eSports

VALORANT Esports EMEA is expanding – here’s what to expect!

Published

4 years ago

December 15, 2021

Reading Time: 5 minutes

In 2022, we aspire to make VALORANT the biggest FPS esports in the world – and it’s clear from the performances we’ve seen so far that EMEA is emerging as a true powerhouse region.

Following a phenomenal opening year, 2022 will see a number of significant, exciting changes made to VALORANT esports within EMEA.

By developing a new, multi-layered ecosystem, we can give opportunities to all players; from amateur and aspiring pro gamers participating in the newly created VALORANT Regional Leagues and VALORANT Regional Circuits, to the new wave of women taking VALORANT esports to the next level through our Game Changers programme; to the world’s truly elite VALORANT stars through the VALORANT Champions Tour.

European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Most importantly, the expansion of the EMEA ecosystem will also benefit our loyal fans, giving them more opportunities to support their country, local team or favourite player and witness the best in the region battle it out for glory.

VALORANT CHAMPIONS TOUR

The VALORANT Champions Tour is the pinnacle of FPS esports in EMEA and our 2021 season produced some incredible and memorable moments for teams and fans alike, especially from our top four EMEA teams (Acend, Gambit, Fnatic, Team Liquid) who fought hard to make it to the first ever VCT Champions competition! In 2022, the EMEA VCT structure will be adapted to suit the whole region, allowing all the localised territories in the wider EMEA umbrella to grow and maintain a healthy level of competition.

The four EMEA teams that participated in VALORANT Champions 2021 will be invited back to VCT Stage 1 in 2022. A further eight spots will be up for grabs through two open and closed qualifiers in each territory; four spots in EU, two from Turkey and two from CIS. Teams from MENA will be able to compete in any of these qualifiers.

Teams will be able to qualify to VCT Stage 2 through the VCT promotion tournament; where the winners of the eight VRLs (more on these below) in Stage 1 will compete to face off against the bottom two VCT teams, with two VCT spots on the line.

We will have more information on the overall format for VCT soon, so expect to hear more from us in early 2022.

Get ready to cheer on some of the most elite competitors VALORANT esports has to offer, as they compete not just for the title of the best in EMEA, but for global supremacy.

RLS

One of the new, exciting layers of the ecosystem we will be introducing to the VALORANT esports EMEA is the VALORANT Regional Leagues (VRLs).

The VRLs will become the peak of regional VALORANT esports, providing a highly competitive platform for talent development with a distinctly national flair.

In 2022, we will be launching eight new EMEA VRLs in:

Spain (Players from Portugal and Italy are also eligible to compete in this league) operated by LVP
France (Players within Benelux are also eligible to compete in this league) operated by Freaks 4U Gaming
UK, Ireland & Nordics operated by Promod Esports
Poland + EE (Players from Israel are also eligible to compete in this league) operated by FRENZY
CIS operated by GIG Me
MENA operated by Calyx Gaming
Turkey operated by ESA Esports
DACH operated by Freaks 4U Gaming

Each league will be operated by our partner organisers and will run for two stages across the year, with a regular season and playoffs crowning a champion in each league. A certain number of the participating teams will be decided through VRL open qualifiers, at least once per season. At the end of stage one, the winner of each VRL will qualify for the VCT Promotion Tournament. In stage 2, each VRL winner will then qualify for the VRL EMEA finals.

Note: The number of VRL qualifiers and available spots may vary based on the results of the aforementioned VCT promotion tournament

The new VRLs will provide highly-skilled players with deeply satisfying competitive experiences, as well as giving them the rare opportunity to improve their skills in a structured ecosystem that fosters healthy, top-level competition.

On top of this, VRLs offer keen VALORANT fans the chance to celebrate and cheer on their national teams as they go head-to-head with the rest of EMEA.

The 2022 VRL season will kick-off with qualifiers on January 24, with the first split beginning the week of February 14.

Stay tuned and get ready to show your regional pride as teams battle it out to become their national champions!

GAME CHANGERS EMEA

After an incredible year for the Game Changers initiative across the globe, our teams have proven they are #HERETOSLAY, – and now it’s time to show that VCT Game Changers EMEA is here to stay!

We’re planning three exciting VCT Game Changers EMEA series in 2022, kicking-off in January with the remaining two taking place in May and September. Teams who succeed in these events will qualify for a place in the Global Game Changers event planned for November.

We’re also introducing the Game Changers EMEA Academy, a place for new teams and friends to compete in a safe space in up to six tournaments throughout the year. We’re excited to see brand new faces bring the fire to our Game Changers tournaments, be bold and stake your claim!

Game Changers is an important platform for our women players – the start of their path to pro. So, to encourage these teams to aim higher than ever before, the VCT Game Changers EMEA 2022 circuit will run parallel to the series within the wider EMEA ecosystem avoiding any overlaps where possible, allowing our teams to compete in both the Game Changers tournaments alongside the VRL’s and VCT open qualifiers.

