eSports

AyoRichie emerges victorious at Red Bull Golden Letters after incredible upsets against Tekken’s biggest stars

Published

4 years ago

March 28, 2022

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Richie “AyoRichie” Olusanya has been crowned Red Bull Golden Letters champion, overcoming Joey Fury in the Grand Final after a weekend of tense Tekken 7 action at the Red Bull Gaming Sphere in London.

AyoRichie won out at the new Tekken 7 LAN event, which was broadcast live from the Red Bull Gaming Sphere in London, staking a claim as one of the UK’s rising stars in Tekken as a series of outstanding performances saw them rise to the top of 100 aspiring and professional players.

The Brit proved a force to be reckoned with throughout the weekend, pulling off an unbelievable series of upsets over some of Tekken’s biggest stars to set up a tense Grand Final against Loser’s Bracket winner Joey Fury.

The Grand Final started as a tense affair where Joey Fury’s experience could stand out, as the American pulled off a clean sweep to take the first game and, despite signs of a recovering AyoRichie, shortly after took home the second, scoring a ‘Perfect’ in the process. The third was a closer affair but a confident Joey Fury capitalised to pull off a clean sweep in the set and confirm a Grand Final Reset with everything to play for.

In the second set, AyoRichie immediately took the advantage and displayed the incredible form he’d shown throughout the tournament, scoring a clutch ‘Great’ score that saw him gain enough momentum to take game one. The second game went all the way as the pair traded blows, and while AyoRichie’s momentum scooped him game two to put him within reach of the Championship, Joey Fury proved clutch in game three to take it to a pulse-racing fourth game.

With another game ramping up the tension, AyoRichie pressed his advantage in a brilliant display, securing a clean sweep to win the set and the Red Bull Golden Letters trophy.

The Championship Sunday played host to a series of epic matchups, after the Saturday had whittled down the field of 96 players to the four best players and saw Tekken 7 stars including Anakin, Super Akouma, Joey Fury & Chickenmaru entering the fray.

Despite the star-studded field of competitors, AyoRichie was the story of the tournament, battling through from Open Qualifiers with some excellent performances to reach the top eight. He reached another level on Championship Sunday as the Rize Gaming player pulled off surprise upsets against Super Akouma, Joey Fury and home-favourite Anakin to set up a Grand Final against Loser’s Bracket winner Joey Fury.

Following his amazing performance in the Grand Final, newly-crowned Red Bull Golden Letters Champion Richie “AyoRichie” Olusanya said: “I can’t describe the feeling of coming away with the win, I’ve been working so hard at the game and it’s finally paid off so I’m just excited to see what’s going to happen next.

“The [Golden Letters] format brings so much hype to it, the scoring can work against you but it’s sick and so great to watch and play in. It was unbelievable playing here in front of a live audience – with people cheering you on there’s nothing like it at all and that atmosphere definitely inspired some of the performances today.”

Red Bull Golden Letters pioneers a unique format that offers a fresh and scintillating twist to the classic Tekken 7 formula. In best of five sets, players who can carry out dominant wins or clutch plays and earn ‘Perfect’ or ‘Great’ scores – Tekken’s iconic golden letters – will reap the rewards with automatic wins.

The format helped inspire some unforgettable matches and mouth-watering moments as some of the best Tekken 7 pros showed off their poise under pressure, with a total of 14 Golden Letters victories throughout the competition..

Red Bull Golden Letters host Hassan “Spag” Farooq, commented after the Grand Final: “It’s great to see a UK player put in this kind of amazing performance on home turf at Red Bull Golden Letters. When he started out during the pandemic everyone in the UK could see he had potential for greatness but he’s proved it now with a huge breakout performance.

“Nothing like the Golden Letters format had been done before and it’s been a huge success, genuinely adding to the viewing experience and building up the hype even more for fans with some unforgettable moments, and we’re already hearing people want another one.”

