eSports

Casa Noturna crowned the UK’s best VALORANT student team at Red Bull Campus Clutch to qualify for Brazil World Finals

Published

4 years ago

November 21, 2022

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Casa Noturna has been crowned the UK’s best student VALORANT team at the Red Bull Campus Clutch UK Grand Final, at the Red Bull Gaming Sphere.

The UK Champions defeated Last Dance in a tense 2:0 Grand Final, and in turn, qualified for the Red Bull Campus Clutch World Finals in Brazil this December. Casa Noturna will now battle for €20,000 in prize money as well as an exclusive VIP experience at a 2023 VALORANT Champions Tour event.

In the South Final, Last Dance took a commanding 2-0 win against Just Essentials to book their place in the Finals, with dominating victories across Haven and Bind to seal it in just two maps. The North Final between Casa Noturna and Birmingham Bulls was incredibly tense as the two evenly matched teams fought for momentum. Casa Noturna eventually booked their place in the Grand Final with a 2-1 victory, with the team pulling off a stunning comeback on the third map from 8-1 down to win 10-13.

The Grand Final kicked off on Ascent, where Casa Noturna won the early advantage with a 13-5 win, setting up a tense second map on Pearl. Last Dance fought back to take an early lead at 6-1 and looking to take the match all the way, but Casa Noturna dug in with an epic comeback to win the match 13-8.

Reflecting on their road to victory, Casa Noturna’s Ben ‘Benzki’ Price said: “We had a really tough run today, Birmingham Bulls were hard opponents and Last Dance were difficult too, but we kept composed and used our experience. I think we’ve got a really good team here, all the guys played their part really well, even if they were in roles they wouldn’t normally play on. They kept their cool under pressure and I think that was the main reason we were able to win this afternoon.”

The Finals were streamed live on The Goose House, hosted by Matt ‘Twiggy’ Twigg and Vicki ‘Gottmoxi’ Johnson, and following the event, Gottmoxi said: “I think they have a really good chance of winning the whole tournament in December – they showed today that they can adapt really well on each map, they have a brilliant agent pool and they were able to pull out all the stops and turn things in their favour whenever they needed to which is a brilliant attribute to have as a team which will be incredibly valuable in the World Finals.”

Red Bull Campus Clutch kicked off this August, with National Qualifiers taking place across the globe and National Finals determining the best student team from each participating country. So far, this year’s tournament has had over 4,500 teams taking part, with 25,000 participants and over 300 national events.

Soon only 50 teams will remain, all travelling directly to Sao Paulo, Brazil for this epic in-person LAN final. In the UK, over 400 players in 81 teams had battled across regional qualifying rounds to reach the UK Final, with four qualifying winners earning a place at the Red Bull Gaming Sphere in London for the LAN Finals.

The Red Bull Campus Clutch World Final will take place between 13th-16th December 2022, with the final stages being streamed live on Red Bull Twitch. Taking place at Estádio do Pacaembu, famously used for several games of the 1950 World Cup, 50 teams will kick off the tournament, in the initial group stage matches taking place from 13th-14th. From there, the teams remaining will battle it out in an elimination format, with the Grand Final taking place on the 16th of December.

National Express is the official UK public transport partner for Red Bull Campus Clutch. As the UK’s number one coach company National Express is helping qualifying competitors travel to the UK final by offering free travel on its UK network.

Several global partners are supporting Red Bull Campus Clutch this year, helping bring the latest and greatest hardware to competitors. Intel NUC, SteelSeries and AGON by AOC all return to the tournament. As PC Partner, Intel NUC, renowned for packing high-powered gaming rigs in small form factors, will support with their top-notch Gaming PCs. SteelSeries, the worldwide leader in gaming and esports peripherals, is the official Peripheral brand of Red Bull Campus Clutch and will equip students with award-winning gaming headsets, keyboards, and mice. And the official Monitor Partner, AGON by AOC will once again provide high-performance gaming monitors for the event.

Astana

Astana to host IESF World Esports Championship 2027

Published

3 hours ago

July 2, 2026

Wladimir P.

astana-to-host-iesf-world-esports-championship-2027

IESF signs host agreement with Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Qazaq Cybersport Federation in Astana.

Astana has been confirmed as the host city for the IESF World Esports Championship 2027 (WEC27), following a host agreement signing ceremony involving the International Esports Federation (IESF), the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Qazaq Cybersport Federation.

IESF said the event is expected to draw participation across more than 150 IESF Member Federations through the qualifiers, with national teams competing via IESF-recognized national member structures.

“WEC27 will be more than a championship. It will be a global celebration of nations, athletes, and the future of esports,” said Vlad Marinescu, President of IESF. “For every player, there is no greater honor than competing under their national flag and officially representing their nation on the world stage. That is what makes the World Esports Championship so powerful and so unique. In 2027, Astana will welcome the world and proudly stand as the Esports Capital in the World of Esports, uniting our Member Federations, athletes, fans, and communities. Kazakhstan has shown remarkable vision, ambition, and commitment, and we are confident that WEC27 will deliver an unforgettable championship and a lasting legacy for the global esports family.”

