEA), amassing over 160 million followers and generating over 1 billion monthly views.
Paul Roy, CEO of Galaxy Racer said, “Danny brings along a wealth of experience, which we recognize and value his creative talent. I’ve personally seen his content and he’s definitely the best of the best in the industry. As Galaxy Racer pushes forward with our aggressive expansion plans, having a creative leader to spearhead our content across the group is imperative, especially for our esports and content creators’ verticals. We look forward to having Danny onboard with us. Welcome to our galaxy!”
Danny Lopez, Chief Content Officer of Galaxy Racer added, “After meeting with Paul, I was bought in immediately, his global aspirations for Galaxy Racer were something I wanted to be a part of. The creators that Galaxy Racer work with have unrivalled scale and this is a great opportunity for me to help drive that growth by creating best-in-class content. I’m excited to lead the brand vision and continue to create groundbreaking content on a global platform – so watch this space! As a proud father to twin girls, I admire Galaxy Racer’s commitment to support female gamers and love how passionate the business is about leading the change of the narrative in our exciting industry. ”
Recently, Galaxy Racer joined forces together with Arsenal superstar English Premier League footballer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and his brother William-Fils “Willy” Aubameyang, by hosting the first-ever Fortnite esports tournament between Europe and the Middle East, the Galaxy Racer Aubameyang Cup, with a EURO 10,000 prize pool.
Galaxy Racer has formed a global partnership with Waverider, an IP content creation and management company centred around pop culture and entertainment.
Galaxy Racer is the organizer in Dubai for Girl Gamer Festival – the first and only ‘Esports Festival’ to celebrate women’s competitiveness in video games, and has organized Australia’s largest independent Fortnite tournament for the esports community and Fortnite tournaments in India and Pakistan, each tournament with a US$10,000 prize pool.
Galaxy Racer has formed a partnership with eLaliga, the top professional football division of the Spanish league system. This partnership is the first time a Dubai-based esports organisation will team up with a significant worldwide FIFA event.
Galaxy Racer is creating a true 360-degree esports, gaming, content and lifestyle brand. Their group company, Riva Technology and Entertainment (RTE), have secured a strong streak of acquisitions, partnerships and brand licensing deals, including the iconic comic book series publisher Dark Horse Comics, with RTE producing multiple mobile games based on the massively successful The Umbrella Academy comic books and Netflix series.
Earlier this year, RTE invested in multiple companies including SUB2r who produce broadcast-quality streaming video cameras, Recast an over-the-top (OTT) platform, BBox Sports an Augmented Reality company, the leading games publisher Rogue Games and OKLetsPlay, the leading platform for players to compete each other in competitions against other players across the world.
RTE also owns a majority stake in global games producer Firefly Games, who have experience working with major studios and brands for world-renowned intellectual properties (IP) from Dreamworks Animation, NBC Universal, Skydance Media, and now MGA Entertainment, a consumer entertainment products company, to produce and publish mobile games based on their hit properties L.O.L Surprise! RTE has recently invested in My LADS, an Augmented Reality (AR) technology engagement firm which powers fan engagement.
Galaxy Racer has recently brought onboard former Disney executive Guenther Hake, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Disney Consumer Products in Greater China and CEO at Oriental DreamWorks, who will be assisting in an advisory role with Galaxy Racer’s brand partnerships, consumer products, apparel and merchandising endeavours.
Galaxy Racer has also recruited ‘Marketing Innovator of the Year – Finalist’ in the Marketing Excellence Awards 2020, former AirAsia and EVOS Esports marketer, Allan Phang as their Chief Marketing Officer, who will be leading global marketing initiatives.
Galaxy Racer is on hyper-growth mode and is actively hiring executive roles, including esports and gaming talents across the globe.
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Asia
8Bit Creatives partners with NODWIN Gaming as the exclusive talent partner for DreamHack India
8Bit Creatives, India’s leading esports consulting and talent management agency, has announced its partnership with NODWIN Gaming, a leader in new-age youth entertainment, gaming, and esports, as the exclusive Talent Partner for DreamHack India 2024.
