eSports
7 state ministers unveil franchise teams for Esports Premier League 2021, the final leg of ESPL to kickstart on August 16
India’s first-ever franchise-based Esports league, the Esports Premier League (ESPL) has finalised the top eight teams as the ultimate face off in the inaugural edition of the nation-wide Esports league is set to begin on August 16. State ministers from seven regions launched their respective franchise team names, logos, and jerseys.
While the Esports industry has been in quest to gain legitimacy and recognition from the government, involvement and acceptance from the government at this level to the tournament is a giant stride for Esports industry in India.
“To have the best gamers from across the country representing final eight franchise teams as well as their team’s official jersey being unveiled by the state ministers is a matter of absolute honor and pride. Even in its inaugural edition, ESPL has received exceptional response from the Esports community, the players and the audience,” said Mr. Vishwalok Nath, Director, ESPL.
Here is the complete list of Ministers and personalities that unveiled teams representing their respective states:
- Mr. V. Srinivas Goud
Hon’ble Minister of Sports & Youth Services
Govt. Of Telangana
- Mr. Sunil Chhatrapal Kedar
Hon’ble Minister of Sports and Youth Welfare
Govt. of Maharashtra
- Mr. Manish Sisodia
Deputy Chief Minister
Govt. of Delhi
- Mr. Manoj Tiwary
Hon’ble Minister of Department of Youth Services and Sports
Govt. Of West Bengal
- Mr. K.C. Narayana Gowda
Hon’ble Minister of Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports Department of Planning
Govt. of Karnataka
- Mr. Ashok Chandna
Hon’ble Minister of Sports & Youth Affairs (Independent charge)
Govt. of Rajasthan
- Mr. Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi
Hon’ble Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs
Govt. of Punjab
- RJ Balaji
Radio jockey, director, sports broadcaster, and writer based out of Chennai
The final eight franchises teams and the players were chosen through a draft process. And the teams that are qualified through various stages of the competition for the draft process include BADGE99, Total Gaming, 4 UNKNOWN, TSM FTX, No Chance, AFF Esports, Head Hunters, and TWO SIDE GAMERS. Each of these teams were picked to represent a city team and in the final stage during the draft, popular influencers and Esports gamers were roped in to conduct the process.
The eight franchise teams are Punjab Paladins, Chennai Celestials, Delhi Dukes, Hyderabad Hydras, Kolkata Kaijus, Rajasthan Reapers, Mumbai Marshals, and Bangalore Ballistics. Below is the complete list of players of all these teams who will represent the respective state teams:
| BADGEE99 will represent Kolkata Kaijus
Ø Hriteek Ranjan Ø Muhammed Faizal. N Ø Prahast Garg Ø Azmal Akhtar Choudhury Ø Yogesh Buchale
|
Total Gaming will represent Hyderabad Hydras
Ø Ajay Sharma Ø Vora Hetkumar Ø Daksh Garg Ø Narai Yadav Ø Anshul Rawat |
| 4 UNKNOWN will represent Rajasthan Reapers
Ø Swastik Madhukar Dushing Ø Anand Madhukar Dushing Ø Radhe Thakor Ø Vadehr Anil Devashibhai Ø Mohd Zuber
|
AFF Esports will represent Delhi Dukes
Ø Owais Bhati Ø Kanishk Verma Ø Rahil Katoch Ø Pavan Adwani Ø Arpit Tyagi
|
| TWO SIDE GAMERS will represent Bengaluru Ballistics
Ø Ritik Jain Ø Ojasvi Kamra Ø Vihan Datta Ø Bhavesh Lakhwani |
No Chance will represent Chennai Celestials
Ø Priyansh Ø Devesh Chauhan Ø Aritra Adak Ø Priyanshu Kumar Ø Soumya Sundar
|
| TSM FTX will represent Mumbai Marshals
Ø Sagar Patel Ø Indranil Saha Ø Jayesh Yadav Ø Naitik Khosto Ø Asjad Khateeb
|
Head Hunters will represent Punjab Paladins
Ø Satyam Thakur Ø Md. Abdul Moghni Ø Aasim Usama Ø Jatin Taneja Ø Priyanshu Halder Saha |
ESPL 2021, which began on June 16, will see the athletes competing in the popular battle royale game Free Fire as the winners will have INR 25 lacs prize money to win.
This final phase has lot more in store and a spectacle series of matches and exciting live-action will be streamed on Disney+ Hotstar, Free Fire official streaming platform Booyah and Malayalam OTT platform Koode alongside official YouTube and Facebook channels of India Today and Aaj Tak and its websites.
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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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