As the Official Hardware Partner The ‘Legion by Lenovo: Beat the Pro’ challenge saw players compete against the best of the best for a chance to win exclusive Legion by Lenovo prizes, with five challengers taking a win against Tekken stars Anakin, Super Akouma, Joey Fury and Chickenmaru to take home exclusive Lenovo headsets. Tekken fans were also treated to additional mouth-watering clashes ahead of the Grand Final as continents collided in UK vs EU and UK vs The World special exhibition matches.

Tekken icon Hassan “Spag” Farooq was front and centre of yet another blockbuster Tekken event as the live broadcast host, supported by an all-star casting team of Rasheed “Bubsy” Jenkins, Hussain “Gosain” Shah and Kobi “K-Wiss” Scarlett. As one of the first major Tekken 7 LAN events of the year, the broadcast garnered over 18,000 concurrent viewers across all channels.

Red Bull Golden Letters was delivered in partnership with Lenovo Legion, official hardware partner of The Red Bull Gaming Sphere.

Berlin Gaming Industry

Tom Achsel Joins FACTORY-C to Spearhead “Home of Indies” Communications

Published

20 minutes ago

January 7, 2026

Wladimir P.

tom-achsel-joins-factory-c-to-spearhead-“home-of-indies”-communications

FACTORY-C, the Berlin-based communications powerhouse specializing in gaming and esports, has announced the appointment of Tom Achsel as Event Communications Manager. Achsel will join the “Home of Indies” team alongside project initiator Christiane Gehrke, focusing on the platform’s global expansion and upcoming presence at Gamescom 2026.

With over a decade of experience in the tech and gaming sectors, Achsel brings a massive professional network and deep operational expertise to the agency.

A Veteran of the Berlin Gaming Scene

Tom Achsel is a well-known figure in the German development community. His career highlights include:

Games Academy: Served as Head of Marketing & Events at one of Europe’s oldest game development institutions.
Games Ground Berlin: Co-founded and led communications for the Berlin Gaming Festival, curating impactful B2B programs and speaker lineups.
IGDA Berlin: Serves as Vice-Chairman, strengthening ties between local developers and the global gaming ecosystem.

Christiane Gehrke, Senior Event Communication & Sales Manager at Factory-C

“Tom knows the indie scene from multiple perspectives and has a sharp understanding of the needs of indie developers,” said Christiane Gehrke, Senior Event Communication & Sales Manager at FACTORY-C. “He brings everything needed to support the continued development of Home of Indies.”

Scaling the “Home of Indies” Platform

Since its debut in 2022, Home of Indies has grown into a central pillar of the Gamescom Indie Area. The platform provides a shared booth for independent developers, lowering the barrier to entry for international studios.

2025 Growth: The booth expanded to 440 square meters, featuring over 50 games from a dozen countries.
New Features: The project recently added a dedicated Spotlight Stage, streaming booths, and professional networking areas via MeetToMatch.

As Event Communications Manager, Achsel will lead the outreach strategy for Gamescom 2026, ensuring that the creative diversity of the global indie scene receives maximum visibility among press, influencers, and players.

The post Tom Achsel Joins FACTORY-C to Spearhead “Home of Indies” Communications appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

BlueBottle

BlueBottle Launches “League Broadcast” SaaS for Streamlined Esports Production

Published

1 hour ago

January 7, 2026

Wladimir P.

bluebottle-launches-“league-broadcast”-saas-for-streamlined-esports-production

BlueBottle, the Munich-based esports technology innovator, has officially launched League Broadcast, its professional-grade production software, via a new Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) subscription model.

Announced on January 7, 2026, this B2C release moves the platform from selective partner deployments and its long-standing beta phase into a publicly accessible tool for leagues, tournament organizers, and individual content creators worldwide.

Professional Broadcast Tools for All Tiers

League Broadcast is designed to automate and elevate the visual storytelling of competitive gaming, specifically targeting the League of Legends ecosystem. The software bypasses traditional API limitations by using low-level game data collection to provide real-time, high-fidelity visualizations.

