Table structure:
- image - File
- image_alt - String
- tags - List of String, delimiter: ,
- targets - List of Page, delimiter: ,
- date - Datetime
- author - Page
- category - List of String, delimiter: , (allowed values: Transfer Market · Drama · Business · Companies · Hires · Investments · Mergers and Acquisitions · Sponsorships · More)
- game - List of String, delimiter: , (allowed values: Age of Empires · Apex Legends · Brawl Stars · Call of Duty · Counter Strike · Dota 2 · FIFA · Fortnite · Hearthstone · League of Legends · Mobile Legends · NBA 2K · Overwatch · PUBG · PUBG Mobile · Rainbow Six · Rocket League · Smash · Starcraft II · Valorant · Warcraft III · World of Warcraft · Wild Rift)
- content - Text
This table has 2,187 rows altogether.
| Page | image | image alt | tags | targets | date | author | category | game | content |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLAST Partnership will Include FNCS and RLCS (edit) | BLAST | 2024-09-06 3:47:12 PM | Dante Uzel | Business | [[Companies/BLAST|BLAST]] has expanded its partnership with Blacklyte to include the Fortnite Championship Series Global Championships 2024 and the Rocket League World Championship 2024. Both events will take place in Dallas Fort Worth, Texas, with the Fortnite championships scheduled for September 7-8 and the Rocket League championships from September 10-15. Blacklyte, already the Global Chair Partner for BLAST Premier and BLAST Rainbow Six, will now be the Official Gaming Chair Partner for these two Epic Games esports titles. This partnership marks Blacklyte’s first involvement with the Fortnite Championship Series. During both events at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Blacklyte chairs will be used by players and talent on broadcast. The chairs will also be featured in co-streamer booths, and viewers will see them on various streamers' channels. '''More:'''[[News/Gaimin Gladiators Partners with SteelSeries|Gaimin Gladiators Partners with SteelSeries]] In addition to chair usage, Blacklyte will be prominently featured in event broadcasts and physical branding. Attendees at the Dickies Arena can visit the Blacklyte demo space to test products and have a chance to win Blacklyte chairs. Alexander Lewin, SVP of Commercial Revenue for BLAST, stated '''“Blacklyte becoming the first commercial partner of the FNCS is a landmark moment for Competitive Fortnite. We are delighted to expand our partnership with Blacklyte to include two popular esports in FNCS and RLCS. During both events, Rocket League and Fortnite fans will be able to experience Blacklyte’s products first-hand at the on-site booth, while the world’s best players will compete on the chairs in front of a global audience and thousands of fans watching on at Dickies Arena. ”''' | ||||
| Anna "ramziiN"Ramsing Joins NIP Impact (edit) | Ninjas in Pyjamas | 2024-02-22 10:56:04 AM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | [[Companies/Ninjas in Pyjamas|Ninjas in Pyjamas]] (NiP) has revealed the completion of their women's team, NIP Impact, with the signing of Anna "[[People/ramziiN|ramziiN]]" Ramsing. The Danish player joins the team to fill the gap left by the departure of Mayline-Joy "ASTRA" Champliaud in December. RamziiN had been seeking a new team since G2 disbanded their women's lineup at the end of 2023. With this signing, all the players from that disbanded G2 squad have now found new projects. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/NIPCS/status/1760333558025965904></a></blockquote> | |||
| Best Guns in Call of Duty Black Ops 6 (edit) | Call of Duty | 2024-11-15 6:13:04 PM | Dante Uzel | More | Call of Duty | Black Ops 6 brings a dynamic range of weapons to the battlefield, offering both nostalgic classics and new designs that fit the evolving multiplayer meta. Whether you prefer long-range sniping, close-quarters combat, or versatile all-around assault rifles, there’s a gun that fits your playstyle. Here’s a breakdown of the top 10 best guns in Black Ops 6, ranked based on their strengths, versatility, and overall effectiveness in multiplayer. Let us take a closer look to the best guns in Call of Duty Black Ops 6. 1. LR 7.62 – Best Sniper Rifle for Long-Range Precision If you're looking to dominate at long distances with pinpoint accuracy, the LR 7.62 is the ultimate sniper rifle. With incredible range and bullet velocity, this weapon allows you to eliminate enemies from extreme distances with minimal recoil. It delivers a one-shot kill even at stomach level, making it more forgiving than other sniper rifles. The LR 7.62 is perfect for skilled players who prioritize accuracy and range over speed, making it a top pick for precision shooting. 2. KSV – Best Early Game SMG with Exceptional Mobility The KSV is a fantastic early-game submachine gun that offers great mobility and a fast fire rate. It excels in close-quarters combat, delivering a solid time-to-kill (TTK). Its standout feature is superb hip-fire accuracy, making it perfect for running and gunning. While it lacks range and has noticeable horizontal recoil, it remains a reliable choice for players looking to engage in fast, close-range skirmishes. 3. C9 – Fast & Accurate SMG for Balanced Playstyles The C9 submachine gun is known for its speed and accuracy, making it a strong all-around choice for players who like to keep moving. With high mobility and excellent range, the C9 excels in both close and medium-range engagements. While it may not be the fastest in its class, its reliable handling and clean iron sights make it a versatile weapon for various playstyles. It’s ideal for those who want to stay agile without sacrificing accuracy. 4. Jackal PDW – Versatile SMG with Great Mobility The Jackal PDW is a highly mobile submachine gun that blends damage and fire rate, making it effective in close-range combat. While it doesn’t match the range of weapons like the C9 or Tanto .22, its high mobility makes it great for players who love to stay on the move. It’s especially effective in tight spaces, though its lower accuracy can be a downside in longer engagements. This SMG is perfect for those who like to mix mobility with raw power. '''More:'''[[News/OverActive Media Signs Agreement with Riot Games|OverActive Media Signs Agreement with Riot Games]] 5. Tanto .22 – High-Damage SMG with Slow Fire Rate The Tanto .22 stands out for its high damage and medium-range effectiveness, despite its slow rate of fire. While it sacrifices speed for power, it more than makes up for it with devastating stopping power in medium-range engagements. If you're looking for an SMG with raw damage potential, the Tanto .22 is a top contender. Its slower mobility and handling aren’t as impressive as other SMGs, but the tradeoff is a reliable kill potential with just a few well-placed shots. 6. AS VAL – Best Close-Range Assault Rifle with Stealth The AS VAL is a highly mobile assault rifle with an in-built suppressor, making it an excellent choice for close-range combat and stealthy playstyles. It delivers solid damage and has a fast fire rate, allowing for quick eliminations in fast-paced battles. Though its range is limited, it’s still a formidable choice for players who like to stay agile while avoiding detection. If you prefer close-quarters combat with the ability to move swiftly and quietly, the AS VAL is the perfect weapon. 7. AEK-973 – Burst-Fire Marksman Rifle with Massive Damage For those who favor precision shots and long-range engagements, the AEK-973 is an ideal marksman rifle. This three-round burst rifle delivers massive damage and can often eliminate enemies in just two bursts. It’s perfect for players who enjoy strategic shooting and aren’t afraid to take their time between shots. While it has slower handling, the high damage output and excellent range make it a powerful weapon in the right hands. 8. XM4 – Best All-Rounder Assault Rifle for Versatility The XM4 is an all-around versatile assault rifle that excels in almost any situation. With a balanced mix of mobility, fire rate, and accuracy, the XM4 is great for both close-range and long-range engagements. Its reliable performance across the board makes it a go-to weapon for players who want a dependable rifle without worrying about specialized stats. While it doesn’t excel in one specific area, the XM4’s versatility ensures it can adapt to any combat situation. 9. AK-74 – Hard-Hitting Full-Auto Assault Rifle The AK-74 is renowned for its devastating power and hard-hitting shots. This full-auto assault rifle boasts incredible damage, making it deadly in medium-range encounters. However, it comes with recoil that can be tough to manage for some players. The slower mobility and handling can be a challenge, but with the right attachments, it becomes a force to be reckoned with. If you're looking for a rifle that delivers massive damage and can melt through enemies at range, the AK-74 is a solid choice. 10. Model L – Powerful & Accurate Assault Rifle The Model L is a powerful assault rifle that delivers impressive damage and accuracy. While its fire rate is slower compared to other rifles, the damage per shot is substantial, making it ideal for long-range engagements. It may not have the mobility of lighter rifles like the XM4, but the Model L’s range and damage output make it a strong contender for players who prefer precision fire from a distance. It’s a great weapon for those who want to hit hard and stay accurate. Whether you're a sniper, marksman, or close-range enthusiast, Black Ops 6 offers a wide range of weapons suited for every playstyle. From the precision and range of the LR 7.62 sniper rifle to the fast, mobile KSV SMG, each weapon has its own strengths and weaknesses, making it crucial to select the right gun for your preferred combat style. With new movement mechanics and weapon customization, you can further tailor your loadout to stay ahead of the competition. Choose wisely and dominate the battlefield with the best guns in Black Ops 6. | |||
| Danny "zonic" Sørensen and Lars Christian Robl to Leave Team Vitality (edit) | Team Vitality | 2023-10-11 4:46:46 PM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | [[Companies/Team Vitality|Team Vitality]] announced their decision to part ways with head coach Danny "zonic" Sørensen and sports psychologist Lars Christian Robl. The duo will join the French side [[Companies/Falcons|Falcons]] soon. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/TeamVitality/status/1712135979442786803></a></blockquote> Team Vitality recently won IEM Rio 2023 and ESL Pro League Season 16 with Danny "zonic" Sørensen. The Danish coach won 4 majors with Astralis before. | |||
| ESL X Champion Collection Released (edit) | ESL | 2024-08-09 10:23:02 PM | Dante Uzel | Business | [[Companies/ESL FACEIT Group|ESL FACEIT Group]] has announced a second clothing collaboration with sports apparel brand Champion. The new merchandise collection, available now in the ESL store, includes eight items: hoodies, t-shirts, shorts, sweatpants, a jacket, and a hockey jersey. This line features a blend of ESL and Champion logos and incorporates graphics from Counter-Strike, including the iconic chicken from CS 1.6. '''More:'''[[News/Sony PS5 Sales Down|Sony PS5 Sales Down]] Fabio Tambosi, SVP Marketing stated '''"Embodying the iconic Champion motto, "You Don't Just Wear It. You Earn It," the new Champion x ESL 2024 collection invites you to celebrate hard-earned success in style. Whether you are competing in-game or conquering challenges beyond the screen, this collection is a tribute to the champions of the new global sport."''' | ||||
| Florian "syrsoN" Rische to Leave BIG (edit) | BIG • CS:GO | 2023-08-09 6:10:28 PM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | Florian "syrsoN" Rische left BIG clan. 27 year old German is linked with 00Nation according to recent reports. Florian "syrsoN" Rische joined BIG in 2020 from Sprout. He was benched in February 2023. 00Nation is rumored to be signing the "birdfromsky" roster. | |||
| FragFest Counter-Strike 2 is Coming (edit) | 2023-12-12 4:17:42 PM | Dante Uzel | More | Counter Strike | Rivalry revealed FragFest Counter-Strike 2 event in Toronto, Canada. The event prize pool will be $2500 CAD. The FragFest will be live on January 6th 2024 at the Red Bull Gaming Studio. Britt Doll, Rivalry’s Canada Marketing Director, stated '''“Not only is Launders a one-of-a-kind personality in the industry, but he’s also personally aligned with our vision to create meaningful activations and entertainment for the local esports community in Toronto."''' <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/rivalryca/status/1733649998926008790></a></blockquote> | ||||
