eSports
Le Mans Virtual Series – Joint Venture Between Motorsport Games and Automobile Club de l’Ouest – Reveals Full Driver Entry List for the 2021-22 Season

The recently launched 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual Series, a joint venture between Motorsport Games Inc. — a leading racing game developer, publisher and esports ecosystem provider of official motorsport racing series throughout the world — and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (“ACO”) — the creators and organizers of the world-famous 24 Hours of Le Mans and promoter of the FIA World Endurance Championship of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (the “FIA WEC”), announces today the full entry list for the 2021-22 Endurance Esports Championship.
The 38 team entries feature 177 driver names on the full-season roster list and include champions and prominent drivers from nearly all major motorsport disciplines, including Formula One, the WEC, INDYCAR, the International Motor Sports Association (“IMSA”), Formula 2 and 3, Formula E and Extreme E, GT World Challenge and more. Participating this season are open-wheel luminaries of motorsport, such as 2009 F1 Champion, Jenson Button, F2 racer, Jack Aitken, Formula E racer Sergio Sette Camara, current INDYCAR Championship points leader, Alex Palou and INDYCAR driver and 2019 INDYCAR Rookie of the Year, Felix Rosenqvist.
The Le Mans Virtual Series’ driver roster also contains some of the most exciting up and coming young professional drivers, including F2 and F3 stars Liam Lawson, Bent Viscaal, Victor Martins and Caio Collet, as well as female driver Beitske Visser, who races in the W Series and the WEC. The FIA WEC, 24 Hours of Le Mans and IMSA are represented by former champion Bruno Senna, plus former F1 stars Stoffel Vandoorne, Harry Tincknell, Will Stevens, Matt Campbell, Yifei Ye and many other prominent racers.
Demonstrating his racing versatility, Timmy Hansen – World Rallycross and Extreme E driver, will race alongside winners from Japan’s Super GT, the Super Formula championships and GT racers from all around the world. Rounding out the list of professional racing drivers is last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual winning line-up, who are reuniting for the Rebellion GPX Williams team to defend their title. Teams making up the rest of the grid include Team Fordzilla, Red Bull Racing Esports, Team Redline, Panis Racing, Team Project 1 and Team WRT, among others, plus championship and Le Mans-winning worldwide brands, such as Alpine, Ferrari, Porsche and BMW, just to name a few.
Joining this roster of esteemed professional racing drivers are elite competitors from the sim racing scene, including popular names such as Michi Hoyer, Bono Huis, Jan von der Heyde, Joshua Rogers and Kevin Siggy. There will be 98 sim drivers within the full 177 driver roster.
An overview of the driver roster construction and format is as follows:
- Teams must submit a full-season roster of 4 or 5 drivers.
- A minimum of 2 drivers must be FIA graded (or its equivalent).
- The remaining drivers are sim drivers.
- For each of the first 4 online rounds, teams will nominate 3 drivers from their full season roster 7 days before each race. Of these, one must be an FIA-graded driver (or its equivalent).
- For the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual finale – scheduled to be held January 15th and 16th, 2022 in Birmingham, UK at the 2022 Autosport International motorsport show – line-ups will increase to 4 drivers per entry with a minimum of 2 FIA-graded drivers (or its equivalent). An additional 20 entries are expected for the live, televised event, with some of the most well-known motorsport names in the world due to appear.
Given the ongoing calendar uncertainty in real world racing, there is provision within the regulations to allow for the replacement of FIA-graded drivers if the originally nominated drivers are not available.
The combination of top level names from these two racing worlds competing on classic tracks, culminating in the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual – the virtual equivalent to the world’s greatest sportscar event – promises to deliver exciting and highly competitive endurance events that are guaranteed to thrill esports enthusiasts globally. For those same fans, running alongside the Le Mans Virtual Series will be the Le Mans Virtual Cup – an esports series where anyone with rFactor 2 can compete and earn the opportunity to secure a spot on the grid for the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual.