To our Game Changers community – this is your time. Your platform. The world is listening. Bring the fire.

VRCS

From 2022 onwards, we want to make sure we’re helping to develop and promote grassroots VALORANT talent across the region. With this goal in mind, we’ll be starting to roll out a series of new competitions specifically for these players called VALORANT Regional Circuits (VRCs).

We hope that these circuits will help elevate EMEA’s thriving amateur competitive ecosystem to new heights. They’ll provide players of all skill levels with a chance to experience the thrill of organised competition and prove themselves against other competitors in their region.

The typical circuit will give local players the opportunity to compete in individual competitions throughout the season, and earn circuit points for their team. At the end of the season, the teams with the most points will then battle it out in an effort to become the circuit champions.

Over the course of next year, players will see these Regional Circuits popping up across EMEA, with the hope that, in time, players all over EMEA will have a VRC to compete in.

BROADCASTING AND VIEWERSHIP

In 2022 we are significantly ramping up the number of VALORANT Esports competitions being broadcast in the EMEA region. Fans will be able to tune in and watch a huge number of VALORANT Esports competitions, including:

VCT Qualifiers
VCT Regular Season Stages 1 and 2
VCT Masters Stages 1 and 2
VCT Promotion Tournament
The EMEA Last Chance Qualifier
VCT Champions 2022
Three EMEA Game Changers Tournaments
All eight VALORANT Regional Leagues
The VRL Finals

As an absolute minimum, we will be broadcasting all VCT events in eight languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Turkish, and Polish, Arabic. We will continue to update the community on any other languages we’ll be broadcasting in closer to the time of the event.

As we continue to work hard to further grow this burgeoning esport and reach a wider audience, we hope this new format will give certainty to fans and players alike as to how VALORANT esports in EMEA will look across the year. We truly believe that through this new ecosystem, we can build deeper engagement between teams and players, discover the future of VALORANT talent, and build up a lifelong fanbase.

eSports

BETER Wins Esports Betting Supplier Award at the EGR B2B Awards 2025

Published

20 hours ago

July 9, 2025

George Miller

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

BETER, the in-demand provider of fast-betting content, data, and odds for esports and sports, has been awarded Esports Betting Supplier at the prestigious EGR B2B Awards 2025.

It is the first time BETER has received this award, marking a significant milestone in the company’s journey and reflecting the growing demand for its fast-paced esports products.

The EGR B2B Awards celebrate the companies powering the global iGaming industry, recognizing excellence and rewarding those leading in innovation, reliability, and client service.

BETER’s esports offering features the fan-favorite ESportsBattle tournaments, providing non-stop betting action across popular disciplines such as eFootball, eBasketball, and eHockey, with eTennis set to become available to all partners soon. It means bettors can wager on approximately 500,000 matches annually, with up to 50 markets per event, while operators benefit from an average margin of 7.5%.

In addition, BETER provides a comprehensive Esports Odds Feed, delivering market-leading odds for over 40,000 pre-match and live events per year. These odds are calculated using official data and compiled by a team of expert traders.

With a team of over 130 esports traders, BETER ensures that players across all partner operators can place bets on the provider’s events with more than 90% uptime.

All ESportsBattle`s matches come with 24/7 live streaming, real-time data and odds, and are closely monitored by BETER’s in-house Integrity team to ensure strict adherence to fair play standards. As a result, only 0.01% of matches have been flagged as suspicious in the past 12 months.

Gal Ehrlich, CEO of BETER, said: “We are incredibly proud of the entire BETER team for the hard work that led to this achievement.

“Their tireless efforts to deliver best-in-class esports products for the next generation of bettors have paid off—not just in winning this award, but in delivering a top-tier product and experience to our partners and their players, consistently exceeding expectations.

“This award rounds off an incredible six months for BETER, and we head into the second half of the year with strong momentum behind us.”

Adam Conway, General Manager of Esports Business Division at BETER, added: “Our esports betting products are unmatched—led, of course, by our ESportsBattle tournaments.

“These tournaments truly set the standard for what a fast-betting esports experience should be, and we’re thrilled to see that recognized by the EGR B2B Awards judges.

“Our Esports Odds Feed is equally impressive and has become an essential tool for operators looking to offer the best accurate odds in the industry.

“I’d like to thank the entire BETER team for their dedication and to EGR for this recognition. We couldn’t be happier to add our first EGR B2B Award to the trophy shelf.”

The post BETER Wins Esports Betting Supplier Award at the EGR B2B Awards 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

eSports

Esports World Cup Foundation Renews Partnership with Albaik

Published

2 days ago

July 8, 2025

Niji Narayan

esports-world-cup-foundation-renews-partnership-with-albaik

Reading Time: < 1 minute

The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has announced the renewal of its partnership with Albaik for a second consecutive year, aimed at enriching the experience of both visitors and players participating in the Esports World Cup (EWC). With a deep-rooted history in Saudi Arabia since 1974, Albaik will continue supporting the Kingdom’s gaming and esports sector through this prestigious partnership, aligned with its broader mission to empower youth and foster local talent in line with Saudi Vision 2030.

