eSports
GIANTX wins Madrid’s heart during a historic weekend for European esports
Global esports organisation GIANTX has come away from Madrid with a landmark victory, outstanding performances, and the affection of thousands of fans, after the Spanish capital turned into the European hub for esports over the weekend. The LEC Roadtrip, hosted by Movistar KOI — the organisation led by Ibai Llanos — proved to be a resounding success in terms of attendance and organisation. GIANTX, with roots in London and Málaga, played a starring role. Only a narrow defeat against the hosts prevented a perfect weekend. Now, the focus shifts back to Berlin, where GIANTX will fight for a place in the playoffs of the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC), the continent’s premier esports league.
For the first time, the LEC temporarily moved its competition from Berlin to Madrid. The Spanish capital once again demonstrated the strength and passion of its esports community, particularly in League of Legends. Around 10,000 spectators filled the Madrid Arena over two days, witnessing four thrilling matches — all decided on the final map — alongside fan activities and community events. The success of the Roadtrip has reignited calls for more international esports events to be hosted in Spain.
GIANTX approached the weekend with two objectives: to improve their standings by securing key victories and to reaffirm their status as one of Europe’s most historic esports organisations, with more than 15 years of tradition and success. The support for GIANTX was immense, with fans travelling from across the country to gather in Madrid. While the team fell just short of a perfect weekend, they earned the respect and affection of the entire arena.
On the competitive front, GIANTX made a strong start by defeating G2 Esports, the historic powerhouse of European League of Legends. It was GIANTX’s first-ever victory over G2, following a tense three-map series that also played out heavily on social media. In the first game, Lot and Jackies led the charge with standout performances on Jax and Yone. Although GIANTX faltered in the second map after a promising early game, they pulled off an unforgettable comeback in the decisive third map, overcoming a formidable performance from G2’s superstar Caps.
Later on Sunday, GIANTX faced KOI in another fiercely contested series. After a standout performance with Tristana in the second game, GIANTX forced a third map but could not maintain their momentum. KOI, who had defeated Fnatic the day before, emerged victorious and closed out the weekend as Roadtrip champions. Fnatic, meanwhile, secured a win over G2 to salvage their weekend.
GIANTX proved itself a top-level contender at the Madrid Arena, but earlier inconsistencies during the Spring Split now weigh heavily in the standings. To qualify for the LEC playoffs, GIANTX must defeat Team BDS next weekend and Team Heretics the following one. The team currently holds a 2-5 record — results that do not fully reflect the positive performances seen in Madrid.
The post GIANTX wins Madrid’s heart during a historic weekend for European esports appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Team Vitality won BLAST Rivals Spring 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas, defeating Natus Vincere 3-0 in the Counter-Strike 2 grand final, according to the organisation’s announcement.
BLAST Rivals Spring 2026 featured eight teams and a $350,000 prize pool. Vitality opened with a 2-1 win over FUT Esports, then beat G2 2-1 in the group winner’s match to book a semifinal spot.
In the semifinals, Vitality moved past GamerLegion 2-0 to reach the final, where it completed a clean sweep of NAVI.
Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut was named tournament MVP. Vitality also positioned the result as its fifth title of the season and noted it followed its IEM Rio victory and a record of two ESL Grand Slam titles.
The post Team Vitality sweeps NAVI 3-0 to win BLAST Rivals Spring 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Team Vitality has partnered with Blacklyte as its new gaming chair partner, with a rollout planned across the organisation’s teams and physical locations.
Under the agreement, Blacklyte chairs and desks will be deployed across Team Vitality rosters including CS2, Rocket League, VALORANT, LEC, LFL, Rising Bees, Tekken 8, Teamfight Tactics, and Age of Empires II. The equipment will also be installed at facilities including the club’s Paris headquarters (V.Hive), its locations at the Stade de France, and in Berlin.
The companies said the partnership will include co-design work on a “new generation of chairs and desks” aimed at improving playing environments. A co-branded Blacklyte x Team Vitality product line is scheduled to launch in the second half of 2026.
“We are very happy to collaborate with Blacklyte and welcome them to Team Vitality’s partner family. This partnership comes at a historic time for the club on Counter-Strike, alongside the arrival of new flagship rosters, and more broadly reflects our ambition to keep raising our standards in both performance and innovation. Together, we are building environments that enable our players to fully express their potential at the highest level,” explains Vas Roberts, Co-CEO of Team Vitality.
“Team Vitality is one of the most respected names in global esports, and we are excited to collaborate to create this new era of gaming furniture. We will develop a new gaming ecosystem that empowers Team Vitality athletes to train in setups that enhance their playstyles while being supported and stylish,” says Blacklyte CEO Alex Liu. “Blacklyte products have always been at the forefront of redefining performance equipment in esports, and this partnership is a natural step to continue that mission.”
The post Team Vitality names Blacklyte as new gaming chair partner appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Team Vitality has signed a strategic partnership with French Fortnite esports club Team Havok, expanding its footprint in the title as part of its broader diversification strategy. The announcement was made this weekend.
Under the deal, Team Havok will compete as “Team Havok by Vitality” and wear a co-branded jersey featuring Team Vitality’s logo. Team Vitality said the partnership is designed to combine its performance and organisational support with Team Havok’s Fortnite competitive presence.
Team Havok’s recent results cited by the organisations include winning European Major 2 in 2025, finishing runner-up at the World Championship, and ranking as the second-best European team. The duo Tjino and PabloWingu have qualified for this summer’s Esports World Cup and will compete in Team Vitality’s black and yellow colours.
Team Vitality also positioned the partnership as a fan development play in France via co-streaming, content creation, and influencer-led activations. Team Havok co-founders and streamers ZetFar and WaZz were highlighted for their reach with younger audiences.
The organisation said the tie-up follows prior structural collaborations including PSG Esports and Bigetron Esports, and could expand into Fortnite map development, exclusive merchandising, and influencer marketing. “This partnership with Team Havok reflects our ambition to work with the best in order to continue growing Team Vitality. Their performance, creativity, and ability to engage the French community make them an ideal partner,” said Fabien “Neo” Devide, President and Co-founder of Team Vitality. “We are incredibly proud to join Team Vitality. This collaboration with such a prestigious organisation marks a new milestone in the story we are building with our community,” said Grimz, caster at Team Havok.
The post Team Vitality partners with Team Havok to expand in Fortnite appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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