eSports
LE MANS VIRTUAL SERIES BY MOTORSPORT GAMES GEARS UP FOR ROUND TWO ON OCTOBER 16, 2021
After a thrilling 1ST round that saw more than 2.6 million impressions worldwide, the 2nd stage kicks off at 7:30 a.m. EDT on Saturday
Motorsport Games Inc. announced that after a thrilling 1st race, the stage is set for round 2 of the Le Mans Virtual Series, the 6 Hours of Spa Virtual, slated for October 16, 2021 at 07:30 a.m. EDT. Saturday’s race will feature 38 entries (entry list HERE). Le Mans Virtual Series is a joint venture between Motorsport Games — 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 (the “FIA WEC”).
The 2021-22 season of the Le Mans Virtual Series consists of 5 rounds, the 2nd of which is the 6 Hours of Spa Virtual. The 38 prototype and grand touring endurance entries will compete virtually on the infamous 7 kilometer Belgian circuit, including famous corners and bends such as Eau Rouge, Raidillon, Stavelot and La Source. The live broadcast will feature lead commentary by FIA WEC’s Duncan Vincent, together with Chris McCarthy and Lewis McGlade.
Round 2 of the Le Mans Virtual Series comes on the heels of a successful 1st round that saw more than 2.6 million impressions worldwide and a thrilling victory from Realteam Hydrogen Redline. The 1st round of the esports endurance racing championship was an action-packed and incident-filled 4 Hours of Monza on September 25, 2021. Monza’s more than 2.6 million impressions on official channels during race week alone set the stage for a wildly successful series. Viewers can expect even more thrills and excitement for this coming round! Realteam Hydrogen Redline’s drivers Dani Juncadella, Jeffrey Rietveld and Michal Smidl took 1st place overall, while GPX Rebellion Esports and team Floyd Bykolles-Burst finished in 2nd and 3rd place, respectively. Mitchell Dejong, Mack Bakkum and Martin Kronke from the Porsche Esports Team took the Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance honors in a class that featured no fewer than 5 different manufacturers represented.
The Le Mans Virtual Series brings together top-level, real-life drivers such as Jenson Button, Alex Palou, Stoffel Vandoorne, Louis Deletraz and a number of the world’s other best sim racers to compete together in 5 endurance races that range from 4 to 24 hours in duration. This year’s series will conclude with the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual, which will take place live and televised at the Autosport International (“ASI”) show in Birmingham, UK in January 2022.
Here is where you can follow all of the weekend’s action, live and uninterrupted:
Friday, October 15, 2021: (all times Eastern Daylight Time)
1:00 p.m. Qualifying show live (not available on WEC or 24 Hours of Le Mans channels)
1:10 p.m.– 1:30 p.m. Qualifying GTE
1:40 p.m.– 2:00 p.m. Qualifying LMP
Saturday, October 16, 2021:
04:00 a.m.– 6:00 a.m. Warm up
7:30 a.m. Le Mans Virtual Series show live
8:00 a.m. 6 Hours of Spa – RACE
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eSports
Esports Awards adds player-voted EWC Players’ Choice Award, extends Esports Foundation deal
The Esports Awards and the Esports Foundation (EF) on June 18, 2026, announced a three-year extension of their partnership through 2028 and introduced a new player-voted honor, the EWC Players’ Choice Award. The announcement was made in London, with voting tied to Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 in Paris.
The EWC Players’ Choice Award will be decided exclusively by professional esports players. According to the announcement, competitors attending EWC 2026 will vote in person, while a secure digital voting platform hosted by the Esports Awards will allow participation from additional eligible players and clubs.
Eligibility requires players to have competed in at least one qualifying S, A or B-Tier tournament during the official competitive season. Players will not be able to vote for themselves or teammates, with the Esports Awards overseeing the process.