| FUZED Summer Games Announced (edit) | Fuzed | Fuzed • Sweden • CS:GO | 2023-06-06 11:06:28 AM | Dante Uzel | Companies | Swedish esports company FUZED launched a new series of tournaments for kids and teens in Helsingborg, Sweden. The event will combine CS: GO and football. The tournament prize pool will be SEK 250k. The event will also be promoted by CS:GO player Patrik ‘f0rest’ Lindberg and Swedish football player Robin Quaison. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/fuzed_com/status/1664594123750244354></a></blockquote> | |||
| G2 Esports Partners with Invictus Gaming (edit) | G2 Esports • Invictus Gaming | 2023-12-08 3:08:34 PM | Dante Uzel | Business | Dota 2 | [[Companies/G2 Esports|G2 Esports]] announced a new partnership with Chinese [[Companies/Invictus Gaming|Invictus Gaming]] to create a new Dota 2 team called [[Companies/G2.iG|G2.iG]].Invictus Gaming was the winner of The International in 2012. Chief Executive Officer of G2 Esports, Alban Dechelotte, stated '''“China has continuously been a priority market for us and we’re happy to finally field a local team for our millions of Chinese fans to support. In addition to a new market, we’re also expanding into Dota 2 for the first time, which is a huge moment for us.”''' '''More:'''[[News/WISE Ventures Partners with G2 Esports|G2 Partners with Version1]] <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/invgaming/status/1733134220447674588></a></blockquote> | |||
| Guild Partners with Sky UK (edit) | Guild Esports | UK • Guild • Esports | 2023-05-25 5:03:51 PM | Dante Uzel | Business • Companies | Guild Esports and Sky UK have joined forces to tackle the issue of verbal abuse against women gamers with the launch of their new campaign. The campaign will be named #NoRoomForAbuse, the initiative aims to bring attention to the widespread problem of harassment faced by female gamers. The campaign will span multiple social media platforms, including Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitch, with female influencers at the center. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/guildesports/status/1661711481581256706></a></blockquote> | |||
| Master League Portugal Winners Crowned (edit) | Events | 2023-06-19 12:53:27 PM | Dante Uzel | More | SAW won the Master League Portugal. They managed to defeat Make Your Destiny 3-0 in the finals. The team will advance to the ESL Pro League qualifiers. | ||||
| Paraíso removed from Overwatch 2 (edit) | Overwatch 2 | 2023-06-08 1:06:27 PM | Dante Uzel | More | Overwatch | Blizzard removed the Paraíso map from Overwatch 2's live rotation due to a new Mercy bug. The bug allowed players to manipulate their opponents' frame rates, causing disruptions in the competitive servers. It is unknown when the map will be back. Mercy can still be played on other maps as the bug only affects specific locations. | |||
| Shopify Rebellion Released 3 Players (edit) | Rebellion • Valorant | 2023-06-19 2:50:31 PM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Valorant | Shopify Rebellion released Anthony "vanity" Malaspina, Brandon "bdog" Sanders, and assistant coach Travis "tdawgg" Regan. The team finished last in NA VCL Playoffs. The current roster is, Victor "v1c" Truong Adam "mada" Pampuch Kaleb "moose" Jayne Jared "mac" Schneider Aqib "Akki" Ali | |||
| UK to Boost Gaming Industry (edit) | UK • Business | 2023-06-14 5:20:20 PM | Dante Uzel | Business | The UK Government announced a new fund for the creative industries. The fund will allocate £5m will go to the UK Games Fund. Paul Durrant, CEO of non-profit UK Games Talent and Finance Community Interest Company stated "It’s likely we’ll be supporting companies both within our existing community and also those where our present grant size hasn’t previously matched the scale of their project.” | ||||
| Valhalla Esports Lounge Shut Down (edit) | Valhalla | 2023-06-26 4:14:51 PM | Dante Uzel | More | [[Locations/Valhalla_Esports_Lounge|Valhalla Esports Lounge]] announced their decision to shut down the lounge. The venue operated in Austin, Texas for the past 4 years. | ||||
| William "mezii" Merriman to Leave fnatic (edit) | fnatic | 2023-11-02 4:36:32 PM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | [[Companies/fnatic|fnatic]] announced the departure of William "mezii" Merriman. According to reports, British player will join [[Companies/Team Vitality|Team Vitality]] soon. He is expected to fill Emil "Magisk" Reif's slot. [http://News/Fnatic%20Partners%20with%20Sony%20INZONE Fnatic recently partnered with Sony Inzone.] He stated '''“I gained invaluable experience and created so many great memories. I enjoyed every single day working alongside all the team and all the staff that work at Fnatic behind the scenes. I achieved many personal goals in my time with Fnatic, including making my first-ever Major, the Major playoffs, winning my first LAN event, and also just consistently competing at tier-one events. It has been a great time for me, to be able to represent an iconic organisation like fnatic.”''' Current fnatic roster will be, * Freddy "KRIMZ" Johansson * Fredrik "roeJ" Jørgensen * Aurélien "afro" Drapier * Christopher "dexter" Nong <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/FNATIC/status/1720062672274673807></a></blockquote> | |||
| Wilton "zews" Prado Joins Team Liquid (edit) | Team Liquid | 2023-12-06 3:36:23 PM | Dante Uzel | Business | Counter Strike | [[Companies/Team Liquid|Team Liquid]] announced Wilton "zews" Prado as the new head coach. He will replace Damian "daps" Steele. The Brazilian coach won BLAST Premier: Spring 2020 American Finals and ESL One: Cologne 2016. This is his second stint with the organization as he was the head coach in 2017 and 2018. Team Liquid officials stated '''"We can't wait for Wilton to bring his signature mindset to lead this team and get our squad locked & loaded."''' | |||
| "adreN" Joins Nouns (edit) | Nouns • Counter Strike | 2024-04-10 1:35:31 PM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | [[Companies/Nouns Esports]] has announced the appointment of Eric "[[People/adreN|adreN]]" Hoag as their new general manager and head coach. This restructuring of coaching comes as Kory "SEMPHIS" Friesen transitions to the role of performance coach and content creator for the organization. Former Team Liquid coach joined forces with Nouns at the beginning of the year, splitting responsibilities with SEMPHIS. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/nounsesports/status/1777858853872287916></a></blockquote> | |||
| "ash" to Stay at GamerLegion (edit) | GamerLegion • Counter Strike | 2024-04-09 6:09:50 PM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | [[Companies/GamerLegion|GamerLegion]] announced the extension of the contract of its coach Ashley "ash" Battye. The team recently played in the finals of BLAST.tv Paris Major under his guidance. 33-year-old coach has been with the team since 2020. He previously coached London and Vexed Gaming. He stated '''"I'm delighted to extend with GamerLegion for a third time,It's been a great almost four-year journey. Now it's about building towards our next step together."''' <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/GamerLegion/status/1777607391099437325></a></blockquote> | |||
| "autimatic" Joins NRG (edit) | NRG | 2024-03-12 9:12:44 AM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | [[Companies/NRG Esports|NRG Esports]] has signed Timothy "[[People/autimatic|autimatic]]" Ta to replace Justin "[[People/FaNg|FaNg]]" Coakley in their roster. The North American organization initiated a roster revamp following their inability to qualify for the PGL Major Copenhagen and struggles in online qualifiers, including a failed RMR campaign. Colby "Walco" Walsh joined as the new IGL, replacing Damian "daps" Steele, who transitioned to the head coach role. He started his career at TSM and later moved to Cloud9. Following his time at Cloud9 he moved to Gen.G and later tried his luck in Valorant. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/NRGgg/status/1766871468145623364></a></blockquote> | |||
| "BnTeT" to Leave NKT (edit) | NKT | 2024-01-24 3:39:45 PM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | Indonesian player Hansel "BnTeT" Ferdinand is out of contract. The player joined NKT last year however his contract was not extended by the organization. Hansel "BnTeT" Ferdinand played for teams such as Gen.G, Extremum and TYLOO. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/BnTeTCSGO/status/1749752038811161074></a></blockquote> | |||
| "s1mple" to Koin Falcons on Loan (edit) | Team Falcons | 2024-02-20 8:06:43 AM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | [[Companies/Team Falcons|Team Falcons]] announced their decision to bench Mohammad "[[People/BOROS|BOROS]]" Malhas and loan Oleksandr "[[People/s1mple|s1mple]]" Kostyliev for one month. "s1mple" joining Team Falcons came following his announcement on his return might be soon. Grant Rousseau, stated "give us the flexibility to make the permanent roster decision needed going into ESL Pro League, IEM Dallas, etc. whilst still giving us a great shot to make it out of BLAST Showdown." Falcons also announced that the assistant coach Rafael "Feldman" Rodriguez will leave the team. Falcons failed to qualify for the PGL Major Copenhagen recently. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/TeamFalconsGG/status/1759646707879407830></a></blockquote> | |||
| "Banjo" to Leave HAVU (edit) | HAVU | 2024-04-02 9:52:05 AM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | [[Companies/HAVU|HAVU]] announced the departure of Matias "Banjo" Kivistö. 19-year-old player joined from fnatic Rising last year. He finished in 3rd-4th place with HAVU at Elisa Masters Espoo 2023. It is currently unknown where he might join. HAVU will compete at YaLLa Compass Spring 2024. However, the team has 4 players in their roster right now. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/HAVUgaming/status/1775085942249840802></a></blockquote> | |||
| "Biank" Joins Trace (edit) | Trace Esports • Valorant | 2024-06-12 9:13:35 AM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Valorant | [[Companies/Bilibili Gaming|Bilibili Gaming]] has announced the departure of veteran player Zhong "[[People/Biank|Biank]]" Jianfei, who will be replaced by Lo "[[People/Flex1n|Flex1n]]" Rui as he transfers to Trace Esports. This roster change marks a significant shift, leaving only three original members of the squad that surprised NRG Esports last year at the Champions event in Los Angeles. '''More:'''[[News/Gen.G Reveals New Facilities|Gen.G Reveals New Facilities]] Biank, like many Chinese players, sought a chance to shine amidst EDward Gaming's dominance in the regional competition in 2023. Despite missing out on Masters Tokyo, hope arose for the roster during the Chinese Champions Qualifier, where Bilibili secured one of the three spots, marking their fourth appearance on the international stage. He is a previous Counter Strike pro player. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark" data-width="px"><a href=https://x.com/BilibiliGaming/status/1800457457493516310></a></blockquote> | |||
| "blameF" Benched (edit) | Astralis • Counter Strike | 2024-02-29 9:29:13 AM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | [[Companies/Astralis|Astralis]] has officially announced that Benjamin "[[People/blameF|blameF]]" Bremer, has been benched. BlameF joined Astralis in November 2021. However, despite his individual prowess, the team has struggled to achieve significant success, notably only qualifying for one Major out of four attempts. He stated '''"Benched in Astralis. I'll be looking to continue playing asap but as a riffle (non IGL) so if any organisations are interested in talking with me, you can reach me through my DM. I wish the Astralis boys good luck and thank the whole organisation for my time there"''' <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/Astralisgg/status/1762859324529836412></a></blockquote> | |||
| "DubsteP" and "lenne" to Leave Team Secret (edit) | Team Secret | 2023-09-18 2:59:13 PM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Valorant | Team Secret parted ways with Jayvee "DubsteP" Paguirigan and Lim "lenne" You Xiang. The organization stated that the p;layers are no longer contracted with the organization. Current Team Secret roster is, Jessie "JessieVash" Cuyco Adrian "invy" Jiggs Reyes Jim "BORKUM" Timbreza Jeremy "Jremy" Cabrera | |||