Supporting this year’s Le Mans Virtual Series will be some of the world’s most high-profile brands, including: Thrustmaster as Official Hardware Partner, Rolex as Official Timepiece Partner, Total Energiesas Official Energy Partner, Goodyear as Official Tire Partner, LEGO® Technic as Official Engineering Partner and Algorand as Official Blockchain Partner.
About Le Mans Virtual Series
Le Mans Virtual Series is a global, elite esports series made up of 5 rounds which bring together endurance racing and sim racing’s top teams to compete on some of the world’s most famous racetracks. International FIA-licensed real-world drivers are teamed up with leading esports protagonists to take on endurance classics for a total prize fund of US$250,000, culminating in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual which will take place live and televised at the Autosport Show International at the Birmingham, UK. The Le Mans Virtual Series is a joint venture between leading racing game developer, publisher and esports ecosystem provider of official motorsport racing series throughout the world, Motorsport Games, and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (“ACO”) – the creator and organizer of the world-famous 24 Hours of Le Mans and promoter of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC).
Round 1: 4 Hours of Monza, Italy September 25, 2021 Online only
Round 2: 6 Hours of Spa, Belgium October 16, 2021 Online only
Round 3: 8 Hours of Nürburgring, Germany November 13, 2021 Online only
Round 4: 6 Hours of Sebring, USA December 18, 2021 Online only
Round 5: 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual January 15/16, 2022 ASI, Birmingham, UK
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eSports
Magnus Carlsen Claims Inaugural Chess at 2025 Esports World Cup Title as Two Grand Masters Clashed on the World Stage

Magnus Carlsen has claimed the inaugural Chess at 2025 Esports World Cup title, beating out Alireza Firouzja in a thrilling final series.
Representing Team Liquid, Magnus Carlsen was able to secure a straight 2-0 series victory against Team Falcons’ French star Alireza Firouzja. The Norwegian grandmaster entered Chess at EWC 25 as the favourite, and it was clear to see why. As for his Team Falcons opponent, Firouzja, while he had moments of brilliance, the gulf in class between the two in this series showed.
The world number-one swept the Team Falcons representative in sensational style with a straight sets victory that reaffirmed his status as one of the all-time greats. Carlsen took the first set 3-1, before dominating the second set 3-1 once again to secure a 2-0 series victory.
Magnus Carlsen’s win sees Team Liquid claim their first victory at the 2025 Esports World Cup. The victory continues a great year thus far for Magnus Carlsen, who won Chess.com’s 2025 Champions Chess Tour to qualify for the EWC, as well as his seventh Norway Chess title and the 2025 Grenke Chess Freestyle Open with a perfect 9/9 score.
“I am very happy, a little bit relieved as well. There was a point in the second set where I felt I let him back in the match for no reason. Overall, I’m happy with the way I played and the way I pressured him on the clock. A couple of times I rushed a little bit, but that comes with everything,” said Carlsen.
“I think it’s been incredible. Not only playing, but watching the others. It’s been an amazing show, unlike anything I’ve seen so far. It’s just been a joy. I hope this is a big part of the future of chess. I’m really thankful to EWC for believing in Chess, for Team Liquid for believing in me as well, and for making Team Falcons have to fight at least a little bit for the Club Championship,” he said.
The post Magnus Carlsen Claims Inaugural Chess at 2025 Esports World Cup Title as Two Grand Masters Clashed on the World Stage appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
2025 PUBG MOBILE WORLD CUP FINALISTS LOCKED IN AS 16 TEAMS MAKE THE CUT

The prestigious 2025 PUBG MOBILE World Cup (PMWC) is shifting into high-gear as the pivotal Survival Stage has concluded after two days of high-stakes plays and fierce competition which saw Horaa Esports take pole position. In total, eight elite teams have emerged victorious, earning a spot to compete in the 2025 PMWC Grand Finals, where they’ll be reunited with the eight teams that came out on top during the Group Stage last weekend. Only one team will take home the lion’s share of the $3 million prize pool, and the crown position as the 2025 PMWC Champion, as part of the Esports World Cup in Riyadh.
