

eSports
Two more F1 drivers join the grid for penultimate Virtual Grand Prix
Following this week’s announcement that Formula 1 will start the 2020 season on July 3-5 in Austria, the sport’s return to action will see the F1 Esports – Virtual Grand Prix series draw to a close with two final events.
This Sunday’s Virtual Azerbaijan Grand Prix (7 June) will see eight current F1 drivers take to the grid, before the series finale in the Virtual Canada Grand Prix the following weekend (14 June). The Virtual Grands Prix Series has seen over 22million fans tune in so far to watch their favourite F1 drivers battle it out, alongside a host of big names from the sporting and celebrity world, in a time where actual racing was not possible.
This weekend will see Sergio Perez and Pierre Gasly make their Esports debuts in the Virtual Azerbaijan Grand Prix as they join six other F1 drivers including Williams’ George Russell, who is attempting to make it a third consecutive win after his victory in Monaco. Fellow F1 drivers Alex Albon, Antonio Giovinazzi, Nicholas Latifi, Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris also return to the grid after previous Virtual Grand Prix appearances.
Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte will be taking to the track for the first time as the Premier League winner teams up with Formula 3 driver Oscar Piastri for Renault, whilst AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma joins Pierre Gasly at AlphaTauri. Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois makes his fourth Virtual Grand Prix appearance, continuing his partnership with Antonio Giovinazzi for Alfa Romeo, with Former Dakar Rally World Champion, Matthias Walkner making his debut for Red Bull.
Sunday’s race will fall on the weekend originally scheduled for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with the participants competing on the Baku City Circuit on F1 2019, the official videogame developed by Codemasters. Drivers will join the race remotely, with a host broadcast live from the Gfinity Esports Arena from 6:00pm (BST) on Sunday 7 June.
The live broadcast, which is available on the official Formula 1 YouTube, Twitch and Facebook channels as well as Weibo and Huya channels in China, is expected to run for 1 hour 30 minutes. A qualifying period where grid positions will be determined based on the drivers’ fastest lap time will be followed by a 26-lap race. The Virtual Grand Prix will also be shown live with international broadcast partners in over 100 countries including in the UK on Sky Sports, in the US on ESPN, and FOX Sports Asia.
The F1 Esports Pro Exhibition race featuring the official F1 teams’ professional esports gamers will precede the Virtual Grand Prix and is set to begin at 5:00pm (BST). The broadcast will be available on the official Formula 1 YouTube, Twitch and Facebook channels as well as selected TV broadcasters and is expected to run for 1 hour. The Formula 2 Virtual Racing event, featuring F2 and F3 drivers, will also be live on the official Formula 1 YouTube and Twitch channels and TV broadcasters from 4:00pm (BST).
Julian Tan, Head of Digital Business Initiatives and Esports said:
“We are immensely proud of the Virtual Grand Prix series, which allowed us to bring Formula 1 to fans around the world, in a time when actual racing was not possible. We are very grateful to the teams and drivers that have taken part in the series to date and look forward to ending the series with a bang in the coming weeks as we all gear up to kick off the 2020 Formula 1 World Championship season in Austria. Great momentum has been gathered as part of our Virtual Grands Prix Series and we are excited to build on this momentum in our esports strategy going forward.”
Full line-up:
Team |
Driver 1 |
Driver 2 |
Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN | Antonio Giovinazzi | Thibaut Courtois |
Scuderia AlphaTauri | Pierre Gasly | Gianluigi Donnarumma |
FDA Hublot Esports Team | Charles Leclerc | Enzo Fittipaldi |
Haas F1 Team | Pietro Fittipaldi | Louis Deletraz |
McLaren Racing | Lando Norris | Ben Daly (Tiametmarduk) |
Mercedes-AMG Petronas | Esteban Gutierrez | Anthony Davidson |
BWT Racing Point | Sergio Perez | Jimmy Broadbent |
Red Bull Racing | Alex Albon | Matthias Walkner |
Renault | Oscar Piastri | Aymeric Laporte |
Williams Racing | George Russell | Nicholas Latifi
|
eSports
PlayVS Announces Multi-year Partnership with Zenni Optical

