eSports
Tundra enters VALORANT esports scene with YONK acquisition
Tundra signs its 4th roster with the acquisition of YONK, a star-studded team with players hailing from Guild Esports, Team Vitality, Ninjas in Pyjamas and Alliance
Tundra, the London-based esports organisation housing the world’s best Dota 2, Fortnite and FIFA talent, are excited to announce their entrance into VALORANT with the acquisition of YONK. The up-and-coming VALORANT team was created in December 2021 by Yacine “Yacine” Lahgmari and Malkom “bonkar” Rench from Guild Esports and quickly attracted other well-known players including Vilius ‘Krea6on’ Malinauskas from Alliance and Ouali ‘m4china’ Manset from Team Vitality.
Tundra has been steadily building its portfolio of teams focusing on the professionalism and experience of the talent they sign. The acquisition comes after YONK’s promising performance at the VCT EU Challengers, and will see Tundra enter into their fourth gaming title with VALORANT. YONK’s players are all pro player veterans having come from a diverse range of FPS titles including CS:GO and Paladins, with each having competed for the biggest esports teams in the world, in major tournaments.
“VALORANT’s competitive ecosystem is continuing to thrive, has strong publisher support and a growing community which makes it the ideal next title for us. YONK also presented a fantastic opportunity. The calibre and experience of their players is exactly what we’re looking for to help us maintain Tundra’s strong performance levels,” said Maxim Demin, co-owner of Tundra.
“We are honoured and grateful for this fantastic opportunity that Tundra is giving us. We have plenty to prove, and the only goal is to win Champions together. We believe that Tundra can provide all the resources needed in terms of performance and coaching, and we are looking forward to an incredible 2022 season,” said Yacine “Yacine” Laghmari.
“YONK’s players are veterans of the industry. The fact that they have experience competing in major championships is very exciting as they come with the knowledge and understanding of what it takes to compete at the highest level. They are still a new team and we’re looking forward to helping them on their VALORANT journey,” Anthony Graham, Co-Founder and Esports and Operations Director.
The official Tundra Valorant roster will include:
- Yacine “Yacine” Laghmari – Swedish CS:GO player from the age of 12 turned Valorant pro, having played under Guild Esports and Ninjas in Pyjamas
- Malkolm “bonkar” Rench – Two time World Champion in the Paladins World Championship, ex-Guild Esports player and Valorant pro that mains Sova, Astra and Breach
- Nichlas “Nille” Busk – Danish CS:GO pro with more than 10 years of FPS experience and 1.33 Valorant K/D ratio
- Ouali “M4CHINA” Manset – 27-year-old French pro player achieving 1st place in 2020 Rix.GG cup and ex-player for Team Vitality
- Vilius “krea6on” Malinauskas – Lithuanian FPS veteran with multiple top placements in 2021 Valorant tournaments and qualifiers including DreamHack Beyond Europe and Razer Invitational Europe
- Salah “Salah” Barakat (Coach) – Having previously coached for Fire Flux Esports, Salah will now be supporting the Tundra roster on its way to become one of the best Valorant teams globally
- Joe “Strong” Edwards (Analyst) – Two-time League of Legends LCS Champion and Valorant expert who will be supporting the team with insights and extensive gameplay knowledge
The announcement comes after Tundra’s recent signing of Fortnite player Harry “Veno” Pearson.
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DATA.BET, a leading sportsbook solution supplier, has signed a content deal with Entain NCE, to strengthen the esports betting offer of their brands (Optibet and Klondaika) across the Baltics and Nordics – with Estonia as a key rollout market.
Through the collaboration, Entain and its portfolio of brands will receive DATA.BET’s premium esports coverage. The package includes a comprehensive Odds Feed, Risk Management, Bet Builder and a suite of engagement Widgets – Pitch Tracker (interactive 2D map), Scoreboards (visual representation of player statistics), live Video Streaming, Statistical Widgets (team history and game stats) and a Multi Widget that unites all these tools within one screen. The partnership is designed to help Entain brands and their clients increase profitability in esports by combining precise pricing and risk controls with engagement tools that lift turnover and margin.