Over the course of three action-packed days, the Survival Stage delivered intense battles in 12 adrenaline-fueled matches, as 16 teams fought for the final eight coveted slots in the Grand Finals. Early momentum was set by Fire Flux Esports on day one, consistently securing top finishes, while POWR Esports made a strong impact on day two with aggressive plays and smart rotations. Throughout the stage, teams such as Regnum Carya and eArena demonstrated their resilience and adaptability, skillfully navigating high-pressure situations to place in the Top 3 for four of their matches. The MEA region also proved itself a powerhouse, with both Team Falcons and POWR Esports advancing to the Grand Finals. Surprisingly, last year’s reigning champions, Alpha7 Esports, were eliminated in this Survival Stage, ending their run in the tournament after a series of hard-fought matches, guaranteeing a new team will take the throne.
Showcasing their strategic brilliance, Horaa Esports earned an impressive 108 points, marking them as the top dogs of the Survival Stage. Along with seven other finalists from this stage, they have secured their spot in the Grand Finals.
The 16 top-performing teams to compete in the Grand Finals from tomorrow include:
- Horaa Esports
- Fire Flux Esports
- POWR Esports
- Regnum Carya
- eArena
- NS RedForce
- Team Falcons
- Yangon Galacticos
- Alter Ego Ares
- 4Thrives Esports
- DRX
- Weibo Gaming
- Alpha Gaming
- Team Secret
- TT Global
- IDA Esports
This Grand Finals will also feature a brand new theme song Smash!, a hype beat that will play once the SMASH ruleset is active and a team is just one Winner Winner Chicken Dinner away from overall victory. With the placements confirmed and schedule locked in, the 2025 PMWC Grand Finals weekend is set to be an exceptional display of top PUBG MOBILE Esports talent. As the second edition of the PUBG MOBILE World Cup (PMWC), and part of the Esports World Cup, these dedicated teams will be doubling down on their competitive edge, leaving everything on the battleground as they fight for the crown, and the lion’s share of the $3 million prize pool.
The post 2025 PUBG MOBILE WORLD CUP FINALISTS LOCKED IN AS 16 TEAMS MAKE THE CUT appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Asia
JBO Thailand Launches Esports World Cup Promotion

JBO, a well-established online gaming and entertainment platform, has announced an exciting new promotion tailored for the highly anticipated Esports World Cup 2025. Esports enthusiasts in Thailand now have a compelling opportunity to win up to 30,000 Jcoin by placing wagers on the thrilling “World Cup Qualifiers” matches. This shows JBO Thailand’s commitment to giving great value and fun experiences to all its players.
This exclusive event is ongoing and will conclude on August 24, 2025, at 23:59 (GMT+8). This period strategically aligns with the intensified global esports calendar, leading up to the Esports World Cup and its critical qualifying rounds. JBO Thailand is actively creating an immersive environment that allows fans to engage more deeply with preferred teams and competitive events. Participation in the promotion is straightforward. Players are simply required to place bets on eligible “Esports World Cup Qualifiers” matches through JBO’s designated esports betting providers, IM Esports and TF Esports. The promotion is conveniently accessible via the “Reward Corner” section on the JBO platform, ensuring a seamless and intuitive user experience for all participants.
At the core of this attractive offer is JBO’s innovative Jcoin reward system. Players who log in to JBO and achieve a weekly turnover exceeding 3000 in the Esports category will automatically qualify for Jcoin rewards. The reward system gives bigger prizes as you play more, with up to 30,000 Jcoin available each week.
JBO also ensures a smooth and secure experience through the easy-to-use JBO app available for both Android and iOS devices. With fast withdrawals and smooth gameplay, the platform is ideal for esports fans to enjoy and earn real rewards. JBO is trusted across Asia and has Dimitar Berbatov as its brand ambassador, showing it as a top sportsbook and esports operator.
The post JBO Thailand Launches Esports World Cup Promotion appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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