| "electroNic" Joins Virtus.pro (edit) | Virtus.pro | 2024-04-15 11:20:28 AM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | CIS organization [[Companies/Virtus.pro|Virtus.pro]] announced the signing of Denis "[[People/electroNic|electroNic]]" Sharipov. He will replace Nikolay "mir" Bityukov. Russian player last played for Cloud9. Denis "electroNic" Sharipov, stated '''“Virtus.pro is a top team. The core of the roster has won a Major not while ago, and all the players are in their prime and ready for victories right now. We share the same ambitions and goals. Besides, I’m also excited about the idea of playing with Jame, as he’s one of the most unique IGLs in the game. Can’t wait to adapt to my new team and start doing what I came here for — winning trophies.”''' <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/virtuspro/status/1779767142520394026></a></blockquote> | |||
| "enkay J" to Lead ENCE (edit) | ENCE | 2024-09-09 6:50:34 PM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | Niclas "[[People/enkay J|enkay J]]" Krumhorn has been appointed as the new head coach of ENCE's main Counter-Strike roster, [[Companies/ENCE|ENCE]] announced on Monday. The 35-year-old German replaces Jakub "kuben" Gurczyński, who was benched in late August following ENCE’s failure to qualify for the Perfect World Shanghai Major Europe RMRs and the end of their five-year Major attending streak. ENCE General Manager Niklas "Willkey" Ojalainen cited Krumhorn’s extensive experience as a former professional player, analyst, and coach as key factors in his selection for the role. '''More:'''[[News/NIP Group Reveals Entry to Game Publishing|NIP Group Reveals Entry to Game Publishing]] Niclas "enkay J" Krumhorn began his career as an analyst with mousesports from March to May 2016. He then moved to Team EnVyUs in June 2016, where he continued as an analyst until February 2017. Krumhorn joined G2 Esports as an analyst from February 2017 to September 2018 before transitioning to coaching roles. He first coached ALTERNATE aTTaX from October 2018 to August 2019, followed by a stint with Sprout from August 2019 to October 2021. Krumhorn then coached BIG from November 2021 to May 2022 and subsequently joined Gucci Academy as a coach from September 2022 to July 2023. His most recent coaching role was with Entropiq from July 2023 until June 2024, after which he took on an inactive coaching position with Entropiq in Counter-Strike 2 before being appointed as the head coach of ENCE on September 9, 2024. | |||
| "Faker" Receives Death Threats (edit) | Faker | 2023-08-11 4:01:14 PM | Dante Uzel | Drama | League of Legends | According to recent news, T1's star player Lee “Faker” Sang-Hyeok is receiving death threats. Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency received the reports on death threats recently. Currently there are no announcements from T1, however police forces stationed near the T1 HQ and LCK revealed that they will increase the security following the death threats. | |||
| "FanFan" Reveals Her Income (edit) | Twitch | 2024-02-19 8:25:02 AM | Dante Uzel | More | Twitch streamer "Fanfan" revealed her income during a stream. During her stream some of her chat claimed that she is a millionaire, however, she rejected the claims and stated '''"I love it. I am blessed, you know. Thank f**king god I make enough money and I don’t have to do much work. I just sit here and watch my videos and play games. But I make 150K a year. That’s not millionaire money.”''' She stated that she was unable to get a sponsor for 6 months and stated that people assume all streamers are a millionaire. | ||||
| "Grashog" Returns to Lineup as IGL (edit) | 500 • Counter Strike | 2024-03-06 5:34:31 AM | Dante Uzel | Business | Counter Strike | Bulgarian [[Companies/500|500]] announced roster changes. Coach Denis "[[People/Grashog|Grashog]]" Hristov will replace Ivan "Patrick" Ivanov and will be the new IGL of the team. Kaloyan "POP0V" Popov is named as the new head coach of the organization. The organization stated '''"It's been rough past few months, where we've been trying to determine what's the best way to move forward into next season. We were testing numerous lineups not only to see what works best at the moment, but what would be most long-term path towards success."''' | |||
| "H3cz" and "Scump" Sues Activision Blizzard (edit) | Activision Blizzard • Call of Duty | 2024-02-16 5:22:35 PM | Dante Uzel | Drama | Call of Duty | OpTic Gaming CEO Hector "[[People/H3cz|H3cz]] Rodriguez and former Call of Duty player Seth [[People/Scump|Scump]] AbnerIn a lawsuit filed in a Los Angeles federal court, they accused [[Companies/Activision Blizzard|Activision Blizzard]] of holding an unlawful monopoly over professional leagues and tournaments. According to the suit, including Activision, GameStop Corp., and Major League Gaming, used to organize open Call of Duty leagues and tournaments with modest entry fees. However, Activision allegedly took over the market in late 2019, closing off all leagues except for the Activision Call of Duty league. More: [[News/Activision Blizzard to Join Microsoft|Activision Blizzard Joined Microsoft]] The suit claims that playing professional Call of Duty is similar to professional football in the esports world, with top players profiting from sponsorships, endorsements, and social media attention. Since Activision took control of the leagues and tournaments, players have allegedly been unable to earn compensation from other entities. Many popular teams were reportedly cut out of competition because they couldn't agree to Activision's terms. Hector Rodriguez, CEO ofCall of Duty team OpTic, was allegedly forced into a financially devastating partnership to continue competing. Activision purportedly demanded Rodriguez partner with billionaire investors who demanded a 92.5% ownership share in his company. Rodriguez had to pay a high entry fee, share portions of his investor sponsorship with the gaming company, and couldn't seek outside sponsorships. More: [[News/Activision Blizzard to pay $54.9m Settlement|Activision Blizzard to Pay $54.9m in Settlement]] "Scump," who is among the top-winning players in the game's history, joined Rodriguez in the lawsuit. The complaint alleges that Activision's sole league system was imposed upon pro team owners and players and wasn't the product of a collaborative agreement. Activision is accused of leveraging its trademark and ownership of Call of Duty to control the downstream pro gaming market. Collectively, Rodriguez and Abner seek more than $680 million in damages. | |||
| "horvy" to Replace "JBa" (edit) | Wildcard • Counter Strike | 2024-04-08 12:13:07 PM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | João "[[People/horvy|horvy]]" Horvath has stepped in for his team at IEM Chengdu, replacing Josh "[[People/JBa|JBa]]" Barutt, who couldn't travel due to food poisoning. Despite the unexpected change in the line up Wildcard's coach and stand-in, horvy, is a well known player within competitive CS, boasting a six-year career as a journeyman player in Brazil and Europe from 2016 to 2022. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/horvyFPS/status/1776942265715630255></a></blockquote> | |||
| "kakafu" Returns to BIG (edit) | BIG • Counter Strike | 2024-03-01 10:00:15 AM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | [[Companies/BIG|BIG]], has revealed the return of Alexander "[[People/kakafu|kakafu]]" Szymanczyk as their latest assistant coach. At 34 years old, Szymanczyk will join head coach Fatih "gob b" Dayik and assistant coach Dustin "DuDe" Großmann. Previously, "kakafu" served as an assistant coach for OG for a two-years, followed by a coaching role with Unicorns of Love between 20-21. However, kakafu is not a stranger to BIG Clan, he worked at BIG between 2017-2019. | |||
| "Klaus" Benched by KRÜ (edit) | KRÜ Esports | 2024-07-03 8:14:03 AM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Valorant | Nicolas "[[People/Klaus|Klaus]]" Ferrari is benched by [[Companies/KRÜ Esports|KRÜ Esports]] Nicolás "mta" González, previously sidelined due to injury, is set to rejoin the starting roster of KRÜ Esports, displacing Nicolas "Klaus" Ferrari to the bench. Marco "Melser" Eliot Machuca Amaro will resume his position as the team's in-game leader. "Klaus" helped lead KRÜ Esports to multiple victories throughout 2022, including securing first place in tournaments such as the VCT 2022: South America Last Chance Qualifier and the VCT 2022: LATAM Stage 1 Challengers Playoffs, where they triumphed over formidable opponents like FURIA Esports and Leviatán. Despite facing challenges, such as a second-place finish in the VCT 2022: LATAM Stage 2 Challengers Playoffs. '''More:'''[[News/First Gamer to be Canonized by Church|First Gamer to be Canonized by Church]] Klaus, who has been with KRÜ Esports since 2021, notably served as one of the few players from the Americas to maintain his tenure throughout the VCT's history with the organization. He also assumed the role of in-game leader for six out of the team's eight international events. Melser briefly held the position in 2023, but Klaus later returned to the role due to its impact on Melser's performance. | |||
| "maxster" Promoted (edit) | Counter Strike • Ninjas in Pyjamas | 2024-03-25 10:16:41 AM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | [[Companies/Ninjas in Pyjamas|Ninjas in Pyjamas]] have announced their decision to promote Max "[[People/maxster|maxster]]" Jansson to their main squad. He has been playing at the academy squad since 2022. Ninjas in Pyjamas's General Manager Björn "THREAT" Pers stated '''"His dedication to practice and remarkable stats make him an invaluable addition to the main squad. We're excited to see him thrive in this new chapter of his career."''' <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/NIPCS/status/1771899772607357109></a></blockquote> | |||
| "MoDo" Benched by TSM (edit) | TSM • Counter Strike | 2024-02-23 9:46:46 AM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | [[Companies/TSM|TSM]] has made the decision to bench their AWPer, Mădălin-Andrei "[[People/MoDo|MoDo]]" Mirea, as announced by the organization. MoDo, who joined TSM in August as part of the team's return to Counter-Strike after a six-year hiatus, is leaving the active roster after less than six months. This move further alters TSM's lineup, leaving only one original member, Valdemar "[[People/valde|valde]]" Bjørn Vangså, out of the initial five. These changes mark a series of adjustments made by the American organization since the beginning of the year. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/tsmreport/status/1760707657592188973></a></blockquote> | |||
| "nbgee12" Banned for Stealing SSDs (edit) | Counter Strike | 2024-06-06 8:31:41 PM | Dante Uzel | Drama | Counter Strike | [[Companies/FACEIT|FACEIT]] recently issued a ban on 19-year-old Counter Strike 2 pro player, Adam "[[People/nbgee12|nbgee12]]" Zanzoul. The ban stemmed from nbgee12's admission of wrongdoing during IEM Dallas, where he confessed to "taking stuff" he shouldn't have. The incident surfaced when "nbgee12" openly confessed on CoJoMo's live stream, revealing that he had illicitly accessed the venue at night and appropriated SSDs belonging to prominent players. Initially discussed as a five-year ban during the stream, ESL later escalated it to a permanent ban. '''More:'''[[News/Bungie Wins AimJunkies Lawsuit|Bungie Wins AimJunkies Lawsuit]] The 19-year-old has not disclosed the motives behind taking the SSDs. Later in the stream, he admitted that no excuse could justify his actions but cited being "super sleep deprived, hungry, and under the influence.FACEIT decided to impose the ban as the SSDs nbgee12 took were the ones utilized by players during IEM Dallas. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark" data-width="px"><a href=https://x.com/Ozzny_CS2/status/1798449766763831558></a></blockquote> | |||
| "niko to Leave OG (edit) | OG • CS:GO • Transfer | 2023-06-09 12:10:07 PM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | After completing his stand-in tenure with OG, Nikolaj "niko" Kristensen has declared his intention to explore fresh opportunities. He stated "After a fantastic reunion with OG and the boys. I am more than ready to get a new home-winning trophies. Open to all opportunities." <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/OfficialnikoCS/status/1666781582634491908></a></blockquote> | |||