“The talent and innovation of our sector should be getting the exposure it deserves.,” said Michael Ashford, CEO of the Esports Awards. “The Esports Foundation has done an incredible job in generating mainstream attention, and industry exposure outside of the standard circuit. Our partnership has enabled us to expand our operations and footprint and it’s through our continued collaboration that I hope we can bring the Esports Awards to the global community, and provide the industry with better visibility all year round.”
The Esports Awards also confirmed its 2026 ceremony will take place in the United States, starting what it described as a rotating host city model featuring “previously unvisited destinations.” The event previously staged its 2024 awards ceremony and the 2025 Decade Awards in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as part of the Esports World Cup program.
EWC 2026 is scheduled for Paris from July 06 through August 23, 2026, with more than 2,000 players and 200 Clubs from over 100 countries set to compete in 25 tournaments across 24 games. Voting for the EWC Players’ Choice Award will run from July 1 through August 18, 2026, with the winner to be revealed during the Esports Awards ceremony later this year. The Esports Awards said additional details about its 2026 event will be announced in the coming weeks.
The post Esports Awards adds player-voted EWC Players’ Choice Award, extends Esports Foundation deal appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
chess
ENC 2026 chess qualifiers wrap as 82 nations and territories make the field
The Esports Foundation (EF) has completed the online regional qualifiers for the Chess tournament at the Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ENC), scheduled to debut in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2-29, 2026.
EF said the 128-player chess field is now largely set. 64 players from 64 countries and territories received direct invitations via official Champions Chess Tour (CCT) rankings at the end of May, while 61 players qualified through online regional events operated by Chess.com across North America, South America, Africa, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East/India/Central Asia, and East Asia/Southeast Asia/Oceania.
A further slot was awarded to Amani Alazmi (Kuwait) via the Host Region Wildcard as the next highest-placing competitor from the host region. Two Wildcard Solidarity slots for underrepresented regions remain and will be announced at the end of August after all ENC qualifiers are completed. With qualifiers concluded, EF said at least 82 countries and territories will be represented in chess at ENC 2026.
EF highlighted that Jamaica, Paraguay, Singapore, South Africa, Tajikistan, Tunisia, and Turkmenistan each secured two qualifying slots despite not receiving a direct invitation. Honduras, Mexico, El Salvador, Venezuela, Morocco, Nigeria, Algeria, Jordan, Australia, and New Zealand secured one slot each.
The chess competition runs November 2-8. EF said the event will open with a round-robin group stage featuring 16 groups of eight players, before moving to a 64-player single-elimination playoff bracket. The full list of qualified players and nations is available on the ENC website’s chess page.
The post ENC 2026 chess qualifiers wrap as 82 nations and territories make the field appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
1xBet
HLTV Awards returns to Belgrade on January 9, 2027, adding Lifetime Achievement honor
HLTV will stage the HLTV Awards presented by 1xBet in Belgrade, Serbia on January 9, 2027, returning to the Sava Center. The company said more than 1,000 players, industry professionals, creators, and fans are expected to attend.
HLTV also confirmed Dust2 creator David Johnston will feature as an award announcer. HLTV linked the booking to the 25th anniversary of Dust2.
For 2026, HLTV is updating its Hall of Fame process and eligibility rules. Four players will be inducted again, with “at least two and up to three” slots reserved for players from the Counter-Strike 1.6 and early eras. HLTV also removed the former “neo rule,” allowing players to be inducted for their playing careers even if they remain active in other roles such as coaching.
HLTV is adding a Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be decided by the Hall of Fame Board. The ceremony will also move Community Awards onto the main stage show for the first time, rather than the pre-show segment.
Separately, HLTV will kick off the 2027 Awards season with an invite-only “HLTV Awards by 1xBet Launch Party x GRID” in Cologne during the Major. HLTV said industry members can apply for an invite to the ceremony via its awards page.
The post HLTV Awards returns to Belgrade on January 9, 2027, adding Lifetime Achievement honor appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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