eSports

VALORANT tournament Spike Nations returns with €60,000 to be donated to charity by Riot Games

Published

3 years ago

September 23, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes

BLAST has teamed up with Riot Games to bring back the Spike Nations VALORANT tournament for a second installment in October (7-9 October).

The three-day online tournament features 12 EMEA-based teams made up of professional esports players, popular gaming personalities and streamers, each representing their nation or region, with €60,000 donated to charitable causes.

The Spike Nations format will create opportunities for funds to be raised and added incentives for teams to beat each other, upping the stakes in the process. Each team will be competing for national glory as they tussle with each over three-days of VALORANT action next month.

The tournament consists of three groups of four. The top two teams in each group will progress to the final knockout stage. VALORANT’s latest map addition Fracture will also feature in the tournament.

Further information in the coming weeks will be announced on the format, teams, other tournament mechanics and how the €60,000 will be donated to charity by Riot Games.

The nations competing include:

Team United Kingdom

Team France

Team Spain

Team Portugal

Team Nordics

Team Poland

Team Turkey

Team CIS

Team Italy

Team DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland)

Team Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)

Team Eastern Europe

Leo Matlock, VP of Commercial at BLAST, said: “Welcoming back Spike Nations for a second year is testament to how well the inaugural event in 2020 was received by the VALORANT community. We’ve made some exciting additions to the tournament, added new teams made up of more nations than before. We can’t wait to rekindle old rivalries and create fun storylines for fans to enjoy.

“BLAST has proven itself as the leading esports tournament organisation and we are delighted to partner up again with Riot Games and create more incredible VALORANT experiences for fans who love the game or are experiencing it for the first time.”

Felix Morgan, VALORANT Product Lead, Europe said: “After hearing such positive feedback from both creators and fans during last year’s Spike Nations event, this year we’re partnering with BLAST to deliver something even bigger and better. We’ve got some great surprises in store and feel confident that this year will deliver an even better fan experience. We can’t wait to see our country teams battling it out for a good cause.”

Last year’s first ever Spike Nations took place in November with 10 teams competing against each other. The final saw Team Portugal beat Team United Kingdom 2-0

Craig Levine

Zenni Optical Announces Partnership with ESL FACEIT Group (EFG)

Published

2 days ago

May 17, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

zenni-optical-announces-partnership-with-esl-faceit-group-(efg)

Zenni Optical, the world’s leading online eyewear retailer, announced a partnership with ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), the leading esports and video game entertainment company. Designed to integrate eye health education with innovative eyewear solutions for the esports community, the partnership will officially launch at DreamHack festival in Dallas, taking place from May 31 to June 2.

This collaboration will showcase a co-branded collection of lifestyle and competitive eyewear and accessories, highlighting Zenni Optical’s commitment to promoting overall eye health, particularly in addressing issues like eye fatigue and strain. Additionally, the initiative will incorporate essential eye health education across various DreamHack Festivals, in alignment with EFG’s broader mission to foster inclusive gaming worlds and engaged, supported communities.

“DreamHack and ESL represent some of the most community-centric and prestigious competitive events in the world. In their own unique ways, they embody esports for everyone. By partnering with these incredible brands across the gaming and esports spaces, we aim to create engaging experiences that combine eye-health education with innovative eyewear solutions for players and fans at all levels,” said Robb Chiarini, Head of Gaming, Sports, & Events at Zenni Optical.

“We are thrilled to partner with Zenni Optical as the Official Eyewear Partner of DreamHack and ESL. The genuine passion that Zenni has for the esports industry is a refreshing sight to see, and a major driving factor for the decision behind our partnership. Zenni’s ongoing commitment to provide eyewear for everyone mirrors our own drive to create worlds beyond gameplay for gamers everywhere,” Craig Levine, Co-CEO at EFG, said.

Bucks Gaming

CREAM CITY CONVERGENCE ESPORTS TOURNAMENT SELECTED AS CAPCOM PRO TOUR EVENT

Published

3 days ago

May 16, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

cream-city-convergence-esports-tournament-selected-as-capcom-pro-tour-event

Bucks Gaming’s Cream City Convergence Esports Tournament has been selected as a Capcom Pro Tour event, becoming one of just three tournaments in North America chosen to be a qualifier for the prestigious Capcom Cup.

The Capcom Cup is an annual Street Fighter 6 competition, hosted by video game developer and esports organizer Capcom, with a $1 million first place prize. Each year, Capcom selects a small number of tournaments worldwide to serve as Capcom Pro Tour events, with the winning players from each event qualifying for the Capcom Cup. As one of the tournaments selected by Capcom for the honor this year, Cream City Convergence will become the first esports event run by an NBA team to work with a major esports organizer.

Top-ranked Street Fighter 6 players will compete at Cream City Convergence when it returns for its second year on Saturday, Aug. 24, at Baird Center. In addition to Street Fighter 6, this year’s tournament will also have brackets for Tekken 8; Super Smash Bros Ultimate; Super Smash Bros Melee; and Guilty Gear: Strive.

eSports

Kambi and Abios Join ESIC as Anti-Corruption Supporters

Published

4 days ago

May 15, 2024

Niji Narayan

kambi-and-abios-join-esic-as-anti-corruption-supporters

Reading Time: < 1 minute

The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has announced Kambi and Abios, its esports data subsidiary, as new ESIC Anti-Corruption Supporters. This partnership signals the alignment of Kambi’s longstanding commitment to corporate probity and sports integrity with ESIC’s ongoing battle against match-fixing and corruption in esports.

Kambi and Abios join a distinguished class of other Anti-Corruption Supporter stakeholders who have historically worked with ESIC to ensure that attacks against the competitive integrity of esports competition are appropriately reported and dealt with. Anti-Corruption Supporters assist ESIC in investigating suspicious betting activity, supporting ESIC’s broader mission to combat cheating and betting fraud in the esports industry. Kambi and Abios’ entrance into the Anti-Corruption Supporter class will see the entities actively work with ESIC to assist in ESIC’s mission to disrupt, prevent, investigate and prosecute all attempts to compromise competitive integrity in esport competition.

Abios’ Managing Director and Founder, Anton Janér, commented: “Our mission at Abios has always been to enable the sustainable growth of esports. As such, we’re incredibly excited to join ESIC in their mission to future-proof esports through combatting match-fixing and other integrity-related malpractices. Fair play is a crucial component in ensuring the viability of esports as a long-term community and investment and we hope to be able to support the industry together with ESIC going forward.”

Stephen Hanna, ESIC’s Chief Executive Officer, commented: “We are pleased to welcome Kambi and Abios as Anti-Corruption Supporters. Kambi and Abios are well trusted and recognised operators in their respective industries, and their entrance into the Anti-Corruption Supporter class of ESIC membership emphasises their shared commitment to upholding the highest standards of integrity and fair play within the esports industry.”

The post Kambi and Abios Join ESIC as Anti-Corruption Supporters appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.