eSports
EXCEL ESPORTS recruits FC Schalke 04 Esports’ Tim Reichert as new Esports Director
Reichert brings over 20+ years of extensive experience across esports and sports performance management marking EXCEL ESPORTS’ commitment to the competitive success of all of its rosters.
British competitive gaming culture brand EXCEL ESPORTS is pleased to announce Tim Reichert has been appointed as its new Esports Director as the brand looks to elevate its competitive ambitions. A true industry heavyweight Tim joins EXCEL following over five years at German-based esports organisation, FC Schalke 04 Esports, where he oversaw the successful growth and development of its esports rosters.
Tim burst onto the esports scene in 1997 after co-founding esports organisation SK Gaming alongside his brothers, Ralf and Benjamin Reichert. SK Gaming has gone on to become a European powerhouse creating lasting legacies in multiple gaming titles. Tim then turned to his second passion in life, sports, where he became a professional footballer playing for the likes of Rot-Weiss Oberhausen. After nine successful years in football, Tim completed a five-year stint as a client consultant at the biggest media company in Germany, Mediacom & GroupM.
In his most recent role, Tim utilised his knowledge and experience from esports and traditional sports to become Head of Esports at FC Schalke 04 Esports. During his time at the organisation, Tim oversaw the success of its League of Legends team’s which included five appearances in the prestigious League of Legends European Championship playoffs and top place final finishes in 2018 and 2019.
As Esports Director Tim will focus on driving the overall success strategy across all of EXCEL’s competitive rosters and talent. This includes ensuring the players mental and physical health, education, data, personal development, living conditions and access to top tier training facilities are at the forefront of importance.
The appointment of Tim follows the recent growth of EXCEL’s competitive rosters, the expansion of its talent and leadership team as well as a successful €20M investment round. EXCEL recently completed the biggest FIFA transfer ever, signing FIFA professional Tom ‘Tom’ Leese. The growth signifies EXCEL’s commitment and ambitions to field players in the biggest and best esports in the world.
Tim Reichert, Esports Director at EXCEL ESPORTS comments: “I am excited to be joining the EXCEL team as the new Esports Director bringing extensive experience from two top tier esports organisations. EXCEL’s unique positioning as one of the strongest economies in Europe with its strong management team and support network makes it very well prepared for the future and the opportunities to recruit top tier talent are endless. I believe EXCEL’s leadership team and I share a similar competitive vision and I look forward to ensuring EXCEL continues to strive forward and develop its players to compete on the biggest stages in the world.”
Wouter Sleijffers, CEO of EXCEL ESPORTS comments: “We are absolutely thrilled to have Tim joining EXCEL’s senior management team. Whilst EXCEL ESPORTS is rapidly expanding to become a global force out of Britain, clearly, we need to level up to compete with the world’s best. Tim brings a wealth of experience across both esports and sports industries, and we believe Tim is the perfect person to take us to the global top and support our competitive talent in their careers. With all that Tim has to bring, I look forward to working with him to build on our continued success.”
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Asia
UniPin Accelerates Esports Growth Through Nationwide Campus Esports Championship in India, Expansion to 50+ Universities in 2026
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UniPin, the leading digital entertainment and esports enabler across Asia, had launched the UniPin Campus Championship India, a large-scale interuniversity esports tournament designed to unite and empower student gamers through competition, collaboration and community building.
Running from October to December 2025, the championship will bring offline esports tournaments to eight major cities: Mumbai, Pune, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Lucknow. Winners from each campus qualifier will advance to the Grand Finale in January 2026, where they will compete for national recognition and esports glory.
The championship officially kicked off in Pune (MIT Pune, Oct 30) and Mumbai (NMIMS Mumbai, Oct 31). Both campuses recorded overwhelming enthusiasm from students eager to represent their universities, demonstrating the growing momentum of esports within India’s student communities. Packed audiences, spirited support and competitive gameplay marked a strong opening for the multi-city series.
“The UniPin Campus Championship India underscores UniPin’s ongoing commitment to cultivating the next generation of esports talent while strengthening a culture of collaboration, discipline, and sportsmanship among young players. As India’s gaming ecosystem continues to grow, we are proud to provide a platform that empowers students to showcase their skills, connect with the community, and pursue their passion at a competitive level,” said Paras Gupta, Manager of Esports, Community & KOL at UniPin India.
Expansion Vision: 2026 and Beyond
Building on the momentum of this inaugural championship, UniPin India is preparing an even larger nationwide initiative for 2026, with plans to reach more than 50 universities across India. The expansion aims to elevate intercampus esports into a mainstream student activity by integrating workshops on esports careers, community networking and developer engagement — not only fostering competition, but also building pathways into the gaming and digital entertainment industry.
This upcoming expansion signals UniPin’s long-term investment in India’s esports ecosystem and strengthens its commitment to making esports accessible, structured and sustainable at the grassroots level.