| "niko" to Leave Sashi (edit) | Sashi • Counter Strike | 2024-04-02 2:03:25 AM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | Nikolaj "[[People/niko|niko]]" Kristensen will leave [[Companies/Sashi|Sashi]] due to his loan contract expiring this month. 25-year-old is currently contracted to 00Nation however he stated that he is allowed to find a new team. The team won POWER Ligaen Season 25 with him at the helm. 00Nation recently released all of its esports roster however "niko" was still on on contract. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/Sashi_Esport/status/1774488299857465592></a></blockquote> | |||
| "nilo" to Stay at Metizport (edit) | Metizport | 2024-03-04 8:47:41 AM | Dante Uzel | Business | [[Companies/Metizport|Metizport]] has extended contracts for four of its members, which includes young rifler Linus "[[People/nilo|nilo]]" Bergman. Additionally, brothers Tim "[[People/susp|susp]]" Ångström and Adam "[[People/adamb|adamb]]" Ångström have committed to remain with the team until the summer of 2025. Coach Ahmed "[[People/abdi|abdi]]" Abdi has also extended his contract through 2025. The organization stated '''"At this time, we have not succeeded in renewing contracts with Jack “Jackinho” Mattson and Erik “ztr” Gustafsson. "''' <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/Metizport/status/1764325644685496711></a></blockquote> | ||||
| "NoobFromUA" Receives Copyright Strikes from PGL (edit) | PGL • Dota | 2024-02-27 10:43:20 AM | Dante Uzel | Drama | According to recent news, [[Companies/PGL|PGL]] issued 4 copyright strikes to Youtuber "NoobFromUA"'s channel. Following the strikes he has shared the news on Twitter and stated that his channel will be closed down soon due to strikes. Youtube has 3 strikes policy per channel. "NoobFromUA" will have a challenge period to counter. NoobfromUA has over 1.04 million subscribers on Youtube. The strikes affected DPC 2023 and TI12 videos. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/noobfromua/status/1762030761840931038></a></blockquote> <blockquote class="reddit-embed-bq" data-style="margin: 0; border: none; max-width: 100%; width:640px; border-radius: 8px; display: block; "><a href=https://www.reddit.com/r/DotA2/comments/1b0dqbd/pgl_hit_noobfromua_with_4_copyright_strikes_his/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button /></blockquote> Following the news PGL made a statement and stated that "we have no intention of taking down entire YouTube channels." More: [[News/Challengermode Partners with PGL|PGL Partners with Challengermode]] PGL stated '''"Concerning content creators using PGL content without authorization: We constantly monitor various platforms and channels for any unauthorized PGL content.Our objective is to ensure fair usage of our content, which may involve requesting the removal of PGL content. However, we want to clarify that we have no intention of taking down entire YouTube channels. We're putting together new rules for content creators, and we'll make sure to share them before our next PGL Dota 2 tournaments. We've spotted some hiccups in our process and have made changes for the better. If you're a content creator keen on using PGL-owned content, we'd love to hear from you directly. Let's chat and find the best solution that works for everyone involved!"''' <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/pglesports/status/1762377188383613092></a></blockquote> | ||||
| "Olympic Esports Games" Proposed by IOC (edit) | Olympics • IOC | 2024-06-18 9:24:42 AM | Dante Uzel | More | According to recent news, Olympic Esports Commission has developed a proposal for creating "Olympic Esports Games." During the IOC Executive Board meeting, it was emphasized that this initiative requires a new dedicated structure within the IOC, distinct from the Olympic Games' organizational and financial framework. The Executive Board revealed it is in advanced talks with a potential host for the Esports Games, and an announcement is anticipated once formalities are completed. '''More:'''[[News/ESL Challenger Jönköping 2024 Finals Was Amazing|ESL Challenger Jönköping 2024 Finals Was Amazing]] The release states that the IOC first interacted with the esports community by organizing the Esports Forum in 2018 in Lausanne. They then established the Esports Liaison Group to engage with stakeholders, which later became the IOC Esports Commission chaired by IOC Member David Lappartient. In 2021, the IOC launched the Olympic Virtual Series, their initial foray into esports. Afterwards we have seen The Olympic Esports Week. More than 130 players worldwide participated, showcasing their talents in 10 mixed-gender category events. IOC President Thomas Bach stated '''“With the creation of Olympic Esports Games, the IOC is taking a major step forward and is keeping up with the pace of the digital revolution. We are very excited how enthusiastically the esports community represented in our Esports Commission has engaged with this initiative. This is further proof of the attractivity of the Olympic brand and the values it stands for,”''' <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/iocmedia/status/1801596085565051239></a></blockquote> | ||||
| "s1mple" Reveals Play Like s1mple (edit) | s1mple | 2024-05-10 7:32:46 PM | Dante Uzel | Business | Counter Strike | Oleksandr ‘[[People/s1mple|s1mple]]’ Kostyliev revealed his new project called Play Like s1mple. On May 7, the launch of "Play Like S1mple" took place in partnership with FACEIT. Players can register for complimentary video lessons to try. The premium section offers exclusive insights from s1mple himself, advanced content, and access to exclusive tournaments. '''More:'''[[News/Altera Secures $9m|Altera Secures $9m]] After a brief tenure with Team Falcons earlier this year, s1mple has predominantly stepped away from competitive Counter-Strike since October 2023. During this hiatus, he dedicated time to investing in the project and crafting the courses, which are now prepared for launch. He stated '''"I see how many mistakes they do and I feel that it’s a good opportunity for them to learn something from me and from other pro players as well. Because there’s going to be a lot of examples of how to play and how to not play in some crucial situations, in the second part of this course, we will invite people from esports and we’ll provide a lot more information from different perspectives of other esports players. I feel we will involve players, coaches and managers, so they can explain to a new generation what it feels like to play competitively. I want to see less mistakes, I want to see players play more as a team. I want to see beautiful Counter-Strike."''' | |||
| "S1mple" to Return (edit) | Counter Strike | 2024-02-13 12:11:09 PM | Dante Uzel | Business | Counter Strike | During the grand final of IEM Katowice 2024 at the Spodek arena on Sunday, Feb. 11, [[People/Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyljev|Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyljev]] briefly hinted at his return to Counter-Strike 2. In an interview on the official tournament broadcast, s1mple expressed his desire to make a comeback to competitive play after the PGL Copenhagen CS2 Major. "I hope after the Major," s1mple responded when asked about his potential return. "I hope nothing is going to happen with their roster because they were practicing really hard after I took this break. Let's see what is going to happen after the Major." <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/JakeSucky/status/1756702418186727555></a></blockquote> | |||
| "Sacy" Retires (edit) | Sentinels | 2024-09-16 1:41:11 PM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Valorant | "[[People/Sacy|Sacy]] has officially announced his retirement from competitive Valorant, following the recent retirement of teammate TenZ. This double departure leaves Sentinels, a team that was among the top contenders in the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) in 2024, facing a significant roster overhaul. [[Companies/Sentinels|Sentinels]] enjoyed a remarkable year in 2024, showcasing their dominance with strong performances at international events and domestic tournaments. They had a standout year, defeating LOUD domestically, winning Masters Madrid, and coming close to securing the Valorant Champions 2024 title despite a challenging regular season. '''More:'''[[News/New RLCS Format Revealed|New RLCS Format Revealed]] Sacy, who initially faced difficulties with Sentinels, made notable contributions by staying with the team and achieving major victories. His decision to retire, along with TenZ’s, marks the end of an era for Sentinels. Both players leave the team at what appeared to be the peak of their careers, leaving fans and analysts speculating about the future direction of one of the Americas' most prominent Valorant organizations. | |||
| "Sapec" Joins Metizport (edit) | Metizport • Counter Strike | 2024-06-12 9:12:30 AM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | [[Companies/Metizport|Metizport]] has confirmed the signing of Anton "[[People/Sapec|Sapec]]" Palmgren, finalizing the team's roster following the unexpected benching of IGL Erik "ztr" Gustafsson nearly three weeks ago. With Sapec not assuming the role of in-game leader, Metizport's Sports Director Morten "zEVES" Vollan clarified in a virtual press conference that AWPer Jack "Jackinho" Ström Mattsson would be the lead. Anton "Sapec" Palmgren's career started with Frillkammare in 2018, Tradigt in 2019, Wildfire Gaming in 2019, Asdf1234 in 2019, visomvet in 2019, Begrip Gaming in 2020, Young Ninjas from 2021 to 2022, and EYEBALLERS from 2022 to 2024. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/Metizport/status/1800590870351413746></a></blockquote> | |||
| "sdy" Returns (edit) | Monte | 2024-02-21 8:38:05 AM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | According to recent news Viktor "[[People/sdy|sdy]]" Orudzhev will return to [[Companies/Monte|Monte]]. He was replaced by the academy player Jack "Gizmy" von Spreckelsen during his illness. 26 year old joined the organization in 2023 and previously played for NA'VI. The organization won ESL Challenger Jönköping 2023 with him. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/Monte_Esports/status/1759865416044691755></a></blockquote> | ||||
| "SkRossi" Partners with KREO (edit) | Revenant Esports | 2024-02-19 8:22:04 AM | Dante Uzel | Sponsorships | Gaming peripherals manufacturer KREO has partnered with VALORANT player Ganesh ‘[[People/SkRossi|SkRossi]]’ Gangadhar, marking the company's inaugural 'KREO Athlete.' In this collaboration, SkRossi, who is presently competing for the Indian esports organization [[Companies/Revenant Esports|Revenant Esports]], will utilize KREO products, engage in KREO activations, and contribute to the development of new products tailored for PC players. <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=https://www.instagram.com/revenantesports.gg/reel/C3U3z0wxBKH data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: #fff; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5), 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%; width: -webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width: calc(100% - 2px);"></blockquote> | ||||
| "Swani" Retires (edit) | Counter Strike | 2024-04-04 2:31:22 PM | Dante Uzel | Jan "[[People/Swani|Swani]]" Müller has declared his retirement from Counter-Strike, marking the conclusion of a nearly decade-long career as an analyst and coach. Swani stated '''"I have gradually lost passion for it and even though it always sounds amazing from the outside, it was super draining for me to be away from home for over 180 days the past year and not being able to plan anything, which is a huge part of my decision."''' Swani's career, 2018: * SK Gaming (Analyst) from June 24 to July 15. 2019: * MIBR (Analyst) from January 2 to February 24. * NRG Esports (Analyst) from June 4 to August 15. * FURIA Esports (Analyst) from August 15 to December 31. 2021: * G2 Esports (Analyst) from November 16 to December 31. 2022: * G2 Esports (Analyst) from January 1 to October 29. * G2 Esports (Interim Coach) from October 29 to December 16. * G2 Esports (Assistant Coach) from December 16 to December 31. 2023: * G2 Esports (Interim Coach) from January 20 to December 16. * G2 Esports (Coach) from December 16 to December 31. | |||||