At launch, BlueBottle has introduced a tiered pricing structure to suit different operational scales:

Tier	Status	Key Features	Target Audience
Free	Available	Core overlays, essential team/player data, basic game stats.	Grassroots creators & amateur streamers.
Basic	Available	Commercial usage rights, customizable pre-game elements, professional draft tools.	Semi-pro leagues & small event organizers.
Pro	Coming Soon	Advanced analytics, event-driven automation, premium production tools.	Professional leagues & high-scale live operations.

Supported by Creative Europe Media

The transition to a scalable SaaS model was significantly bolstered by funding from Creative Europe Media, the European Union’s flagship program for the audiovisual and creative sectors. This backing allowed BlueBottle to invest in:

Enhanced Stability: Hardening the software for 24/7 live environments.
Improved Infrastructure: Faster development cycles and dedicated customer support.
Accessibility: Lowering the barrier for European creators to produce “broadcast-quality” content that competes with high-budget international productions.

“This launch represents more than a new pricing model — it’s the moment League Broadcast becomes accessible to the wider esports community,” said Lars Eble, CTO at BlueBottle. “We were able to invest in long-term product quality… ensuring that our B2C customers receive the same level of reliability previously reserved for large partners.”

Strengthening the European Esports Ecosystem

By providing affordable, automated tools for real-time data visualization—such as dynamic gold graphs, inhibitor timers, and 3D in-world branding—BlueBottle is positioning itself as a core infrastructure provider for the digital media age. The platform allows smaller organizations to monetize their formats more effectively through professional-looking sponsor placements and deeper viewer engagement.

The post BlueBottle Launches “League Broadcast” SaaS for Streamlined Esports Production appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Akshat Rathee

Indian Esports 2026: Strategic Growth and the Asian Games Milestone

Published

1 day ago

January 6, 2026

Wladimir P.

indian-esports-2026:-strategic-growth-and-the-asian-games-milestone

The Indian esports landscape is transitioning from a period of rapid “spectacle” growth to a phase defined by lasting institutional structure. Following the implementation of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act (PROGA), 2026 is set to be the year where regulatory clarity, international competition, and domestic grassroots development converge.

The Impact of PROGA: Policy into Practice

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act (PROGA), signed into law in August 2025, has officially moved from policy to practice. Its primary contribution to 2026 is the explicit separation of esports from money-based gaming.

Legitimacy: By categorizing esports as a legitimate competitive pursuit, PROGA has unlocked state-level adoption and cleared the way for schools and colleges to integrate gaming into their sports frameworks.
Commercial Confidence: With a clear regulatory environment, brands in sectors like FMCG, automotive, and BFSI are now viewing esports as a stable, long-term youth engagement platform rather than a risky experiment.
Athlete Pathways: PROGA facilitates the creation of standardized national registries for athletes, ensuring that competitive integrity is maintained across grassroots and professional tiers.

The Asian Games 2026: A Global Stage

The Asian Games 2026 in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, serves as the most critical milestone for the ecosystem this year.

Medal Status: Esports will feature as a full medal event with 11 confirmed titles, including League of Legends, PUBG Mobile (Asian Games Version), and Pokémon UNITE.
Indian Prospects: India’s best historical result (quarter-finals in League of Legends at Hangzhou) has set a high bar. For 2026, the focus has shifted toward high-performance training camps and long-term athlete mentorship to secure a podium finish.
Multi-Sport Integration: Participation alongside traditional athletes reinforces the narrative that esports is a viable professional career, further encouraging government investment through schemes like Khelo India.

Market Evolution and Key Trends

The Indian gaming market is projected to reach approximately $5.02 billion in 2026, driven by a massive player base exceeding 500 million gamers.

Trend	Impact in 2026
Mobile Dominance	Over 95% of the market remains mobile-first, fueled by 5G expansion and affordable hardware.
Beyond BGMI	2026 is seeing a push to diversify the market into fighting games, sports simulations, and PC titles to avoid “one-title dependency.”
Monetization Shift	Revenue is shifting from pure advertising toward battle passes, subscription models, and in-game progression.
Tier II & III Growth	Most new user acquisition is coming from smaller cities, demanding more vernacular and localized content.