PlayVS, the leading esports platform in North America, announced a multi-year partnership with Zenni Optical, the world’s leading online eyewear retailer. This partnership establishes Zenni as the official eyewear partner of PlayVS, bringing exclusive benefits to PlayVS’ esports community.
As part of this collaboration, Zenni will serve as the official eyewear partner of the PlayVS Cup, the annual national esports championship for high school students. The Cup provides top scholastic esports teams from across the country with an opportunity to compete for a national title and earn recognition and awards, including college scholarships. Zenni’s partnership will help power scholarship prizes for Cup finalists, furthering PlayVS’ dedication to empowering students and supporting their educational and athletic ambitions. These scholarships not only aid with alleviating financial strain, but also highlight esports as a viable pathway to academic and professional success.
Zenni’s eyewear will also be included in the prize packages that PlayVS Cup champions and PlayVS Awards winners receive, providing students with high quality eyewear to complement their gaming performance. Additionally, Zenni will offer members of the PlayVS community exclusive discounts on eyewear.
“We are excited to partner with PlayVS and expand our ongoing support of the gaming and esports community. Empowering a dedicated high school esports program that not only will generate awareness around the importance of eye health to a new generation of gamers but also support their academic pursuits is such an amazing opportunity for Zenni to partner with,” said Robb Chiarini, Head of Partnerships, Licensing, & Events at Zenni Optical.
Through this partnership, Zenni will also be integrated into PlayVS’ content series, Road to the PlayVS Cup, a set of videos showcasing different esports programs across the nation as they compete to earn a spot in the PlayVS Cup.
“Partnering with Zenni is a natural fit for us as we continue to grow the high school esports community. Zenni shares our commitment to supporting students in both esports and academics. By joining forces with Zenni, we’re empowering students with scholarships and enabling them to partake in healthy competition to foster their esports careers. We’re excited to work together and bring Zenni’s eyewear to our community of gamers,” said Jon Chapman, CEO of PlayVS.
The post PlayVS Announces Multi-year Partnership with Zenni Optical appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
eSports
Genius Sports Signs Partnerships with Bayes Esports and GRID

Genius Sports Limited has signed new partnerships with Bayes Esports and GRID Esports (GRID) to provide sportsbooks with the highest-quality official esports offering.
GRID, as the only game data platform directly working with the game publishers will provide Genius Sports with exclusive access to official live esports data from League of Legends, and VALORANT, the fastest-growing betting esports title, alongside Ubisoft’s Rainbow Six data, and a robust portfolio of CS2 and Dota2 data from the global tournaments by BLAST and Champion of Champions.
Genius Sports’ sportsbook partners will also be able to access official streaming and data visualizations powered by official GRID data.
Bayes Esports is helping power Genius Sports’ esports offering with its highly granular Live Match Data. As the exclusive data partner of key esports tournament organisers such as ESL FACEIT Group, Bayes Esports covers the majority of official live data for Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 esports, which brings in some of the highest revenue for sportsbooks.
Genius Sports will further enhance its offering with Bayes Esports’ data product suite, including low-latency video and live data-powered widgets. Select Genius Sports products will be available through Bayes Esports’ distribution in return.
Going forward, Genius Sports will provide sportsbooks worldwide with an end-to-end esports trading product across pre-match and in-play, powered by ultra low-latency data to guarantee sharp odds and maximum market uptime. Through this product, sportsbooks can unlock new revenues by reaching a highly engaged audience with high-octane, year-round content.
“We are thrilled to announce these new partnerships with Bayes and GRID, two leaders in their field, to create an unrivalled esports content suite for our sportsbook partners. As the new home of esports for sportsbooks, we will provide our partners with the highest-quality data and odds on the most prestigious titles in the sport,” said Matt Stephenson, Global Partnerships Director at Genius Sports.
The post Genius Sports Signs Partnerships with Bayes Esports and GRID appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
DACH CS Joins as Member of Esports Integrity Commission

The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has announced that DACH CS GmbH (DACH CS), a tournament organiser seeking to revitalise competitive Counter-Strike in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, has officially joined ESIC membership.
By joining ESIC, DACH CS commits to upholding the highest standards of competitive integrity. The membership requires the league to implement ESIC’s Integrity Programme across all of its tournaments, tackling key issues such as match-fixing, cheating, and doping, fostering a culture of fair play within the region.
As an ESIC member, DACH CS will integrate ESIC’s codes of conduct, actively cooperate in investigations, and enforce ESIC’s rulings. This commitment aligns DACH CS with global best practices, ensuring that the DACH Counter-Strike esports scene operates with a proven integrity framework.
Stephen Hanna, Chief Executive Officer of ESIC, said: “DACH CS’s dedication to rebuilding and strengthening the competitive Counter-Strike scene in the DACH region makes them a valuable addition to ESIC’s growing membership. Their commitment to competitive integrity and fair competition aligns perfectly with our mission to safeguard esports. We look forward to working closely with them to support a sustainable and transparent ecosystem for players, teams, and stakeholders in the region.”
Anton Christoph, Founder & Managing Director of DACH CS, said: “At DACH CS, we’re on a mission to take the Counter-Strike Scene in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland to old and new heights! We’re super excited to be joining forces with ESIC, as we’re confident that this is a vital step in keeping our community’s most prized values at the heart of our operations. By teaming up with ESIC and aligning with their globally recognised integrity standards, we’re making a promise to you, our players, teams and stakeholders, to provide a competitive environment that’s both trusted and well-structured. We are excited to work closely with ESIC to build a sustainable and respected esports landscape in the DACH region.”
The post DACH CS Joins as Member of Esports Integrity Commission appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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