| "tacitus" to Join Fluxo (edit) | Fluxo • Counter-Strike | 2024-04-19 4:57:53 PM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | Brazilian coach Marcos "[[Companies/tacitus|tacitus]]" Castilho will join [[Companies/Fluxo|Fluxo]]. He will replace Joaquin "lokomotioN" Abasolo. The 24-year-old was the strategy coach at MIBR previously. This will be his first head coach position since 2021 with Triumph. During his time with Triumph he led the team to second place at Intel Extreme Masters XV - Beijing Online: North America . He also managed a finish of 5th-8th at PGL Major Stockholm 2021. Fluxo was unable to qualify for Esports World Cup. The organization lost both matches to paiN and Imperial. He stated '''"Flattered to be part of this organization and to be able to work together with this cast, and VERY excited to represent this legion of fans. After 3 years working as an Assistant Coach, I return to the role of Head Coach, extremely prepared to, take this project to the next level. I will start working with the team in the next few days, and in the coming weeks we will get to know each other better here!"''' <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/tacitusfps/status/1781060889182978347></a></blockquote> | |||
| "Tarzan" Joins Weibo Gaming (edit) | Weibo Gaming | 2024-05-13 5:33:40 PM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | League of Legends | Korean jungler "[[People/Tarzan|Tarzan]]" has joined [[Companies/Weibo Gaming|Weibo Gaming]]'s roster, transitioning from LNG Esports to bolster the team's performance in the upcoming Summer Split of the LPL. Weibo Gaming, on the other hand, struggled in the Spring Split, finishing sixth after a defeat to JDG. With Tarzan's expertise, Weibo Gaming hopes to reclaim their former glory and secure victories to qualify for international tournaments. The 2024 LPL Summer Split, beginning after MSI and concluding on May 19, will be a crucial battleground for Tarzan and his new team. He started his career at Griffin. Later joined LPL side LNG Esports. 24 year old joined Weibo after a 3 year stint at LNG Esports. | |||
| "tow b" Joins BIG (edit) | BIG Clan | 2024-07-19 11:44:40 AM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | [[Companies/BIG|BIG]] has announced the addition of Tobias "[[People/tow b|tow b]]" Herberhold as a performance coach, reuniting with the 40-year-old who previously served as head coach from 2019 to 2021. tow b returns to the team after a successful stint during the online era, where he played a key role in BIG's achievement of three major titles and reaching the pinnacle of world rankings at No. 1. He had stepped down from his position in early 2021 due to personal reasons. '''More:'''[[News/Muller & Phipps East Group Holdings Acquires Power League Gaming|Muller & Phipps East Group Holdings Acquires Power League Gaming]] Tobias "tow b" Herberhold began his coaching journey with ALTERNATE aTTaX in December 2016, he quickly transitioned to Seed in October 2017 before moving to Sprout in December of the same year. During his tenure at Sprout, which lasted until August 2019, he contributed significantly to their competitive strategies and team dynamics. Tow b's expertise then led him to BIG in August 2019, where he continued as a coach until January 2021. | |||
| "wippie" to Leave Cloud9 (edit) | Cloud9 | 2024-03-07 5:55:54 AM | Dante Uzel | [[Companies/Cloud9|Cloud9]] announced their decision to release Maxim "[[People/wippie|wippie]]" Shepelev. 24-year-old player joined G2 Esports in 2023. Russian player was a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player and made a transition to Valorant. He previously played for Version1 as well. Cloud9 will compete in Split 1 of the Americas League. Following the departure of "wippie" Cloud9 has only 4 players left in the roster, * Anthony "vanity" Malaspina * Erick "Xeppaa" Bach * Jake "jakee" Anderson * Francis "OXY" Hoang <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/C9VAL/status/1765483646419419579></a></blockquote> | |||||
| "Wonderful_Y" Banned for Cheating (edit) | FACEIT | 2024-04-24 4:13:04 PM | Dante Uzel | Business | Counter Strike | Following the release of Martin "[[People/STYKO|STYKO]]" Styk's video titled"The Best FACEIT Player is not who you think it is...," Dmytro "[[People/Wonderful_Y|Wonderful_Y]]" Horkusha has been banned from the [[Companies/FACEIT|FACEIT]] platform for 2 years. Notably, this ban comes just a day after FACEIT implemented its latest update to its anti-cheat client. He confessed to exploiting the sv_cheats bug, a glitch that briefly permitted cheat-protected commands to be activated through the console on public servers. He attributed his actions to this bug and attempted to draw parallels to the situation of the former Eternal Fire Academy duo, who also utilized the exploit. He stated '''"Alright , since we all here see now what’s going on. I will tell the truth what happened. I was praying every second that I won’t be banned after 2 bans of ETF."''' <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/wonderful_ycs/status/1783098039114072300></a></blockquote> During the ban period, Wonderful_Y will be barred from participating in any tournaments or events organized by FACEIT. The discovery that a player could utilize such sophisticated cheats without detection raises serious concerns about the effectiveness of the current measures aimed at ensuring fair play. It erodes the trust and credibility of esports competitions as a whole, and [[News/ALGS North American Regional Finals Played Secretly|recently we had remote-injected cheats during an Apex Legends Global Series.]] <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/STYKOcs/status/1783107238686786024></a></blockquote> | |||
| "Xyp9x" Joins MOUZ (edit) | MOUZ • Counter Strike | 2024-03-18 2:24:36 PM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | [[Companies/MOUZ|MOUZ]], the German esports organization, has announced that Andreas "[[People/Xyp9x|Xyp9x]]" Højsleth, a four-time Major winner from Astralis, will serve as the assistant coach. Xyp9x has already been working with the team for several days and will support head coach Dennis "sycrone" Nielsen at the PGL Major Copenhagen. The 28-year-old transitions to coaching after spending nearly a year on Astralis' bench since his removal from the team in April 2023. He stated " he said. '''"At the time, it was a hard pill to swallow. But once I started talks about coaching, once I started to get a different view on CS and team dynamics, I instantly got something else to think about."''' <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/mousesports/status/1769000679559799076></a></blockquote> | |||
| "Xyp9x" to Leave Astralis (edit) | Astralis • Counter Strike | 2024-03-12 9:12:16 AM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | [[Companies/Astralis|Astralis]] has announced the departure of Andreas "[[People/Xyp9x|Xyp9x]]" Højsleth from the organization. Xyp9x stated that he is moving on to "embark on a new project filled with promise and potential," without providing additional details. Xyp9x has been with Astralis since its establishment. '''"This journey has been life-defining, exceeding even my wildest dreams,"''' Xyp9x stated. '''"From our shared victories to the unbreakable bonds we've forged, Astralis has been my home and my heart."''' {{Twitter}url=https://twitter.com/Xyp9x/status/1767174320688701920}} | |||
| "zews" to Leave Team Liquid (edit) | Team Liquid • Counter Strike | 2024-06-27 9:57:29 AM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | [[Companies/Team Liquid|Team Liquid]] has announced the departure of Wilton "[[People/zews|zews]]" Prado from his role as head coach, effective immediately. This marks the second exit for Liquid, following Casper "cadiaN" Møller's benching earlier this month. The decision comes amidst disappointing results since Liquid's recent rebuilding efforts, which included the additions of Russel "Twistzz" Van Dulken and Felipe "skullz" Medeiros. Zews joined Liquid in December alongside Twistzz and skullz, raising hopes among fans for a revitalized roster. However, the team struggled to fulfill these expectations, failing to secure a top ten world ranking. Despite a strong initial showing, Liquid's hopes of qualifying for the PGL Major Copenhagen were dashed, highlighting ongoing inconsistencies against top-tier competition. Liquid did achieve playoff appearances at IEM Chengdu and ESL Pro League Season 19; however, reports indicated that the atmosphere within the team remained strained overall. '''More:'''[[News/Scaffold Secures $1.5m|Scaffold Secures $1.5m]] Wilton "zews" Prado began his coaching career in August 2015 with Games Academy, transitioning to Luminosity in November 2015 until July 2016, followed by a brief stint at SK Gaming until July 2016. He then joined Immortals until November 2016 before moving to Team Liquid in November 2016, where he stayed until December 2018. During this period, he also had a role with Yeah from January 2018 to March 2021. Zews later coached MIBR from December 2018 to March 2020 and Evil Geniuses from April 2020 to June 2021, briefly moving to inactive status with EG until August 2021. He returned to coaching with O Plano from September 2022 to January 2023, followed by a stint at Fluxo from January 2023 to July 2023. Zews rejoined Team Liquid in December 2023. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark" data-width="px"><a href=https://x.com/TeamLiquidCS/status/1805650248020508808></a></blockquote> | |||
| "Zyphon" to Leave Sprout (edit) | Sprout • Counter Strike | 2024-01-26 2:18:14 PM | Dante Uzel | Business | Counter Strike | [[Companies/Sprout|Sprout]] has officially announced the departure of Rasmus "Zyphon" Nordfoss from their active roster. He will be replaced by Daniil "Sdaim" Tupov. Rasmus "Zyphon" Nordfoss joined Sprout in 2022. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/sproutGG/status/1750579289055961204></a></blockquote> | |||
| "ZywOo" to Stay at Vitality (edit) | Team Vitality • Counter Strike | 2024-03-13 6:06:03 AM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | [[Companies/Team Vitality|Team Vitality]] has signed a significant contract extension with Mathieu "[[People/ZywOo|ZywOo]]" Herbaut, the leader of its roster. This agreement ensures that ZywOo will remain with the French esports organization until 2026. ZywOo stated, ""I have always seen Team Vitality as a family, where I can flourish and develop my full potential. I feel there's a strong sense of unity, it's my second home. I also wanted to stay because I believe strongly in our project, in my team. I think we have a brilliant lineup."" Since joining Vitality in 2018 as the best player of the organization's CS:GO team, ZywOo has solidified his position as one of the best players in the history of the Counter-Strike franchise. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/HLTVorg/status/1767480212025979095></a></blockquote> | |||
| 'stavn' and 'jabbi' benched by Heroic (edit) | Heroic | 2023-10-25 2:04:42 PM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market • Drama | Counter Strike | In a shocking move Heroic benched both "jabbi" and "stavn". [[News/Peter ‘dupreeh’ Rasmussen to Join Heroic|The organization recently signed Peter ‘dupreeh’ Rasmussen]] to fill in the shoes of Casper ‘cadiaN’ Møller. However, Heroic today revealed the reason for the transfer was the requests of "jabbi" and "stavn" to remove ‘cadiaN’ from the roster. Heroic stated that they had to choose between ‘cadiaN’ and the whole team and "jabbi" and "stavn" promised to extend their contracts following the departure of ‘cadiaN’. However, after being presented with the new contract, Heroic revealed that "jabbi" and "stavn" informed them that they are in negotiations with [[Companies/Astralis|Astralis]]. Heroic stated '''"Heroic is sad to announce that stavn and jabbi are temporarily removed from the starting lineup. This situation was the last thing we wished for, but circumstances have forced us to make this difficult decision. After Pro League, stavn and jabbi initiated a push to replace cadiaN, which came unexpectedly to both cadiaN and Heroic's management team. Mediation efforts were attempted, but the situation was brought to an ultimatum where Heroic had to choose between cadiaN and the rest of the team. stavn and jabbi agreed that if Heroic let cadiaN go, they would extend their contracts. With clear intentions from stavn and jabbi to extend, Heroic amicably allowed cadiaN to pursue a new path. The same day stavn and jabbi were presented with their new contracts they communicated having made future plans with Astralis. Their Heroic contracts had almost 10 months until expiration. While handeling the short term uncertainty and planning for a long term solution, Heroic's ambition is to bring stavn and jabbi back. Our performance staff have made a plan to support their potential return to the starting lineup. We are open to discussing transfers to organizations with a professional approach and an understanding of our players' market value. We aim to find a good path forward with a positive solution for everyone involved."''' <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/heroicgg/status/1717150704664449417></a></blockquote> | |||
