Tag: eSports

Virtus.pro and a manufacturer of memory storage devices and computer peripherals HyperX will extend their partnership that started in March of 2020. HyperX remains the partner of our first rosters in every discipline.

Our cooperation with HyperX started a year ago. During this time we hosted a number of raffles and prize draws that were of great interest to our fans.

This year our cooperation is going to boost up: more interesting projects for the fans as well as the HyperX logo on the chest of our jersey.

The third year of the competitive celebration of the mobile gaming scene comes to a spectacular thirteen day conclusion with world finals for Hearthstone® on March 20th, Teamfight Tactics on March 27th, and PUBG MOBILE on March 22nd and 29th.

• The best Teamfight Tactics, Hearthstone and PUBG MOBILE players in the world will compete on the world stage in an epic thirteen day final, transporting players and fans to a virtual Istanbul.
• The Red Bull Mobile Esports Open (M.E.O.) Season 3 Finals festival begins when the virtual Istanbul venue opens on March 17th.
• The event will crown champions for all three games from March 20th – 29th.
• Season 3 has been the most ambitious to date, with over 22,000 players registering to compete.

Red Bull M.E.O., the global mobile competition where Teamfight Tactics (TFT), Hearthstone®, and PUBG MOBILE players across the globe have been battling for supremacy, comes to an exciting close in March 2021! In its third year, the mobile open will close out its most ambitious season to date with an extraordinary thirteen day world final beginning on March 17th, transporting fans to a virtual Istanbul. The event will see national winners from 28 countries compete on the world stage to identify the best players on the planet. Alongside the highest tier of competition, the world final will offer fans a digital festival celebrating one of the world’s most beautiful cities, including virtual tours, exciting live streams, interactive challenges, and much more.

Uniquely positioned on both the continents of Europe, and Asia, Istanbul is the perfect digital battleground for the global competition. The immersive playground will feature three areas dedicated to the Red Bull M.E.O. Season 3 games, with the tournaments taking place in iconic and historic locations of Istanbul. The Hearthstone competition will take place at Grand Bazaar, one the oldest and largest markets in the world, and TFT will take place at the vibrant Ortaköy Square.

The PUBG MOBILE finals will be split into two regional events to ensure the best possible experience for players, crowning Red Bull M.E.O. Season 3 Champions of East and West respectively, and will take place at the Haydarpaşa Train Station & Dock. Engaging events throughout the final will include an airdrop treasure hunt available in the PUBG MOBILE district. The finals will also offer virtual tours of some of the city’s most iconic locations including Sultanahmet Square and Galata Tower, video content and streams, interactive mini games, and more. Istanbul has already played host to the Red Bull M.E.O. National Finals for Turkey in July, a spectacular event which saw players compete from their cars on a moving ferry to ensure social distancing.

The high-stakes competition kicks off on March 20th with the global final for the fast-paced strategy card game Hearthstone. Truly open to all, the exciting Red Bull M.E.O. Season 3 Finals stream will see players compete in Riot Games’ auto battler TFT on March 27th. The thirteen day festival will host two competitions to crown the best PUBG MOBILE players on March 22nd (East), and March 29th (West), and some of the biggest pro organisations in the world battle rising stars from every corner of the globe who have proven themselves in national competitions.

Red Bull M.E.O. Season 3 has been the most successful yet, with more players than ever before competing in national events in 28 countries. Season 3 began in May 2020, and has seen more than 22,000 players around the world register to compete.

Parimatch, the international betting tech company, has extended its cooperation with Team Spirit, one of the three most popular esports clubs in the CIS. The new agreement has been concluded for a one-year period.

Under the terms of the renewed contract, the company remains the title partner of TS, and the Parimatch logo will be placed on the back, front, and sleeves of the Dota 2 and CS:GO team uniforms. As part of the agreement, Parimatch will gain the right to use images of athletes in marketing communications.

Taking into account the updated visual style of Team Spirit, the logo placement is similar to the usage with football clubs. The brands also intend to create content for the gaming community and a collection of merchandise—an official esports uniform and casual looks.

The story of Parimatch and Team Spirit began in the summer of 2019. During their cooperation, Team Spirit has won many CS:GO and Dota 2 tournaments—a recent major victory was gold at the DH Open, January 2021 in the CS:GO discipline with the first-place prize of $35,000. In 2021, Team Spirit became the first Russian esports club to cooperate with the sports brand Nike; this is undoubtedly a landmark event for the Russian-speaking esports industry.