Yerbol Myrzabosynov, Minister of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan, said: “We are honored that the International Esports Federation has entrusted Kazakhstan with hosting the World Esports Championship 2027. This reflects the confidence in our country’s ability to deliver an event of the highest international standard. Hosting WEC27 reinforces our commitment to advancing esports and creating new opportunities for young people through sport, technology, education, and international cooperation. We look forward to welcoming the World of Esports to Astana and showcasing Kazakhstan as a destination capable of delivering world-class international events.”

Kuanyshbek Yessekeyev, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Qazaq Cybersport Federation, added: “We sincerely thank the International Esports Federation for the trust and confidence placed in Kazakhstan to host the World Esports Championship 2027. This is a historic milestone for our esports community and a testament to the progress we have achieved together with our partners. Alongside IESF, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, and our national stakeholders, we are committed to delivering an outstanding championship for athletes, fans, and the World of Esports. WEC27 will inspire future generations, accelerate the growth of esports in Kazakhstan, and strengthen our country’s position as a leading esports and digital innovation hub.”

IESF said more details, including schedule, qualification pathway, venues, official titles, ticketing, and the event program, will be announced in the coming months via its official channels.

The post Astana to host IESF World Esports Championship 2027 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

BLAST

BLAST opens New York HQ as 2025 revenue tops $133m on 40%+ growth

Published

23 hours ago

July 1, 2026

Wladimir P.

blast-opens-new-york-hq-as-2025-revenue-tops-$133m-on-40%+-growth

Esports and live events operator says it stayed profitable in 2025 and plans 15 arena events across 13 cities in 2026.

BLAST has opened a New York City headquarters in Brooklyn as the company reported record growth and profitability in 2025, including more than $133 million in revenue and over 40% year-over-year growth.

The new U.S. headquarters is located at 45 Main Street in Brooklyn within a shared 55,000-square-foot office space. BLAST said the hub will support partnerships, live events and commercial growth across North America as it expands its U.S. operations.

The North American push is being led by Chief Business Officer Leo Matlock, who has relocated to New York, alongside Steve Rossi, who joined earlier this year as SVP of Brand Partnerships. BLAST said its U.S. team has grown to eight full-time employees.

BLAST said it has staged seven tier-one esports events in North America over the past 16 months, across Austin, Fort Worth, Boston, Raleigh, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. The company cited “more than $102 million” in economic impact from the 2025 BLAST.tv Austin Major alone, including more than $9 million in hotel expenditures. It also recently announced the Rocket League World Championship will return to Fort Worth in September 2026.

In 2025, BLAST said its broadcasts delivered more than 2 billion live views globally and 300 million hours watched, spanning live events in 22 cities worldwide. The company also said it distributes content via 29 broadcast partners, including SuperSport, France TV and RTBF, reaching audiences in more than 150 territories and 30+ languages.

“Competitive entertainment has become one of the fastest-growing sectors in global media because it combines community, technology and live experiences in entirely new ways,” said Robbie Douek, CEO of BLAST. “The next generation of fans want entertainment that feels participatory, social and global by default. That shift is creating enormous opportunities for brands, publishers, creators and host cities, and we believe BLAST is uniquely positioned to help lead that evolution after a landmark year in 2025.” BLAST said it plans to host 15 arena events across 13 cities and three continents in 2026.

The post BLAST opens New York HQ as 2025 revenue tops $133m on 40%+ growth appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

BLAST

BLAST reports 40% revenue growth in 2025, opens New York headquarters

Published

23 hours ago

July 1, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

blast-reports-40%-revenue-growth-in-2025,-opens-new-york-headquarters

BLAST, the Denmark-founded competitive entertainment and esports events company, reported record growth and continued profitability in 2025 and said it has opened a New York headquarters as it expands across North America.

The company said it delivered more than 40% year-over-year growth and generated more than $133 million in revenue in 2025, while remaining profitable and continuing to invest in global expansion. BLAST said its U.S. headquarters at 45 Main Street in Brooklyn sits within a shared 55,000-square-foot office space and will serve as its central base for partnerships, live events and commercial growth across North America.

The expansion is being led by Chief Business Officer Leo Matlock, who has relocated to New York, and Steve Rossi, who joined earlier this year as SVP of Brand Partnerships. BLAST said its U.S. team has grown to eight full-time employees.

BLAST pointed to recent North American activity, saying it has hosted seven tier-one esports events across Austin, Fort Worth, Boston, Raleigh, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City over the past 16 months. The company said these events have generated economic impact for host destinations, including more than $102 million from the 2025 BLAST.tv Austin Major alone, including more than $9 million in hotel expenditures. BLAST also said the Rocket League World Championship will return to Fort Worth in September 2026.

On content reach, BLAST said its 2025 broadcasts delivered more than 2 billion live views globally and 300 million hours watched across live events in 22 cities, distributed through 29 broadcast partners across online platforms and linear broadcasters. “We’re seeing tremendous momentum globally and all across North America, not just in esports fandom, but in how brands, game publishers, cities and entertainment companies are thinking about gaming culture, engaging competitions and digital-first audiences,” said Leo Matlock, Chief Business Officer at BLAST. The company said it plans to host 15 arena events across 13 cities and three continents in 2026.

The post BLAST reports 40% revenue growth in 2025, opens New York headquarters appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.