| 00Nation Benched Tim "susp" Ångström and Nikolaj "niko" Kristensen (edit) | 00Nation | 2023-11-30 1:12:41 PM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | [[Companies/00Nation|00Nation]] announced their decision to bench Tim "susp" Ångström and Nikolaj "niko" Kristensen. The team won European Pro League Season 11 and Pinnacle Cup V this year also finished 3rd-4th place at CCT South America Series #8. The organization will go through a restructuring. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/zerozeronation/status/1729862788552810847></a></blockquote> | |||
| 00NATION Signed a New Roster (edit) | 00NATION | 2023-08-16 5:26:25 PM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | 00NATION announced their new CS: GO roster. The organization will be led by Thomas "birdfromsky" Due-Frederiksen, Florian "syrsoN" Rische and Jon "JDC" de Castro. 00Nation will be, Thomas "birdfromsky" Due-Frederiksen Florian "syrsoN" Rische Jon "JDC" de Castro Nikolaj "niko" Kristensen Tim "susp" Ångström | |||
| 100 Thieves Partners with Google Play and Niantic (edit) | 100 Thieves | 2024-07-04 8:42:49 PM | Dante Uzel | [[Companies/100 Thieves|100 Thieves]] has teamed up with Google Play and Niantic, the creator of Pokémon GO, for collaborations during Pokémon GO Fest 2024. Google Play will host various activities and experiences at the festival, including exclusive apparel drops and opportunities to meet 100 Thieves streamers. Pokémon GO is a free-to-play game that uses a freemium model with local advertising and in-app purchases for additional items. Initially launching with 150 Pokémon species, the game expanded to approximately 700 by 2021. While Pokémon GO received mixed reviews upon release—praised for its innovative concept but criticized for technical issues—the annual Pokémon GO Fest is virtual and real-world events across Japan, Spain, and the United States. This year's U.S. event will occur from July 5th to 7th and feature activations by 100 Thieves. '''More:'''[[News/NBA 2K League to Rebuild|NBA 2K League to Rebuild]] Kelsey Schultz, Director, Head of Sales Operations and Activations at 100 Thieves, stated '''“Pokémon GO Fest 2024: New York City provides the perfect backdrop for curating an experience for fans that blends gaming and lifestyle transpiring into unforgettable moments. Partnering with Google Play and Niantic, and having our 100 Thieves creators attend, showcases our shared commitment to bringing something special and exclusive to Google Play Points members.”''' | |||||
| 100 Thieves Reveals New Collection (edit) | 100 Thieves | 2024-05-29 11:46:34 AM | Dante Uzel | Adidas Originals and [[Companies/100 Thieves|100 Thieves]] are teaming up for their first merchandise collection, set to release on May 31. The collection includes apparel, footwear, and accessories, featuring a sneaker named the Rivalry Nadeshot after 100 Thieves' founder, Matthew "Nadeshot" Haag. Other items include a competition jersey, tracksuit, tee, socks, and a co-branded towel. The merch collection will be available on adidas.com, the Adidas app, and 100thieves.com. Adidas described the shoe as, “With a tonal off-white upper, gum rubber outsole, and co-branded details including lace charms and sock liners, as well as Nadeshot logos on the right heel mustache and tongues, the daring look is the 100 Thieves founder’s first-ever collaborative sneaker.” Also, Adidas revealed that in addition to Haag, "Valkyrae" and "CouRageJD" will represent 100 Thieves in thic collaboration. In early 2024, the company underwent a significant restructuring, which included the [[News/100 Thieves Sold Juvee!|sale of its energy drink brand Juvee to Sprecher Brewing]]. | |||||
| 100 Thieves Sold Juvee! (edit) | 100 Thieves | 2024-01-19 3:40:52 PM | Dante Uzel | Mergers and Acquisitions | [[Companies/100 Thieves|100 Thieves]] announced the sale of Juvee beverage brand to Sprecher Brewing. Juvee will be relocated to Greater Milwaukee. The financial details of the deal were not revealed. Co-founder Sam Keene stated '''"We’ve experienced incredible growth since Juvee’s launch and this acquisition will help the brand reach more of our passionate consumers, while also introducing them to the full family of Sprecher beverages. I’m thrilled for Juvee to find a new home at Sprecher and ready to bring the same energy to the company’s marketing team.”''' | ||||
| 100 Thieves to Refocus (edit) | 100 Thieves | 2023-11-03 4:42:10 PM | Dante Uzel | Business | According to recent reports, [[Companies/100 Thieves|100 Thieves]] will go through a restructuring within the company. The company said it will spin off the energy drink brand Juvee and downsize the game development team. The organization aims to shift the business to its core. John Robinson stated '''"Today we announced that we’re spinning off Juvee and our 100 Thieves Game Development studio, and reducing the size of the 100 Thieves team. We’re making these changes because we believe it’s time for 100 Thieves to refocus on our core business and do less, better.During the esports franchising era, we saw tremendous growth in our esports business & our brand and were fortunate to be able to make investments beyond that core. As the economic landscape has changed over the last two years, the growth of our business did not keep pace with the growth of our organization."''' <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/RohnJobinson/status/1720166204441264296></a></blockquote> | ||||
| 100 Thieves Unveils New Jersey (edit) | 100 Thieves • Adidas | 2024-01-12 5:09:38 PM | Dante Uzel | Business | [[Companies/100 Thieves|100 Thieves]] announced their new jersey in partnership with Adidas Originals. The new jerseys will be used by the VALORANT and LoL rosters. COO John Robinson stated '''“100 Thieves is happy to join the Adidas family. We’re excited to share more of what’s to come later in the year.”''' <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/100Thieves/status/1745838061819433295></a></blockquote> | ||||
| 1SP Agency to Acquire Renaissance PR (edit) | 1SP Agency | 2024-02-14 12:22:56 PM | Dante Uzel | Mergers and Acquisitions | 1SP has acquired Renaissance PR, a UK-based PR firm, as part of its strategy to establish a comprehensive agency covering the technology and gaming industries. The financial details of the deal were not revealed by parties. Renaissance PR, led by former [[Companies/Ubisoft|Ubisoft]] PR veteran Stefano Petrullo, has represented numerous notable clients including Curve Games, Futurlab, and Tencent, among others. Petrullo stated '''"The industry will survive and continue to grow, despite all that has happened recently. It is clear there is money in the industry and capital is getting invested, but in a more curated way. And gamers want new great titles all the time."''' | ||||
| 1WIN Reveals New Roster (edit) | 1WIN • Counter Strike | 2024-04-05 5:53:47 PM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | Russian organization [[Companies/1WIN|1WIN]] revealed its new roster. The organization signed notable names such as Sanzhar "[[People/neaLaN|neaLaN]]" Iskhakov and Timur "[[Companies/buster|buster]]" Tulepov. "buster" previously played for Virtus.pro and "neaLaN" player for GamerLegion. "lattykk" last played for Aurora and "Ryujin" played for ARCRED. The Russian organization signed a roster with CIS names, * Timur "buster" Tulepov * Sanzhar "neaLaN" Iskhakov * Vladislav "lattykk" Vydrin * Boris "Ryujin" Kim * Rassim "Jyo" Valijev <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/1winesports/status/1776234331498762414></a></blockquote> | |||
| 1win Series Dota 2 Spring Announced (edit) | 1win | 2024-03-13 6:07:16 AM | Dante Uzel | More | Dota 2 | 1win is set to launch a new Dota 2 tournament, called1win Series Dota 2 Spring featuring a prize pool of $100k. The inaugural 1win Series Dota 2 Spring tournament will unfold from March 16th to March 19th, the event will have teams such as Team Spirit, Team Liquid, and Virtus.pro. The event's structure will split these teams into two groups, employing a GSL format for the matches. This means a double-elimination bracket will be in place, allowing teams up to three chances to advance to the subsequent phase. A team will be ousted from the competition after two losses. | |||
| 1win Series Dota 2 Summer Winners Crowned (edit) | Dota 2 | 2024-07-01 1:38:24 PM | Dante Uzel | More | Dota 2 | The 1win Series Dota 2 Summer tournament concluded after a four-day online battle among eight teams. [[Companies/Team Spirit|Team Spirit]] emerged victorious in the Grand Final against European contenders Gaimin Gladiators, securing a $50k share of the $100k prize pool. This event marks the second tournament organized by bookmaker [[Companies/1win|1win]], following the debut of the 1win Series Dota 2 Spring event in March. Throughout the initial three days of the tournament, organizers faced challenges with Twitch. Multiple broadcast channels were unexpectedly suspended by the platform, with no explanation provided by [[Companies/Twitch|Twitch]]. The company stated '''"On the debut day of the 1win Series Dota 2 Summer one of our main channels was blocked. We immediately used the backup channel and started broadcasting on it. There were no problems until the end of the matches. On the same day, we filed an appeal to unblock the channel, and at the time of publishing this text, Twitch has not made a decision. On the second day of the 1win Series Dota 2 Summer, our backup channel was blocked. Similar to the previous time, we filled out an official form and are waiting for a response from the site.” ''' <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/1win_dota_2/status/1807011035825438729></a></blockquote> | |||
| 2023 IMSA Esports Global Championship Announced (edit) | IMSA | 2023-10-13 11:50:13 AM | Dante Uzel | More | The International Motor Sports Association announced the 2023 IMSA Esports Global Championship in partnership with iRacing. The event will be a multi-driver, multi-class racing and will feature iRacing’s models of the new GTP hybrids including the Acura ARX-06, BMW M Hybrid V8, Cadillac V-Series.R, and Porsche 963. The event will include Acura, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche brands. Tony Gardner, president of iRacing.com stated '''“Our partnership with IMSA enables more than 230,000 iRacers around the world to race virtual versions of the world’s fastest sports cars on the great North American road courses featured in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship and IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. The IMSA Esports Global Championship continues our great partnership with IMSA as well as with many of the world’s leading makers of high performance sports cars.”''' | ||||
| 2024 Roland-Garros eSeries Announced (edit) | Roland-Garros | 2024-03-08 11:07:32 AM | Dante Uzel | More | The French Tennis Federation has announced the launch of the 2024 Roland-Garros eSeries presented by Renault, the event will feature Tennis Clash. Scheduled for May 25th, the seventh installment of the tournament will feature open qualifiers. Renault, is named as the presenting partner of the Roland-Garros Tennis eSeries, while Mastercard, is named an official partner. Both companies' logos will be displayed during matches. Stéphane Barbat, Renault Global Marketing Partnership Director, spoke on partnering with the event: '''“We are very proud to become the title partner of Roland-Garros eSeries and to support the development of this esport competition. Video gaming has become an inevitable intergenerational activity and a popular brand like Renault naturally finds its place in it. For this occasion, we will provide Tennis Cash players with exclusive racket strings branded with Renault 5 colours, allowing them to boost their stamina and strength attributes.”''' | ||||