With this partnership, 8Bit Creatives will leverage its significant reach in the Indian gaming, esports and youth communities through its prominent and talented roster of creators. These creators will create content leading up to the festival and also host meet-and-greet sessions.
India’s biggest gaming festival, DreamHack India, is set to take place from 15th to 17th November at the Hitex Exhibition Centre in Hyderabad, marking its fifth edition. For half a decade, the India edition of the global festival has become one of the most anticipated events of the Indian gaming ecosystem. Bringing together a plethora of events, including esports tournaments, BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) events, cosplay competitions, music concerts, and stand-up comedy, DreamHack India is the celebration of gaming, esports, pop-culture, and entertainment.
8Bit Creatives, CEO and founder Animesh Agarwal said “DreamHack India is one of the most prominent events in the Indian gaming and esports calendar and we’re proud to be the exclusive talent partners for it. This is further recognition of 8Bit Creatives’ ability to meaningfully engage the gaming and youth audiences across the country. Our belief in working with the right creators who create experiences that resonate with the youth audiences distinguishes our offerings and we can’t wait to share what we have in store for DreamHack India 2024 with our audiences!”
This is not the first time that 8Bit Creatives will partner with DreamHack India. The organisation was also the talent partner for the event in 2022.
Commenting on the partnership, NODWIN Gaming, Co-founder and MD Akshat Rathee said “Our vision at NODWIN Gaming is to create unforgettable experiences for the youth, and DreamHack has proven to be the ultimate platform to realise that vision, bringing together gaming, entertainment, and community in an immersive celebration. We’re thrilled to have 8Bit Creatives as our exclusive Talent Partner for DreamHack India 2024. It’s especially exciting to welcome iconic creators like Mortal, who joined us in our very first edition, back for this landmark fifth year, alongside fan favourites like Snax, Kaashvi, Thug, and Payal. These creators bring a unique energy that connects deeply with our fans and elevates every moment. Their presence underscores our commitment to crafting electrifying experiences year after year, building on the momentum of events like BGMS and past DreamHack editions. Together with 8Bit and this powerhouse lineup, we’re setting the stage for an unforgettable event that will bring fans and creators closer than ever before!”
8Bit Creatives’s content and esports division S8UL became the only organisation in the year to win ‘Content Group of the Year’ award for the third consecutive year at the Esports Awards 2024. Additionally, they are the only organisation from India to ever win an Esports Award in any category. Earlier this year, gaming content creators from 8Bit Creatives including Naman Mathur, Payal Dhare and Animesh “Thug” Agarwal were invited for a meet and greet session with the honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
The organisation has been at the forefront of India’s gaming and content ecosystem with its extensive range of services, including talent management, campaign curation and execution, brand activations and more.
The post 8Bit Creatives partners with NODWIN Gaming as the exclusive talent partner for DreamHack India appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
SOFTSWISS Sportsbook Doubles Esports Turnover in Q3 2024
1 November 2024 – Esports has experienced explosive growth in Q3 2024, doubling turnover compared to the previous quarter. The average bet on cybersports increased by 17.6% quarter-on-quarter. SOFTSWISS, a global tech expert with over 15 years of experience providing innovative iGaming solutions, shares the SOFTSWISS Sportsbook Q3 2024 report.
The top five sports by Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) remain consistent: Football, Tennis, Basketball, Table Tennis, and eFootball. For the second consecutive quarter, eFootball has outperformed Counter-Strike 2, indicating a shifting interest within the esports sector. Nevertheless, football continues to dominate, contributing nearly half of the total GGR.
The average live bet grew by 10% quarter-on-quarter, a positive development for operators as live bets hold 78.6% of turnover. The SOFTSWISS Sportsbook team is actively enhancing the live betting experience, aiming to capitalise on this trend and provide operators with even greater revenue opportunities.
The average bet grew by 9.7% quarter-on-quarter in Q3 2024, and the number of bets increased by 18.7%. GGR saw a modest growth of 1.5% quarter-on-quarter.
