eSports
Tickets are available now for Red Bull Home Ground 2022: Talent and the first round of teams announced for the pro VALORANT invitational!
- Red Bull Home Ground will see eight of the best VALORANT teams go head to head in December for the finals, broadcast from Victoria Warehouse, Manchester.
- The first round of teams for the pro invitational has been announced including Team Liquid, Team Vitality, FOKUS Clan, the Turkish Qualifier winners FUT Esports & EMEA Qualifier winner Team BIG – with the full lineup set to be released via Red Bull Gaming socials.
- Yinsu Collins returns to host the third iteration of Red Bull Home Ground, alongside Mitch “Mitchman” McBride, Tom “Tombizz” Bissmire, Ryan “RyanCentral” Horton, Beatriz “kaquka” Alonso and Adam “Dinko” Hawthorne.
- Special appearances from G2 Gozen and “Legends Never Die” singer Chrissy Costanza.
- AGON by AOC is the official Monitor Partner for the event, bringing exceptional visual clarity and ultra-high refresh rates to competitors. AMD joins Red Bull Home Ground as Technology Provider, ensuring the high-performance computing that will push the boundaries of the tournament. Supporting Red Bull Home Ground as a peripheral sponsor, HyperX ensures that players will be able to reach their full potential on the stage.
Tickets are now available for the one-of-a-kind pro-VALORANT competition, Red Bull Home Ground. As an official part of the VALORANT Champions Offseason Tournaments and returning to the vibrant city of Manchester for its third iteration, eight of the world’s elite teams will battle it out to be crowned champions in a unique ‘Home and Away’ format from December 9th-11th.
- 9th December: Best-of-three group stages begin; two teams will immediately pass to the semi finals, four will pass to the quarter-finals, and two will be eliminated.
- 10th December: Kicking off at 16:00 CET, the quarter-finals will switch to a best-of-five format, eliminating two more teams.
- 11th December: Fans can catch the four teams battling it out in the semi finals from 13:00 CET, with the losing teams from each match-up facing an immediate knockout. Leaving two teams to battle it out in the finals for the Red Bull Home Ground 2022 trophy.
For the first time, Red Bull Home Ground has opened its doors to teams outside of Europe who are set to make waves going up against the EMEA’s best teams, taking their best shot at the $100,000 prize pool. These invitations promise fierce competition as Red Bull Home Ground will witness rivalries reignite for the first time outside the VALORANT Champions Tournament. Before, we’ve seen EMEA battle it out on the Red Bull Home Ground Stage, but now it’s time for the Americas teams to prove their skills.
Fans will get the chance to see eight world-class international VALORANT teams, including last year’s Red Bull Home Ground champions Team Liquid go head-to-head as the first round of teams has been announced, with more set to be revealed soon:
- Team Liquid
- Team Vitality
- FOKUS Clan
- TO BE ANNOUNCED
- TO BE ANNOUNCED
- TO BE ANNOUNCED
- FUT Esports – TR Qualifier
- Team BIG – EMEA Qualifier
FUT Esports grabbed their spot during the closed Turkish Qualifiers in August. This year’s EMEA Open Qualifier took place on Sunday and saw German organisation Team BIG emerge victorious. In an incredibly close final, BIG went head to head with KOI, securing the win over the Spanish squad.
Providing insight into the team’s dynamics and expert opinions throughout the tournament, Yinsu Collins is set to return as the host of the invitational alongside commentators; Mitch “Mitchman” McBride, Tom “Tombizz” Bissmire, Ryan “RyanCentral” Horton, Beatriz “kaquka” Alonso and Adam “Dinko” Hawthorne.
An official part of the VALORANT Champions Offseason Tournaments, Red Bull Home Ground will also feature special guest appearances from from G2’s female VALORANT roster G2 Gozen and Against The Current front-woman and recent desk host of the VALORANT Champions Tour, Chrissy Costanza. Taking a break from inventing, VALORANT Agent “Killjoy” will also make her way to Red Bull Home Ground; stay updated on her journey via her TikTok closer to the event. Fans can also anticipate some exciting cosmetic content drops throughout the tournament’s gameplay.
Red Bull Home Ground pioneers a pulse-racing Home and Away structure that puts an exciting curveball on the traditional VALORANT format. The two competing teams will select a “home ground” to play on for the open two maps. This structure rewards tactical awareness, map knowledge and wider map usage; if a team wins both opening “home” and “away” matches, they automatically win the tie, while a stalemate will default the tie to the traditional best of format.