| 2025 League of Legends World Championship Details Revealed (edit) | League of Legends | 2024-10-25 12:09:04 AM | Dante Uzel | Business | League of Legends | [[Companies/Riot Games|Riot Games]] has confirmed that the 2025 League of Legends World Championship will take place in China, marking the event's third occurrence in the country. The announcement was made during a sponsorship extension event with smartphone manufacturer OPPO. The 2017 championship featured matches in four cities: Wuhan, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing, culminating in the final at the Bird’s Nest arena. In 2020, the tournament was hosted in Shanghai amid the COVID-19 pandemic. '''More:'''[[News/MAD Lions KOI Rebranded as KOI|MAD Lions KOI Rebranded as KOI]] The exact host cities for the 2025 event will be revealed at a later date. The announcement coincided with the launch of OPPO's Find X8 series of mobile phones in Chengdu, where the extended partnership between OPPO and Riot Games was also disclosed, allowing OPPO to remain a global partner of League of Legends esports. | |||
| 21% of EU Game Industry Laid Off (edit) | Game Industry | 2024-11-06 3:07:08 PM | Dante Uzel | Business | According to the latest Big Games Industry Employment Survey, about 15% of games industry workers in Europe were laid off and found new jobs in 2023/2024, while 6.2% were still looking for work. The survey also found that 10% of games professionals switched to jobs in other industries. Certain roles, including HR, recruitment, QA, and artists, were more prone to layoffs. The survey highlighted a pay discrepancy between EU and non-EU countries, with most salaries increasing in 2024, though some roles, particularly HR, recruiting, and QA, saw salary declines. Tanja Loktionova, founder of Values Value, noted that senior HR professionals, recruiters, QA specialists, mid-level business developers, and junior roles were most affected by layoffs and salary drops. The Big Games Industry Employment Survey found that burnout, unprofessional management, and poor work-life balance were the most common reasons for job dissatisfaction. Remote work remains high, with 57% of EU companies offering it, and 75% in non-EU European countries. Additionally, 54% of game developers reported using AI in their daily work and finding it helpful, up from 37% last year. | ||||
| 2weeks Secures $1.25m (edit) | 2weeks | 2024-08-02 5:53:09 PM | Dante Uzel | Investments | 2weeks, a newly established studio, has announced it has secured $1.25 million in pre-seed funding. The funding round was led by A16Z, which also welcomed 2weeks into its accelerator program, Speedrun. Additional contributions came from Anorak Ventures, Blue Heron Ventures, as well as notable individuals including Brendan Iribe, Ben 'CohhCarnage' Cassel, Art Min, Nate Mitchell, Nirav Patel, and Jamie Stormbreaker. '''More:'''[[News/Intel to Fire 15,000 Employees|Intel to Fire 15,000 Employees]] The capital will be used to advance the development of more projects at the studio, which specializes in short, experimental web-based titles. Founded in late June by AAA veterans Brandon Dillon and Richard Foge, 2weeks has already released its debut title, "Homestretch Bet." | ||||
| 2XKO Announced by Riot Games (edit) | Riot Games | 2024-02-26 9:44:42 AM | Dante Uzel | [[Companies/Riot Games|Riot Games]] has revealed the title of its upcoming fighting game set in the League of Legends universe: 2XKO. Formerly known as Project L, 2XKO marks Riot's inaugural venture into the fighting game genre. Riot described it as a 2v2 tag-fighter, 2XKO has been showcased within the fighting game community since its initial announcement in 2021, with a playable demo presented at EVO last year. Today's announcement includes some updates, such as team expansion, a detailed roadmap, and a projected launch window for 2XKO. Additionally, Riot Games plans to take the game on a global tour throughout 2024, making appearances at various events worldwide to garner feedback from the. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/Play2XKO/status/1760703498465726729></a></blockquote> | |||||
| 30 Teams Joins to Esports World Cup Club Support Program (edit) | Esports World Cup | 2024-05-07 5:19:07 PM | Dante Uzel | Business | Esports World Cup revealed 30 esports organizations selected for the Esports World Cup Club Support Program. The Club Support programme was announced in February by the EWC Foundation as a means to provide financial backing to esports teams on a yearly basis. While specifics regarding fund allocation remain undisclosed, eligible organizations will receive substantial financial support, described as a 'six-figure' investment annually. This funding is intended for enhancing infrastructure, expanding into new esports domains, fostering content creation, and other relevant endeavors. '''More:'''[[News/Sony Forced to Remove Helldivers 2 Log-in Requirement|Sony Forced to Remove Helldivers 2 Log-in Requirement]] EWCF officials stated '''"The EWCF Club Support Program is a pioneering initiative designed to promote the creation of sustainable infrastructure for multidisciplinary esports Clubs. Furthermore, the program empowers esports Clubs to expand their investment across more games, providing impactful career opportunities and competitive support to athletes around the world. As members of the EWCF Club Support Program, these esports organizations can receive six-figure funding to enter into new esports titles at the highest level, diversifying their competitive footprint and providing more opportunities for esports athletes."''' Selected teams are, * [[Companies/100 Thieves|100 Thieves]] * [[Companies/Blacklist International|Blacklist International]] * [[Companies/Cloud9|Cloud9]] * [[Companies/FaZe Clan|FaZe Clan]] * [[Companies/Fnatic|Fnatic]] * [[Companies/FURIA|FURIA]] * [[Companies/G2 Esports|G2 Esports]] * [[Companies/Gaimin Gladiators|Gaimin Gladiators]] * [[Companies/Gen.G Esports|Gen.G Esports]] * [[Companies/Guild Esports|Guild Esports]] * [[Companies/Karmine Corp|Karmine Corp]] * [[Companies/KOI|KOI]] * [[Companies/LGD Gaming|LGD Gaming]] * [[Companies/LOUD|LOUD]] * [[Companies/OG|OG]] * [[Companies/Natus Vincere|Natus Vincere]] * [[Companies/Ninjas in Pyjamas|Ninjas in Pyjamas]] * [[Companies/NRG Esports|NRG Esports]] * [[Companies/Spacestation Gaming|Spacestation Gaming]] * [[Companies/T1|T1]] * [[Companies/Talon Esports|Talon Esports]] * [[Companies/Team Falcons|Team Falcons]] * [[Companies/Team Liquid|Team Liquid]] * [[Companies/Team Secret|Team Secret]] * [[Companies/Team Vitality|Team Vitality]] * [[Companies/TSM|TSM]] * [[Companies/Tundra Esports|Tundra Esports]] * [[Companies/Twisted Minds|Twisted Minds]] * [[Companies/Virtus.pro|Virtus.pro]] * [[Companies/Weibo Gaming|Weibo Gaming]] | ||||
| 343 Rebrands as Halo Studios (edit) | Halo | 2024-10-07 11:39:56 AM | Dante Uzel | Business | [[Companies/Microsoft|Microsoft]] has announced significant changes at 343 Industries, now rebranded as Halo Studios. The studio will transition from its proprietary Slipspace Engine to Unreal Engine 5, enabling development of multiple new titles in the Halo series. Leaders from Halo Studios cited the benefits of hiring staff experienced with a widely-used engine and the need to reduce resources dedicated to maintaining Slipspace. The team is collaborating with Epic Games to adapt Unreal Engine for Halo's requirements. "The way we made Halo games before doesn't necessarily work as well for the way we want to make games for the future," said Halo Studios COO Elizabeth van Wyck. "So part of the conversation we had was about how we help the team focus on making games, versus making the tools and the engines." | ||||
| 500 Reveals New Roster (edit) | 500 Esports | 2023-11-07 4:33:34 PM | Dante Uzel | Transfer Market | Counter Strike | The Bulgarian organization [[Companies/500|500]] has confirmed the departure of Nikolay "niki1" Panteleev and Kalin "KalubeR" Erenditsov, while Ivan "Patrick" Ivanov is set to rejoin the lineup from the bench. Additionally, the former coach, Grashog, is stepping in to assume the role of in-game leader (IGL) to finalize the roster. The team was able to qualify for BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 Europe RMR B. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="px"><a href=https://twitter.com/500esports/status/1721623857348411639></a></blockquote> | |||
| 505 Games Shuts Down Studios Across Europe (edit) | 505 Games • Embracer Group | 2024-03-01 8:57:59 AM | Dante Uzel | [[Companies/505 Games|505 Games]], as part of its ongoing restructuring efforts, has revealed intentions to close down its offices located in France, Germany, and Spain. This strategic move comes following Digital Bros, the parent company of 505 Games, announcing in November its decision to reduce its workforce by 30%, which encompassed staff members at 505 Games as well. The shutting down of offices in various European countries will affect 10 employees according to reports. [[News/Remedy to Acquire Control Rights|505 Games recently sold the rights of Control to Remedy for $17m.]] | |||||
| 52 Entertainment Acquires Blackout (edit) | 52 Entertainment | 2024-09-11 5:04:01 PM | Dante Uzel | Mergers and Acquisitions | 52 Entertainment has acquired Barcelona-based casual games studio Blackout. This move is expected to enhance 52 Entertainment’s portfolio and extend its global footprint, bringing millions of new players into its community. Blackout, known for popular titles such as Bubble Shooter, Rainbow, Word Search Quest, and Spades, has over 19.6 million monthly players and has achieved more than 344 million downloads. '''More:'''[[News/PlayStation 5 Pro Revealed|PlayStation 5 Pro Revealed]] Blackout CEO Michel de Voronine said, '''“This acquisition is an exciting step for our studio and will allow us to work together to pool our expertise and the resources needed to continue developing high-quality casual games. This will bring more opportunities for our players to be able to enjoy even better games.” ''' 52 Entertainment President and CEO Olivier Comte commented, '''“I am absolutely thrilled to announce the acquisition of Blackout. This new chapter strengthens our position as a leader in the online gaming industry and marks a turning point in our quest for innovation and diversification.”''' | ||||
| 7SEA to Join Skyesports Masters CS:GO (edit) | Source: 7Sea Esports | 7Sea • Skyesports • India | 2023-06-12 12:56:01 PM | Dante Uzel | More | Counter Strike | Indian organization 7Sea, will make its debut in the CS: GO scene by participating in the Skyesports Masters, a franchised league in India. The tournament will feature eight franchised teams, is scheduled to run from July to August 2023. This marks 7Sea's inaugural CS: GO roster and the organization's first venture into PC. | ||
| 8Bit Creatives Partners with iQOO (edit) | 8Bit | 2024-12-03 1:23:13 PM | Dante Uzel | Business | 8 Bit Creatives has announced a major partnership with iQOO, the Chinese smartphone brand, marking a landmark collaboration in the Indian gaming industry. As part of the agreement, iQOO will acquire the naming rights to three esports teams under the Bit Creatives umbrella: 8Bit Esports, Reckoning Esports, and Revenant Xspark. While specific terms of the deal were not disclosed, both companies have confirmed that this partnership represents the largest naming rights deal in the history of Indian gaming. 8Bit Creatives, a talent management agency in India, is well-known for representing a wide range of players, content creators, and influencers. In the esports sector, it manages several high-profile teams, including its own esports organization, 8Bit Esports. '''More:'''[[News/ESIC Reveals Astralis Ruling|ESIC Reveals Astralis Ruling]] iQOO, which stands for "I Quest On and On," is owned by Vivo and has already established a strong foothold in the Indian market. The deal builds on iQOO's previous partnership with Team iQOO Soul, another esports brand under Bit Creatives, solidifying the company's continued expansion in India's esports landscape. | ||||
| 8SEC Secures €1.5m (edit) | 8SEC | 2024-01-30 5:02:31 PM | Dante Uzel | Investments | Kwalee has invested €1.5m in the French mobile studio 8SEC, acquiring a stake in the company. As part of the investment, Kwalee's CFO Matthew Farrow and VP of mobile publishing John Wright will join 8SEC's board. 8SEC will retain its independence and continue its operations from its two studios in Paris and Lyon. Kwalee’s CEO David Darling stated '''"We're delighted to invest in talented game studios like 8SEC, expand our reach in the market and collaborate to help them reach even greater success."''' | ||||