This partnership is built on a shared commitment to the future – bringing diverse entertainment offerings to the largest esports and gaming event in history. With audiences attending from across the globe, EWC 2025 offers visitors an exciting mix of competitive matches, immersive experiences and cultural programming.

Albaik’s continued involvement in EWC 2025 reflects its long-standing commitment to social, sporting and economic development in the Kingdom. It also reinforces the company’s belief that meaningful community impact is a core part of doing business – a principle that shapes its contributions to national development and youth empowerment.

Returning to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 7 to August 24, 2025, the Esports World Cup will unite global gaming communities for a celebration of esports culture. With 25 tournaments across 24 games, 2000 elite players and 200 Clubs from over 100 countries, the EWC will feature the largest prize pool in esports history, over $70 million. Fans can expect exclusive experiences, from high-stakes competition to live music, anime cafes, retro arcades, cosplay and more, drawing millions of fans online and in person.

The post Esports World Cup Foundation Renews Partnership with Albaik appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

eSports

Esports World Cup Foundation and Lenovo™ Partner to Power the Next Generation of Esports Champions

Published

7 days ago

July 3, 2025

George Miller

esports-world-cup-foundation-and-lenovo-partner-to-power-the-next-generation-of-esports-champions

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Lenovo’s Legion premium gaming brand joins the world’s largest esports event to fuel elite performance and elevate the fan experience through world-class hardware

The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) and Lenovo, announced a partnership to make Lenovo’s Legion brand of gaming devices the Official PC & Gaming Hardware partner of the Esports World Cup 2025 (EWC). Lenovo Legion is the one of the world’s leading gaming ecosystem brands, and will be bring its relentless commitment to innovation and performance to the global stage, empowering EWC athletes to compete at their highest level.

From training rooms to tournament zones, EWC athletes will be equipped with Lenovo Legion Towers, Lenovo Legion laptops, and peripherals – built for elite esports play with advanced thermal systems, high-performance silicon, high refresh-rate displays and low latency keyboards and mice that meet the demands of top-level competition.

Key models such as the Legion Tower 7i and Legion Tower 5i will feature across the event’s player infrastructure, delivering the reliability and power needed to perform under the intense pressure of elite competition. Designed for esports, both towers offer expansive I/O for a complete gaming setup and Legion Coldfront: Liquid cooling thermal solutions. The Legion Tower 7i boasts advanced cooling and an NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 5080 Desktop GPU for the extreme performance that top-tier esports athletes rely on, while the Legion Tower 5i pairs intelligent cooling with the RTX 5070 Ti Desktop GPU to deliver focused, winning gameplay.

EWC will also feature Legion Pro 7i laptops to give attendees the full Lenovo Legion experience. Legion laptops untether elite-level gaming experiences from the desk, allowing gamers to win anywhere they find themselves in competition for the top spot with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPUs and Legion Coldfront: Vapor thermal systems, allowing the laptop to deliver up to 250W TDP that brings the most demanding games to life on the 16” PureSight OLED display.

“We’re building the Esports World Cup to set a new global standard — in both competition and the technology behind it,” said Mohammed Al Nimer, Chief Commercial Officer at Esports World Cup Foundation. “Lenovo’s Legion brand understands what elite players need: speed, efficiency, and reliability under pressure. These machines deliver the competitive edge required on the world’s biggest stage, and together we’re pushing the limits of performance — while delivering an experience that meets the expectations of athletes, fans, and the future of global esports.”

“Lenovo Legion equips gamers around the world with outstanding devices to help them achieve their goals and reach their impossible,” said Volker Düring, VP, PC Gaming Business, Lenovo. “The Esports World Cup is the ultimate forum for the world’s best gamers to showcase their mettle and emerge at the top of the world leaderboards, and when the best gamers compete on Lenovo Legion devices, anything is possible.”

As part of the partnership, Lenovo’s Legion branding will appear across EWC’s global broadcast, digital content, and onsite experiences, including fully equipped festival zones with PCs, gear, and laptops available for attendees to play on-site, helping drive deeper engagement with fans while highlighting the ecosystem that supports world-class gaming.

Fans can expect exclusive content, player-focused storytelling, and digital activations across Lenovo Legion’s social channels, offering an inside look at the road to victory – and the technology that powers it.

Returning to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 7 to August 24, 2025, the Esports World Cup will unite global gaming communities for a celebration of esports culture. With 25 tournaments across 24 games, 2,000 elite players, and 200 Clubs from over 100 countries, the EWC will feature the largest prize pool in esports history, over $70 million. Fans can expect exclusive experiences, from high-stakes competition to live music, anime cafes, retro arcades, cosplay, and more, drawing millions of fans online and in person.

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