Embracing the pulsing atmosphere of Manchester, the Red Bull Home Ground cyberpunk aesthetic sets a futuristic mood for this year’s event. The combination of eight world-class teams, global rivalries, and famous hosts offers the live audience a once-in-a-lifetime experience at Victoria Warehouse. The event will be brought to life for digital audiences across the globe, made available in several languages on Twitch and YouTube.
VALORANT analyst, commentator and content creator Beatriz “Kaquka” Alonso said: “Red Bull Home Ground brings together some of the world’s top teams, giving us the opportunity to see completely new match-ups and teams partnerships ahead of next year. The unique format means we’ll see teams perform and strategise in totally new ways, bringing unpredictability to one of the most anticipated tournaments for some time. I look forward to catching up with the UK VALORANT community and fans in the vibrant city of Manchester- see you there!”
Going into its third edition, Red Bull Home Ground is the premier Red Bull event for VALORANT and, alongside Red Bull Campus Clutch – an open global VALORANT tournament for students – encapsulates the brand´s continued commitment to support the VALORANT community and uplift its competitive ecosystem, from a grassroots level with an array of local initiatives to the very highest echelons of esports. National Qualifiers are taking place across the world right now, head over to redbull .com/campusclutch for more information
To level up last year’s tournament and create a truly unforgettable experience for teams and fans alike, Red Bull Home Ground has teamed up with gaming and esports industry leaders. AGON by AOC, a global leader in gaming monitors, is the Official Monitor Partner for the event, bringing exceptional visual clarity and ultra-high refresh rates to competitors. AMD joins as Technology Provider, ensuring the high-performance computing that will push the boundaries of the tournament. Also supporting Red Bull Home Ground as a peripheral sponsor, HyperX ensures that players will be able to reach their full potential on the stage.
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creator-economy
Red Bull runs one-day Balatro speedrun event, Boss Rush, on April 17
Eight creators compete across five timed stages with eliminations, broadcast on Red Bull’s Twitch and YouTube channels.
Red Bull will stage a one-day Balatro speedrun competition, Red Bull Boss Rush, on April 17, 2026. The event brings together eight creators for timed runs in the roguelike deckbuilder, with viewers able to follow via individual creator POV streams and a central hub broadcast.
The competitor lineup includes Red Bull Player Ludwig, plus The Spiffing Brit, FrostPrime, Feinberg, Adef, Yahiamice, mbtyugioh and dreads. Red Bull said live commentary will be provided by esports host Yinsu ‘Yinsu’ Collins, card-game specialist Blake ‘Rarran’ Eram, and DrSpectered.
Boss Rush is structured as five 30-minute stages, with players ranked by completion time. Red Bull said the opening three stages use a shared random seed with unlimited resets, and points are awarded by placement each stage; the bottom four are eliminated after stage 3. Stage 4 determines the finalists, followed by a final winner-takes-all matchup.
The event also includes a downloadable Red Bull Boss Rush mod featuring a custom-branded deck and new Red Bull-themed Jokers, Bosses and Skip Tags. Red Bull highlighted additions including ‘Witch’, ‘Princess and Frog’, ‘Zebra’, Old Dog, ‘Pirate’, ‘Genie’, ‘Prince Charming’, and ‘Jester’, each designed to alter scoring or run economics.
Red Bull Boss Rush will stream on twitch.tv/redbull and Red Bull’s YouTube Gaming channel. Scan is supplying gaming PCs for the competition, according to the company.
Relevant data as follows:
- Red Bull Gaming on Twitch; https://www.twitch.tv/redbull Primary broadcast destination for the event.
- Red Bull Gaming on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/redbullgaming Secondary broadcast destination cited in the release.
- Red Bull Gaming: https://www.redbull.com/ Official Red Bull site for event context and confirmation.
- Balatro on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2379780/Balatro/ Authoritative reference for the game featured in the competition.
- Scan Computers: https://www.scan.co.uk/ PC supplier mentioned as providing systems for the event.
The post Red Bull runs one-day Balatro speedrun event, Boss Rush, on April 17 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Asia
S8UL signs Team Question Mark roster for PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS ahead of EWC 2026
The CIS-based EMEA lineup brings past EWC experience and titles including PUBG Global Series 8 as S8UL targets Riyadh qualification.
S8UL has signed the Team Question Mark (QM) roster to represent the organisation in PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS on PC ahead of the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026. The deal was announced April 16 from Mumbai as S8UL prepares for the tournament in Riyadh, scheduled for July 21 to 26.
The CIS-based EMEA lineup includes:
- captain Roman Zinovev (ADOUZ1E),
- Andrey Ionov (Bestoloch),
- Mansur Tsimpaev (f1lfirst),
- Nikita Odobesku (Molodoct),
- and coach Yermek Torebekov (Ermaak).