| 9-year-old Arrested for Imitating WARZONE (edit) | Call of Duty | 2024-03-19 7:26:45 AM | Dante Uzel | Business | Call of Duty | A child has been arrested in Utah USA for mudering his own father. According to police discovered documents suggest that the boy may have been influenced by playing Call of Duty: Warzone, as the weapons used in the alleged murder—a handgun and a tomahawk-style hatchet—resemble those in the game. The incident occurred after the victim and his son went to bed early in a shared room. The boy later emerged from the room and alerted other residents that his father was bleeding. The victim was found with gunshot wounds to the back of his head and lacerations on his head, face, hands, and arms, described as defensive wounds. Law enforcement found a discharged handgun and a blood-covered hatchet at the scene. The arrest warrant suggests that the boy had behavioral issues. | |||
| 9INE Partners with LEON.BET (edit) | 9INE | 2024-05-24 11:40:11 AM | Dante Uzel | Business | [[Companies/9INE|9INE]] has partnered with online casino and sportsbook LEON.BET, designating LEON.BET as its official online betting partner. The collaboration will involve content creation and the integration of 9INE into LEON.BET's platform. Accoding to release the objective is to merge 9INE's competitive fan base with LEON.BET's betting platform to enhance the esports experience. This initiative will introduce fresh betting prospects and offer exclusive behind-the-scenes content for esports enthusiasts. '''More:'''[[News/Piotr "nawrot" Nawrocki to Leave 9INE|Piotr "nawrot" Nawrocki to Leave 9INE]] Officials stated '''"We are extremely happy to start our cooperation with 9INE. Recent changes to their roster show huge potential, and we at LEON.BET want to be part of that journey, together with 9INE, we will create a fantastic space for esports enthusiasts. Supporting young talents is at the core of LEON.BET’s development strategy, and we see great future and prospects in this path.”''' | ||||
| A16Z Games Invests $75m (edit) | A16Z | 2024-04-04 2:07:37 PM | Dante Uzel | Investments | A16Z Games has committed $75m to its third annual Speedrun Tech x Games accelerator. The program, spanning 12 weeks, targets early-stage startups lacking funding and will take place in Los Angeles from July 29 to October 20. In addition to its initial investment in pre-seed startups, A16Z plans to boost its individual investment in each chosen company to $750k. Officials stated '''"Our Speedrun program not only provides capital support, but also a team of operators and partners who have worked across the games industry and can equip them with the knowledge that help them go from zero to launch,"''' | ||||
| Abios Obtains Swedish License (edit) | Source: Abios | Abios | 2023-06-07 3:45:22 PM | Dante Uzel | Business | Abios, has obtained a B2B permit to offer its products and services to licensed operators in Sweden. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kambi Group plc, Abios secured a five-year permit from Spelinspektionen, enabling it to deliver esports solutions until June 30, 2028. Oskar Fröberg, CEO and Founder of Abios, stated “Being a company born and bred in Stockholm, we’re happy to acquire a B2B permit in Sweden and continue servicing our clients." “One of our core missions is to enable the sustainable growth of the regulated esports market. Unlicensed operators often lack the robust safeguards against money laundering, problem gambling and payment solutions that governments require of regulated sportsbooks." | |||
| Abios partners Svenska Spel (edit) | Abios | 2024-10-16 11:18:55 PM | Dante Uzel | Business | Abios has partnered with Svenska Spel to provide its full esoccer offering, including odds, streams, and widgets. The service covers over 12,000 matches monthly, utilizing real-time data from official rights holders and automated models managed by a trading team. According to release, Svenska Spel is a leading operator in Sweden’s regulated market, with a significant online presence and sponsorship of various sports. Anton Janér, Managing Director and Co-founder of Abios, said: “As a company founded in Stockholm, we’re incredibly happy to power Svenska Spel, one of the most well-known brands within Swedish sports. Esoccer has grown rapidly for us in recent months, and it is exciting to see that the novel product features we’ve rolled out have gained traction and boosted results for our partners.” | ||||
| Abios Partners with Apollo (edit) | Abios | 2024-12-12 4:44:30 PM | Dante Uzel | Business | [[Companies/Abios|Abios]] has announced a new partnership with Apollo, a North American gaming media platform. Through this collaboration, Abios will provide Apollo with a wealth of data to support its League of Legends vertical, offering a range of pre-match and in-play statistics from various tournaments. This data will power Apollo’s upcoming platform, which aims to deliver comprehensive esports coverage, including a fantasy sports feature where users can compete against one another for cash prizes. Apollo is a social platform designed for esports fans, enabling them to interact with each other while gaining access to real-time data across a variety of esports titles. The platform will feature live data from major tournaments, providing users with in-depth insights to enhance their experience. '''More:'''[[News/Prodigy Solutions Revealed|Prodigy Solutions Revealed]] Anton Janér, Co-founder and Managing Director of Abios, shared his thoughts on the partnership: “Our mission is to facilitate the growth of esports by providing the underlying infrastructure and building blocks to make great products come to life.” | ||||
| Abios Partners with Betinvest (edit) | Abios | 2024-02-23 9:46:26 AM | Dante Uzel | Business | FIFA | [[Companies/Abios|Abios]], a leading provider of esports odds, has forged a partnership with Betinvest, a renowned sportsbook solutions provider. Through this collaboration, Abios will leverage data from matches featured in Betinvest's CyberLive! Arena and Esport Pro Club circuits on EA Sports FC. This strategic move grants Abios access to 11,100 monthly EA Sports FC matches, enabling the company to use the data. Oskar Bonnevier Fröberg, Founder and Managing Director of Abios, stated '''“Abios has recently taken significant strides to facilitate our esoccer product reaching new heights."''' | |||
| Abios Partners with Buffed.bet (edit) | Source: Abios | Abios • Bet | 2023-06-22 1:39:39 PM | Dante Uzel | Companies | Abios announced a new partnership with Buffed.bet. Abios will power Buffed.bet’s new platform with esports data. Tom Wade, CEO and Founder of Buffed.bet stated “We are extremely excited about our partnership with Abios. With the sheer volume of quality, accurate data, we can superpower our match pages to show bettors some really useful insights without them being required to leave the platform. As a small team, the ability for us to incorporate these statistics via widgets without extensive development and tricky integrations was vital.” | |||
| Abios Partners with Oyawin (edit) | Abios • Oyawin | 2023-09-26 2:46:23 PM | Dante Uzel | Business | Abios announced a new partnership with Nigerian Oyawin. The betting deal will encompass CS:GO, League of Legends and VALORANT. Oskar Bonnevier Fröberg, CEO and Founder of Abios stated “To support the growth of esports in Nigeria, we’re delighted to supply Oyawin with our esports odds, statistics and data visualizations. It allows Nigerian bettors to discover and get access to engaging content for the largest tournaments in esports.” | ||||
| Abios Reveals Esoccer Odds (edit) | Abios | 2023-08-29 10:18:13 AM | Dante Uzel | Business | Abios announced its esoccer offs offering in partnership with BETER. Oskar Fröberg, CEO and Founder of Abios stated “With long experience creating highly technical data-driven products and data visualisations, we wanted to combine our different product arms to create something unique. As such, we are very happy to announce our new all-in-one product for esoccer, developed in collaboration with BETER." Evgeniy Bekker, General Manager at BETER Esports, stated “Esports contests can help operators fill gaps in the sports calendars, creating new opportunities for acquisition and retention. That said, having access to quality data is essential for creating an immersive esports betting experience. Therefore, it’s vital for providers to utilize official data and collaborate with trustworthy partners." | ||||
| Absurd Ventures Reveals New Studio (edit) | Absurd Ventures | 2024-09-13 2:10:52 PM | Dante Uzel | Business | Absurd Ventures has announced the establishment of a new development studio, Absurd Marin, led by Bret Robbins, the former founder and game director of Ascendant Studios. The studio, located in San Rafael, California, is set to focus on a new story-driven adventure title based on an unannounced intellectual property (IP). This project marks a fresh direction for Robbins and his team, separate from Absurd Ventures' other current endeavor. Absurd Ventures is also developing a separate project within the universe of "A Better Paradise." Both the Absurd Marin and "A Better Paradise" projects are currently in the early stages of development, as clarified in the announcement. '''More:'''[[News/Unity to Scrap Runtime Fee|Unity to Scrap Runtime Fee]] This news follows a challenging period for Ascendant Studios, the previous developer behind the 2023 title "Immortals of Aveum." The game faced disappointing sales, leading to the significant reduction of the studio’s workforce by 45% in September of the previous year. | ||||
| Acend Partners with Yaasa (edit) | Acend • Yaasa | 2023-10-03 4:21:28 PM | Dante Uzel | Business | Acend announced a new partnership with Yaasa. Yaasa Play gaming furniture will outfit the Acend headquarters. Benjamin Rolle stated “I am thrilled to announce a groundbreaking partnership between Acend and Yaasa, the trailblazers in gaming desk production. The Yaasa Play desks provide optimal comfort and focus during intense gaming or working sessions, impeccable cable management systems and boast a sleek design that amplifies any gaming setup. Our players have tested them throughout intense bootcamp sessions and the gaming desks from Yaasa helped them perform under heavy workload. We are extremely grateful to have such great products in our facility.” | ||||
| Acer Partners with Lets Game Now (edit) | Acer | 2024-10-28 10:28:51 PM | Dante Uzel | Business | Acer has partnered with Indian esports platform Lets Game Now (LGN) to enhance its presence in India's collegiate gaming scene through the RUDRA programme. Named after the Sanskrit word for "roarer," RUDRA connects college students with the gaming industry, offering insights into careers like game design and esports management. The programme has hosted leagues in VALORANT and Battlegrounds Mobile India, as well as offline tournaments in FIFA and Tekken. '''More:'''[[News/NRG Partners with Spectrum|NRG Partners with Spectrum]] LGN, based in Bengaluru and founded in 2014, focuses on game development, tournament hosting, and community engagement, reaching esports fans in 18 countries and partnering with companies like HP and Sony. Acer, a multinational electronics brand, has been active in esports, collaborating this year with ESL FACEIT Group, esports organization BIG, and Esports Wales. | ||||
| Achieveminds Partners with Dropi (edit) | Achieveminds • Dropi | 2023-11-01 2:12:22 PM | Dante Uzel | Business | Performance agency [[Companies/Achieveminds|Achieveminds]] announced a new partnership with supplement brand Dropi. Achieveminds was founded by Fabian Broich former EXCEL ESPORTS’ Head of Performance. Through this partnership, Achieveminds aims to bring supplements to players and coaches. Achieveminds stated '''"We firmly believe that success in esports is not just about skill, but also about maintaining an optimal health and mental state. That's why we chose to partner with Dropi, a company renowned for its premium Icelandic fish oil. Fish oil is recognized for its wide-ranging benefits, from boosting cognitive function and reducing stress to improving stamina and energy levels - all crucial elements for peak performance in high-stakes esports competitions. Dropi's fish oil is not only beneficial for health and performance; it integrates seamlessly into daily routines. This partnership perfectly aligns with Achieveminds’ mission to provide comprehensive, streamlined solutions for enhancing esports performance."''' |
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