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KONAMI ANNOUNCES NEW ITALIAN ESPORTS TOURNAMENT COMING TO eFootball™

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Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. announced the launch of a brand new esports tournament – the ‘Coppa eFootball Italia’. This is a new tournament based in Italy which will see the integration of eFootball™ partner clubs, their youth players, professional esports players, and – most importantly – their fans.

What is the ‘Coppa eFootball Italia’?

The ‘Coppa eFootball Italia’ represents a new esports venture for KONAMI and the football simulation gaming arena. The tournament will see the integration of three different players forming a team to represent each of the competing clubs. These are: A selected Youth team player; A professional esports player currently part of their existing squad; A club fan who wins an online qualification tournament.

This unique team composition of elite and grassroots esports players alongside the youth selection sees a melding of club representatives unlike anything seen on the current football simulation esports landscape.

 

Seven eFootball™ partner clubs to be involved

KONAMI is delighted to announce that all seven of its eFootball™ partner clubs based in Italy will be taking part in the ‘Coppa eFootball Italia’. These will include AC Milan, AC Monza, AS Roma, Atalanta BC, FC Internazionale Milano, SS Lazio, and SSC Napoli.

 

How the competition will work

Prior to the seven clubs taking each other on for the ‘Coppa eFootball Italia’ title, there be the selection processes for their three representatives.

Firstly, each club will hold an internal esports tournament between their Youth team players to determine a representative. This will come alongside a seminar from the KONAMI eFootball Activations team providing an insight into the ever-evolving world of esports and video gaming.

Secondly, there will also be an internal tournament at each club between their respective esports players to determine who will represent them as part of the tripartite.

Thirdly, eFootball™ will run an online in-game tournament for all gamers within Italy called the ‘KONAMICI’ this will be an Italian-only event within eFootball™ 2023. Players can register to compete online with the tournament lasting two weeks in total.

Players do not have to have played eFootball™ prior to this and can participate with no experience of the game. Each club fan can register online and select the club which they hope to represent.

From here, they will play a minimum of 30 online matches against fellow club fans, collecting points as they progress before the online ranking determines the top representatives.

The KONAMICI will take place only on Playstation®4 and Playstation®5 devices and will be free-to-play.

 

Tournament Schedule

The ‘Coppa eFootball Italia’ is a new form of esports competition with many different elements coming together to bring it to life. The qualification and selection for club representative squads and then the consequential tournament will occur in stages between December 2022 and April 2023.

The KONAMICI qualification phase will commence in February, allowing all seven participating clubs to gain their fan representative with final knockouts concluding by the end of March 2023.

Once each of the clubs has confirmed its three-person team, there will be an offline Group Stage phase where the clubs will play each other to determine their positions in their respective groups. This will be broadcast from the ‘Coppa eFootball Italia’ studio. This stage will affect the draw for the knock-out phase at the Grand Finals weekend later in April.

Finally, with group positions secured, clubs will be drawn against each other for the Quarter Finals. From here, it will be a straight knock-out tournament with two Semi Finals, a Third-place play-off (between the two clubs who lose their respective Semi Finals), and a Grand Final.

The Grand Finals weekend will be an offline, live event hosted at Napoli ComicCon on the weekend of the 22nd-23rd April.

The victorious club will take home a Grand Prize including a specialised eFootball™ multi-media and gaming centre to be installed at their youth training complex.

Throughout the tournament, there will also be a set of episodes of what is to be known as ‘eFootball™TV’ available on the official eFootball™ Youtube channel, recorded in the aforementioned ‘Coppa eFootball Italia’ studio.

These will include analysis and highlights from the ‘Coppa eFootball Italia’, interviews with the players, appearances from partner club players and legends, and an exclusive behind-the-scenes perspective giving fans an all-access view into how eFootball™ works and how the ‘Coppa eFootball Italia’ was brought to life.