S8UL said the roster will compete through the qualification pathway for a place in the 24-team event, which has a $2 million prize pool.
S8UL is adding a roster with a proven record in top-tier PUBG competition, including wins at PUBG Continental Series 7 Europe 2022 and PUBG Global Series 8 in 2025. The team has also posted a Top 3 finish at PUBG Global Series 2 in 2023 and a Top 7 finish at PUBG Global Championship 2022. The organisation said the roster has competed at both previous editions of the EWC in 2024 and 2025 and has amassed approximately $713,000 in total prize winnings.
Commenting on the move, Naman Mathur, Co-founder, S8UL said, “Signing the QM roster is a significant step for us as we continue to strengthen our presence in global esports. PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS is one of the most competitive titles in the world, and this team has consistently proven itself against the very best. At a broader level, this move reflects the direction S8UL is heading in. Over the past year, we have focused on building depth across our rosters and competing consistently at the highest level. As we prepare for the Esports World Cup 2026, we are committed to providing the team with the right support and resources as they aim to make a strong impact in the qualifiers as well as on the global stage.”
Roman Zinovev aka ADOUZ1E added, “Becoming part of S8UL is a big opportunity for us as a team. As a team, we’ve always believed in our ability to compete with the best in the world, and having the backing of a global organisation allows us to push even further. With the Esports World Cup coming up, we’re focused on working through the qualifiers and making sure we deliver performances that match our potential.,”
S8UL said the announcement follows its selection as a Club Partner by the Esports Foundation (EF), placing it among 40 global organisations. The organisation has also listed 13 titles it plans to enter for EWC 2026, including PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, Apex Legends, Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), Call of Duty: Warzone, Chess, EA Sports FC, FATAL Fury, Fortnite, Honor of Kings, MOBA Legends 5V5, Street Fighter 6, TEKKEN 8, and Trackmania.
Relevant data as follows:
- S8UL Esports: https://s8ul.gg/ Official organisation site for roster and announcement verification.
- PUBG Esports (PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS competitive updates): https://pubgesports.com/ Authoritative source for PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS esports circuits, event results, and qualifiers.
- Esports World Cup (official site): https://esportsworldcup.com/ Event organiser site for EWC 2026 schedule, formats, and prize pool confirmation.
The post S8UL signs Team Question Mark roster for PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS ahead of EWC 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
eSports
MEGA hires Leapfox founder Patrick Collins as VP of Growth
The ex-Wasserman and former Excel Esports partnerships lead joins the London-based group behind the Esports Awards and MOBIES.
The Mobile, Esports and Gaming Alliance (MEGA) has appointed Patrick Collins as Vice President of Growth, the company said on April 15, 2026. Collins will lead growth strategy, including commercial partnerships and new business development, from London.
Collins joins from boutique agency Leapfox, which he founded in early 2022. Prior to that, he led commercial partnerships at UK esports organisation Excel Esports, securing deals with brands including BT, Sony, JD Sports, Neosurf and Chupa Chups, alongside partners such as HyperX, Anda Seat, Belong Gaming Arenas and Chillblast PCs.
Earlier in his career, Collins worked at sports marketing agency Wasserman, where MEGA said he helped secure EE’s six-year partnership with Wembley Stadium and advised brands including American Express, Vodafone and PepsiCo. The company also cited experience working with Premier League football clubs and brands including Barclays, Santander, Under Armour and Puma.
“I’m pleased to officially join MEGA at such an important time for esports and gaming,” said Patrick Collins, VP of Growth at MEGA. “Having worked across traditional sport, esports, and commercial partnerships, and founding Leapfox to bridge these worlds and guide my clients, I’m looking forward to applying my experience to support MEGA and our properties as we continue to grow.”
“We’re delighted to welcome Patrick to MEGA as our new Vice President of Growth,” said Michael Ashford, Co-Founder of MEGA. “His extensive experience, including founding Leapfox, uniquely positions him to shape the future of our company. With Patrick on board, MEGA is determined to accelerate our growth, embark on transformative partnerships, and deliver world-class experiences that will define the next era of esports entertainment.”
Relevant data as follows:
- MEGA (Mobile, Esports and Gaming Alliance): https://themega.global/ Official company site to support the appointment and provide background on MEGA.
- Esports Awards: https://esportsawards.com/ Official site for one of the properties referenced in connection with MEGA.
- MOBIES: https://mobies.com/ Official site for the Mobile Gaming Awards referenced alongside MEGA.
The post MEGA hires Leapfox founder Patrick Collins as VP of Growth appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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