For the Parimatch holding, developing esports is a priority, which is reflected in the company’s main product, mobile applications, specialized promotions, and giveaways for esports fans. In addition to partnerships with well-known esports clubs, Parimatch supports amateur tournaments, organizes its own professional leagues, and creates content for the esports community on social networks.

Stepan Shulga, Head of Esports Parimatch: “Team Spirit is a kind of mascot for us. Together with the club, we have been through a lot, including a complete change of Dota 2 rosters and constant but always successful CS:GO roster changes; the main thing we value is focusing on the result. For this team, sports achievements are more important than media success, and we respect this approach.”

Nikita Chukalin, CEO of Team Spirit: “For the last two years, Parimatch has been a reliable partner for us, and I am sincerely glad that we managed to extend our cooperation for the year of 2021. We have significantly grown as a brand, and many of our endeavors would not have been possible without the support of the best bookmaker in the CIS. I am sure that this year, our cooperation will reach a new level and we will delight our audience with even more sports achievements and cool content. A big cheer for Team Spirit and Parimatch, doing it together in 2021!”

Esports Teams

• Team Vitality welcomed a whole host of new talent across its esports titles cementing its commitment to fielding players across the best and most competitive games.
• Entered the Teamfight Tactics competitive scene with the signing of rising star Fabian “Salvyyy” Reichmann
• Team Vitality’s CS:GO team continued to build its legacy with an expansion into a six-man competing roster with the signings of rookie prodigies Kévin “misutaaa” Rabier and Nabil “Nivera” Benrlitom. After fully implementing the strategic change they became the first team to win a major tournament, IEM Beijing, leveraging a six-man roster. The CS:GO team also reached its first Number One HLTV Ranking
• CS:GO superstar ZywOo resigned a groundbreaking 5 year contract extension with Team Vitality and was crowned back-to-back HTLV Player of The Year
• Team Vitality took part in the VALORANT Ignition Series which saw them host the Vitality European Open. The tournament attracted some of the most promising players and teams from across the continent
• Team Vitality expanded its commitment to Fortnite with the singing of three new players; Karim “Airwaks” Benghalia, Nicolas “Nikof” Frejavise, and Klaus “Stompy” Konstanzer
• Renault Vitality fielded a strong performance in Rocket League with first place at the Spring Series Europe
• Renault Vitality placed 3rd in the F1 Esports Series
• Team Vitality welcomed two-time invitational winner Fabian ‘Fabian’ Hällsten to its Rainbow Six Siege roster

Ambassadors 

• Team Vitality continued to activate its partnerships with its ambassadors Kevin “Brawks” Georges and Corentin “Gotaga” Houssein. They also announced the signing of Little Big Whale to its content creator team.

Accolades

• Team Vitality, alongside adidas were awarded the Sponsorship Leaders In Sport Award recognising the strength of  the partnership and its ability to go beyond the esports industry

Partners

• Team Vitality introduced a wave of six new partners including RhinoShield, Newzoo, SAP, Philips, New Era Cap and Corsair
• Further strengthened their partnership with adidas, Team Vitality launched the Alternate adidas VIIctory Jersey, a unique white take on its iconic jersey in celebration of the organisation’s seventh birthday. Team Vitality and adidas also worked on unique home fitness coaching content throughout the pandemic to provide at home workout tips for its community.
• Team Vitality also partnered with Instagram star Bee Influencer to double down on its commitment to the protection of bees as part of #BeesForHumanity

Infrastructure 

• Team Vitality and Renault also officially unveiled the Renault V.Performance facility located in the heart of the Stade de France. As the official residence of Team Vitality and Renault Vitality teams, the V.Performance is the ultimate training ground for in-game performance as well as physical and mental wellbeing.

Entain Teaming with Counter-Strike Professional Players Association, EPIC Risk Management, Kindbridge and Rise Above the Disorder to Provide Support and Resources

Entain, the global sports betting and gaming entertainment provider, today announces that in line with its commitment to raise both the quality of entertainment and protections to customers worldwide it has extended its initiatives in responsible gambling to new areas including video-gaming and esports.

The new partners include the Counter-Strike Professional Players Association, Kindbridge, Rise Above the Disorder, and an expanded partnership with EPIC Risk Management. These four organizations will provide mental health support services and education for players potentially at risk and will work internationally with Entain and the Entain Foundation, the company’s non-profit charity dedicated to promoting responsible gambling, sports integrity, and corporate compliance.