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BETBY EXPANDS E-SIM PORTFOLIO WITH TWO INDUSTRY-FIRST TITLES: eTABLE TENNIS and eFOOTVOLLEY

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BETBY, the leading sportsbook supplier, has expanded its proprietary esports feed, Betby.Games, with the launch of two brand-new e-sim titles: eTable Tennis and eFootVolley. Both releases mark a major milestone in BETBY’s commitment to delivering fair, authentic, and localised esports content that enhances 24/7 engagement for operators and players worldwide.

Representing a world-first for the industry, the eTableTennis title, entitled TTX CUP, introduces a completely new vertical to esports betting, with an authentic, fully fair, and transparent experience. The game features realistic physics, true-to-life gameplay, and zero-second betting delay, offering instant bet placement for one of the fastest-paced sports.

Each match follows the classic table tennis format of five sets to 11 points, with over 20 betting markets and high betting limits comparable to elite-level competitions such as the Champions League. Launched initially with two tournaments, TTX CUP delivers more than 1,500 matches per month, running 24/7 with no streaming delay, ensuring full transparency and player trust.

Aligned with the WTT Finals Hong Kong, one of the sport’s premier real-world events, the release allows operators to engage users during off-hours through a seamless, always-on e-sim.

BETBY’s second new title, eFootVolley, further strengthens its “go-local” approach by focusing on Brazil’s fast-growing futevôlei scene, one of the country’s most culturally resonant sports. The game replicates the official Liga Nacional de Futevôlei, following a five-set format (up to 11 points) and an average match duration of around 20 minutes, with 20+ available betting markets.

Launching in sync with the final stage of the real-world Liga Nacional de Futevôlei, eFootVolley provides an ultra-localised, 24/7 betting experience, reflecting BETBY’s strategy of blending authenticity with constant engagement. Following the success of eVaquejada, this release reinforces the company’s dedication to creating content that speaks directly to local audiences and their sporting passions.

Kirill Nekrasov, Head of Sportsbook Product at BETBY, commented: “With TTX CUP and eFootVolley, we’re breaking new ground in esports simulations. TTX CUP sets a new benchmark for integrity and realism in table tennis betting, while eFootVolley demonstrates our ongoing commitment to localised, culturally relevant content. Both titles reflect the Betby.Games vision to provide operators with high-frequency, fair, and engaging titles.”

The Betby.Games portfolio now features 25 proprietary titles, covering 80+ tournaments and over 400,000 monthly matches across multiple sports.

The post BETBY EXPANDS E-SIM PORTFOLIO WITH TWO INDUSTRY-FIRST TITLES: eTABLE TENNIS and eFOOTVOLLEY appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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How esports betting became a sportsbook essential

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Short-form esports betting has transitioned from niche product to an established cornerstone of the sportsbook offering that drives consistent engagement. Peter Camden, Head of Competitive Gaming Product at SIS, shares how its growth was built on integrity, structure and the simple power of consistent play.

Previously used to fill the void left by the absence of live sporting events, esports is now firmly part of the sportsbook offering and valued by operators for delivering quick, dependable and consistently engaging betting entertainment.

Take a look at the homepages of major brands globally – a common theme sees the vertical feature prominently, illustrating its importance in grabbing bettor interest. The potential of esports betting has been discussed at length in recent years, and now the product’s importance is a reality because of its ability to drive business growth.

The question is: what turned the tide for esports betting? And how did a vertical that began as supporting content become one of betting’s most reliable formats?

The answer lies in how the industry, and its players have adapted. Confidence in the product has reshaped where it stands today, and that shift is clear to see in sportsbooks. What was once tucked away at the bottom of the sports menu now sits alongside the biggest sports, showing how visibility shapes perception, which is, after all, the true marker of progress. In the United States, for example, eBasketball often appears directly below the Big Four sports in the homepage menu. That speaks volumes as to how far the vertical has grown.

Its success comes from how naturally it fits the pace of modern betting. Sports simulated matches are quick, familiar and structured, offering a constant flow of action that is fair and transparent. Every game that we offer is properly refereed and monitored, which gives bettors confidence that what they see is fair and has integrity at its core. It is an experience that shows speed does not come at the cost of quality, proving that even the briefest contests can leave a lasting mark.