Despite the large number of projects launched for the UEFA Euro 2024, month-on-month statistics show that with the right promotional strategies, projects continue to operate successfully even after such massive events.
Alexander Kamenetskyi, Head of SOFTSWISS Sportsbook, adds: “Aligning a launch with a major sporting event can be a successful strategy, but football is not the only sport that can be leveraged in this way. The growth of cybersports presents new opportunities; for specialised projects targeting specific audiences, esports events can also serve as an effective starting point.
We continuously focus on product growth and development, enhancing features and user experience to drive further engagement and profitability for our partners.”
The SOFTSWISS Sportsbook is expanding its global presence. The product team is on track to secure certification in Brazil, conducted by an authorised testing laboratory. Furthermore, for the South African market, the SOFTSWISS Sportsbook has recently integrated a Horse Racing Module. This addition offers operators new business opportunities by covering over 2,400 international and local races monthly. The solution engages players with race cards, silks, and multiple bet types while providing operators unique skins and configurations to align with various brand identities.
The SOFTSWISS team is working on The iGaming Trends Report 2025, which offers a deep dive into key industry developments based on over 50,000 media headlines and insights from industry experts. Covering areas like regulation, marketing, technology, and business growth, this report provides a data-driven perspective on the trends shaping the upcoming year. The SOFTSWISS team shares the possibility of joining the waiting list.
All SOFTSWISS products will be showcased at the final major industry event, SiGMA Europe, at stand 2145.
The post SOFTSWISS Sportsbook Doubles Esports Turnover in Q3 2024 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
BLAST Announces Landmark Expanded Partnership as Blacklyte Becomes Global Chair & Desk Partner Across Five Esports Titles in 2025
Esport entertainment company BLAST has announced an expanded Global Partnership with Blacklyte for 2025. The landmark partnership marks a significant milestone in esports history, being the first of its kind to encompass five leading esports titles.
As a Global Chair & Desk Partner, Blacklyte will play a pivotal role in supporting the world’s best esports players by providing custom-made esports desks and chairs for the competitive landscape across these five popular esports titles: Rainbow Six Esports (Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege), BLAST Premier (Counter-Strike), BLAST Slam (Dota), RLCS (Rocket League Championship Series), and FNCS (Fortnite Championship Series).
This partnership not only showcases Blacklyte’s commitment to the esports community but also emphasises its dedication to elevating the industry by providing players with the best equipment possible to compete at the elite level.
Last month, BLAST announced Blacklyte as the first commercial partner for Fortnite Competitive for the FNCS Global Championship 2024 in Fort Worth, Texas, United States.
The expansion of the partnership means Blacklyte will cover all esports titles BLAST operates in 2025. The partnership will focus on delivering unique and immersive experiences for fans and players alike. Alongside Blacklyte’s products being used by streamers and players across more than ten arena events and many more studio events in 2025. Blacklyte will also be integrated physically into these events and within broadcasts.
Blacklyte produces desks that set a new standard for quality and durability. These state-of-the-art desks are designed to withstand everything. They will be showcased at the BLAST Premier World Final in Singapore for the first time.
Alexander Lewin, SVP of Commercial Revenue for BLAST, said: “We are proud to expand our partnership with Blacklyte to encompass all five of our esports titles heading into 2025. This marks a landmark moment for BLAST. We work across a number of leading esports ecosystems, which gives us the ability to leverage these different communities and tournaments. This partnership is testament to harnessing that network to create best-in-class partnerships.”
Alexander Liu, CEO at Blacklyte, said: “We are excited to enter into this unprecedented partnership with BLAST, which will enable us to reach a broader audience and create a lasting impact across multiple titles. This collaboration signifies a new era for esports, where we can unify diverse gaming communities under one strategic initiative, providing equipment to help esports players compete at the top level.”
The post BLAST Announces Landmark Expanded Partnership as Blacklyte Becomes Global Chair & Desk Partner Across Five Esports Titles in 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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