“This expansion is not just about growing the tournament footprint. By 2026, we aim to reach every major campus so they can have a thriving esports community supported by the right infrastructure, education, and exposure,” Paras added.
Through the UniPin Campus Championship, UniPin reinforces its mission to accelerate the growth of esports and digital entertainment in Asia by creating inclusive opportunities for young players to connect, compete and thrive.
The post UniPin Accelerates Esports Growth Through Nationwide Campus Esports Championship in India, Expansion to 50+ Universities in 2026 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
Globant and Riot Games Announce Partnership
Globant and Riot Games announced a multi-year strategic partnership to support some of Riot’s most critical innovation initiatives and fan communities across League of Legends and VALORANT Esports. This collaboration brings together Riot’s world-class esports experiences with Globant’s global expertise in digital reinvention.
As its new digital transformation partner, Globant will support some of Riot Games’ most critical tech initiatives, including future explorations in artificial intelligence that augment esports viewing experiences and mobile integration capabilities. During the multi-year partnership, the two companies will push the boundaries of technology to unlock teams to deliver richer, more tailored experiences for millions of players and fans globally.
“Globant shares our commitment to deliver the most resonate and engaging experiences for players and fans around the world. Their deep expertise in technology will help us accelerate areas of the business so Rioters can focus on pushing creative boundaries of what’s possible in esports and live events,” said David Mulhall, Global Head of Esports Partnerships and Business Development at Riot Games.
“We are thrilled to join forces with Riot Games to expand the future of gaming and esports. This partnership reflects our shared belief that technology and creativity can reshape how communities connect, play, and experience entertainment,” said Martin Migoya, Co-founder and CEO of Globant.
Globant brings extensive experience across media, entertainment, and gaming that reinforces its role as a transformative technology partner. Through its Media & Entertainment and Games Studios, the company supports global organizations in areas such as content creation and management, streaming platforms, game development, art services, quality assurance, product management, and ongoing live operations. Globant is also a trusted partner to leading sports and entertainment brands, including FIFA and Formula 1. By combining deep industry expertise with advanced technologies like AI, Globant has established itself as a key enabler of innovation and fan engagement for some of the world’s most influential organizations in sports, media, and gaming.
The post Globant and Riot Games Announce Partnership appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Association of National Olympic Committees
Spectatr.ai Partners with ANOC, ISSA to Power Real-Time Highlights for Islamic Solidarity Games
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Spectatr.ai, a Sequoia-backed innovator in AI-powered sports technology, is partnering with the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) and the Islamic Solidarity Sports Association (ISSA) to deliver real-time highlight clips during the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
This collaboration aligns with the wider digital content partnership between ANOC and ISSA and will transform how the Games are experienced globally — bringing high-quality, real-time match, moment and daily highlights from more than 20 sports over 15 days to fans worldwide. This announcement follows news of the strategic partnership between Spectatr.ai and Triple B Media to empower sports organisations around the globe to improve the sports fan experience through the power of artificial intelligence.
Earlier this year, ANOC and ISSA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance the global visibility of the Islamic Solidarity Games, which will bring together more than 3500 athletes from 57 National Olympic Committees. Under the MoU, ANOC will broadcast the Games live via ANOC.tv, produce digital content through the ANOC.tv studio, and distribute highlights worldwide through the ANOC Digital Content Hub. Spectatr.ai’s technology will serve as the AI backbone of this initiative, ensuring every defining moment from decisive goals to emotional victories is captured and shared within seconds.
“Our collaboration with ANOC brings AI-powered storytelling to one of the world’s most unifying sporting events. We are honored to support Riyadh 2025 by showcasing every story, emotion and achievement as it happens — reaching fans everywhere in real time,” said Richa Singh, Co-Founder of Spectatr.ai.
Spectatr.ai will deploy its proprietary PULSE engine, an on-cloud, low-latency highlights system that identifies key moments such as goals, finishes, podiums and record-breaking performances. These clips will be enriched with metadata and instantly distributed to ANOC, ISSA and global partners. The system will generate both broadcast-ready and social-media-optimized formats, including vertical 9:16 videos for platforms such as Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts.
“This collaboration reflects ANOC’s ongoing commitment to innovation and the digital amplification of sport. By integrating real-time AI technology into the Islamic Solidarity Games, we are ensuring that every inspiring performance and emotional moment reaches fans around the world instantly,” said Gunilla Lindberg, secretary general of ANOC.
Through this partnership, each of the 57 participating NOCs will receive customised daily highlight packages, enabling equitable visibility for athletes and federations of all sizes. The system’s automated tagging and search functionality will make all footage easily discoverable, reusable and ready for archival and storytelling use.
The Games will feature traditional and emerging disciplines, including camel racing, duathlon and esports. The collaboration between Spectatr.ai, ANOC and ISSA aims to serve as a model for future multi-sport events — demonstrating how AI can drive real-time global engagement, operational efficiency and commercial value.
The post Spectatr.ai Partners with ANOC, ISSA to Power Real-Time Highlights for Islamic Solidarity Games appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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