Each organization seeks to bridge the gap between demand and availability of affordable professional, individual therapy and care. The Entain partners include:

• Counter-Strike Professional Players Association – The CSPPA is the worldwide association for professional players of the largely popular Counter-Strike videogame, which regularly features in esports events.
• EPIC Risk Management – An international consultancy specializing in prevention of gambling-related harm, EPIC already works with Entain both internationally and the U.S. and will now be extending its activity further, also to address videogaming and esports.
• Rise Above the Disorder – A non-profit universal mental health care system, RAD covers the cost of mental health care for tens of thousands of people around the world. Once a video game group selling in-game items to crowd fund therapy, RAD is now celebrated by the United Nations for having helped over 36,000 people receive free support.
• Kindbridge – The world’s first teletherapy company focused specifically on the successful treatment of gamblers and gamers struggling with their mental health, Kindbridge is a U.S.-based mental health services organization that provides access to online professional mental health counselors and specialized support services.

Entain’s strategy for sustainability and growth underscores its commitment to delivering the highest possible levels of player safety and protection across all its markets. As part of its safer gambling strategy, the Entain Foundation supports customer protection through a mix of education and support projects, as well as research and data analysis, using Entain technology to pioneer new and higher standards of online player protection.

Martin Lycka, Entain Senior Vice President for American Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Gambling and Trustee of the Entain Foundation US, explains, “We are committed to supporting initiatives that encourage responsible gambling and gaming in every way we can. The vast majority of people enjoy playing for fun have no problems whatsoever, and we want to leverage our capabilities to offer them additional experiences whilst keeping all our customers safe. These new partnerships are initial steps in this and other new directions as we both expand our offer to customers and the protections we put in place to protect the very small number who may be at risk.”

Today’s announcement supports Entain’s planned expansion into video-gaming and esports alongside furthering its commitment to responsible gaming. Entain recently unveiled its Advanced Responsibility and Care (ARC) initiative, pioneering use of data science, behavioral analysis, and technology to develop protective and preventative measures that work in real time.

Late last year Entain appointed Dr. Mark Griffiths as Distinguished Professor of Behavioral Addiction and Psychology, a title he also holds at Nottingham Trent University. Professor Griffiths is advising Entain on triggers for problems with online play and addiction, which is supporting the ongoing development of ARC. Professor Griffiths was previously involved in work with the World Health Organization around online addictions, resulting in the first official recognition of gaming disorder as a psychological problem among video-gamers.

PARTNERS HOLD UNIQUE EXPERTISE

The Entain Foundation US is a first-of-its-kind non-profit organization, dedicated to promoting responsible gambling, sports integrity and corporate compliance in the U.S. The Foundation was launched last year by the Entain Global Foundation and the Entain Group.

Trustees of the Entain Foundation US include Entain’s Martin Lycka, former New York Giants wide receiver and Super Bowl Champion Amani Toomer and international gambling regulatory expert Bill Pascrell III, a partner at Princeton Public Affairs Group.  The Entain Foundation US already sponsors a variety of information and education programs on problem gambling for college and university athletes and coaches, professional athletes, teams and leagues.  Globally, the Entain Foundation has committed more than $100 million to responsible gambling programs over the next five years.

Rise Above the Disorder (RAD) A non-profit universal mental health care system, RAD covers the cost of mental health care for tens of thousands of people around the world. Once a video game group selling in-game items to crowd fund therapy, now celebrated by the United Nations for having helped over 36,000 people receive free support.

Kindbridge   Kindbridge is the world’s first teletherapy company with a focus on the successful treatment of gambling and gaming addictions. Launched in 2020 Kindbridge is dedicated to a centralized, value-based approach to delivering timely, efficient, and effective care on-demand across the US. Diagnosing and treating qualified mental health, gambling & gaming disorders, and any related co-morbidities in a teletherapy setting allows their clients access to a treatment plan from the comfort of their own homes.

CSPPA  Counter-Strike Professional Players’ Association (CSPPA), is the worldwide representative association for professional Counter-Strike (CS:GO) players. The CSPPA aims to safeguard, protect, and promote professional Counter-Strike players’ interests both during and after their active career. The CSPPA will work to secure the best possible working conditions for the players, while taking into account the special nature of the industry. Any player who is contracted or actively seeking a contract as a professional Counter-Strike player and who competes at an elite level is eligible to be an active member of the CSPPA.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) is the multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed by Valve and Hidden Path Entertainment. It was released in 2012.

EPIC Risk Management is a globally leading independent gambling harm minimization consultancy. Working across the highest risk sectors for gambling-related harm, EPIC has worked in 21 countries on ground-breaking harm-minimization programs, sector leading gambling operator training, and class-leading advisory. EPIC draws on lived experience to help individuals and organizations across financial services, elite sport, the military, criminal justice, education, and the gambling industry to minimize the risks posed by gambling harm.