With the deal, Entain’s customers get access to DATA.BET’s 30+ disciplines and over 10,000 monthly events, delivered with a down-to-the-second bet delay across leading titles such as Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Valorant, League of Legends and others. A phased expansion of additional disciplines and features will follow to meet Entain’s demand.
“This partnership sets a high bar for product excellence. Our role is to power that ambition with an esports layer that’s rich in content and strong on risk, enabling consistent margins and a best-in-class customer experience. We’ve aligned on a clear roadmap to scale, with more Entain brands scheduled to join the rollout next,” said Otto Bonning, Head of Sales at DATA.BET.
“We are thrilled to partner with DATA.BET who are renown for being the leading Esports provider and who share the same passion and commitment for Esports as we do. DATA.BET’s deep understanding of the esports ecosystem and its growing influence among modern audiences makes the collaboration a perfect fit. Together, we aim to elevate esports and deliver the best experience and entertainment to the fans across Baltics and Nordics regions,” said Hendrik Ahuna, Director of Sportsbook at Entain NCE.
The post DATA.BET Now Powers Esports for Entain NCE Across Baltics & Nordics appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Thunderpick, the leading esports betting platform delivering fans cutting-edge tools and experiences, announced that FURIA has emerged victorious at the Thunderpick World Championship 2025 — one of the tournament’s most competitive editions yet, featuring four of the world’s top 10 ranked teams. FURIA takes home the $500,000 first-place prize, with KSCERATO earning his first Grand Final MVP.
FURIA’s steady performance and relentless focus were on full display throughout the tournament, culminating in a Finals victory over Natus Vincere. After NAVI went up two maps to zero, FURIA did what many thought was impossible and completed a dominant reverse sweep with a 13:1 on the decisive map.
Natus Vincere finished second place, earning $150,000. The MongolZ, who won the Thunderpick World Championship last year, finished third after defeating Aurora earlier in the day, receiving $70,000 and $50,000, respectively. Venom, 9z, Imperial and OG all placed fifth through eighth, taking home $20,000 each.
“It is a privilege to congratulate FURIA as the Thunderpick World Champions! This tournament was thrilling, featuring exceptional gameplay. The success of our World Championship is thanks to the incredible teams, streamers, partners, staff, and everyone behind the scenes who made it possible, as well as the passionate fans who make this event so special,” said Kelly Sanders, Head of Strategy at Thunderpick.
This year marks the third consecutive Thunderpick World Championship. Last year, The MongolZ stunned HEROIC to claim their third international title of the season, cementing their status on the global CS2 stage. In 2023, FaZe Clan took the crown after defeating Virtus.pro, with Robin “ropz” Kool earning the MVP title. The TWC 2025 Finals are presented in collaboration with Hotspawn, a leading hub for esports news and analysis.
The post FURIA Pulls Off the Reverse Sweep to Win Thunderpick World Championship 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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LEON Esports is excited to announce a new partnership with GamerLegion’s Counter-Strike 2 team — a leading German esports organization ranked among the top 15 teams in the world, renowned for its consistent top-tier performances.
This collaboration marks a new chapter for LEON Esports, as the brand continues to expand its presence in competitive gaming. Over the years, LEON has become an active force in esports — supporting professional teams and hosting its own tournaments across titles like CS2, Dota, Free Fire and Deadlock.
Together with GamerLegion, LEON Esports aims to bring even more action and engagement to fans — with exclusive offers, special markets, social media giveaways, and more challenges made for true esports and betting enthusiasts.
This partnership follows LEON’s successful collaborations with other major esports organizations such as SAW (Portugal), FlyQuest (Australia), and NFA (Brazil) — strengthening its position as one of the key players in the global esports scene.
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The post LEON Esports announces partnership with GamerLegion’s CS2 team appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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