The format has also evolved with the audience. Popular sportsbook features such as player props, bet builders and live statistics have been incorporated to make the overall experience more interactive, giving bettors new ways to follow and engage with the action. They can now track rebounds, corners and assists just as they would with their favourite teams, blurring the boundaries between traditional sports betting events and simulated content. It is clear that the line between the sports sims and the familiar has never felt thinner.

Trust, once earned, is what turns a product into a permanent presence, and integrity has always been the key foundation on which we built and continue to build our product. Strong oversight and transparency have created lasting confidence among operators and bettors, helping transform short-form esports from an emerging concept into one of the sportsbook’s most stable and respected products.

SIS Competitive Gaming has been instrumental in defining the journey of esports betting to becoming an established fixture, delivering more than 140,000 eSoccer and 85,000 eBasketball events each year to the world’s biggest sportsbook brands within a framework designed for precision and control. It shows how scale, when managed with care, can sustain the highest levels of quality and engagement across every match.

The story of short-form esports betting is one of steady progress. It may have found its place, but its evolution is far from over. The next chapter will introduce new sports, richer markets and even greater scale, reinforcing its position as a permanent fixture within the sportsbook.

As technology continues to advance and data insights deepen, the product will only grow more sophisticated – giving operators innovative ways to engage their audiences and bettors even more reasons to return.

Its future, like the matches it delivers, promises to move fast and stay exciting.

The post How esports betting became a sportsbook essential appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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2025 Esports Innovation and Communication Seminar Held in Mudanjiang, China

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The 2025 Esports Innovation and Communication Seminar, supported by the China Media Group (CMG) National Institute for Esports Development and hosted by CCTV Animation Group Co., Ltd., was held on October 17, 2025, in Mudanjiang, China. The event gathered experts, academics and industry leaders from China’s esports community, as well as participants from Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and other parts of the world.

Through roundtable discussions and keynote addresses, the seminar explored key topics such as:

• “Breaking Barriers, Thriving Together: How Gen Z is Shaping and Growing Within Esports Culture”

• “Digital Bridges, Global Synergy: Esports as a New Platform for Cross-Cultural Exchange and Collaboration”

• “AI-Driven Innovation, Gear Revolution: Unlocking New Opportunities for the Sports Industry Through Esports”

Discussions at the event connected with concrete developments in China’s esports sector over the past year. China has hosted a growing slate of international tournaments, with three major esports competitions for League of Legends, Honor of Kings and CS2 scheduled to take place in the country in November.

The League of Legends 2025 World Championship traveled through Beijing and Shanghai before concluding in Chengdu on November 9. Global audiences saw a broadcast package featuring iconic sites such as the Great Wall alongside Shanghai’s city lights and Chengdu’s local culture, offering esports fans worldwide a multifaceted look at contemporary China.

Inspired, jungler for the LTA region’s top-seeded team FLY, shared in an interview, “My experience in China has been great, and I’m eager to see which teams we will compete against at Worlds.”

Such enthusiasm from international players is matched by the energy of Chinese fans. After a match at the League of Legends 2025 World Championship, South Korean competitor Chovy noted, “There were many Chinese fans in the arena cheering us on—we are truly thankful.”

This spirit of support, focused on performance rather than outcome, reflects the openness and professionalism of local esports audiences—an expression of cultural confidence. That confidence leaves a strong impression on global participants.

Brazilian player lux remarked in a June media interview, “Whenever I’m asked which city is my favorite, I always say Shanghai. It’s incredible. The fans are amazing, and so are the events.”

China’s capacity for hosting high-caliber esports events has also drawn international recognition. After attending this year’s KPL Grand Finals, German commentator Danny Engels said, “The production level is world-class. The stage screens are unique, and attention to detail is evident throughout.”

As esports continues to grow in global influence, these events convey not only competition, but also culture, image and values.

The post 2025 Esports Innovation and Communication Seminar Held in Mudanjiang, China appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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