

eSports
2020/21 ePremier League season resumes with Club Playoffs
- ePremier League Playoffs kick off today with Chelsea, Manchester City and Newcastle United, and run until Wednesday 3 March
- Some of the world’s best FIFA pros will go up against amateur gamers to see who reaches the ePL Finals, with two Leeds United first-team players also taking part
- The ePL Finals will take place from 23-26 March, with players competing for the honour of ePL Champion, a prize pool of £40,000 and all-important seats in the EA SPORTS FIFA 21 Global Series European Playoffs
- Playoff results will be available on e.premierleague.com
The ePremier League 2020/21 Club Playoffs begin today, as EA SPORTS
Thousands of competitors took part in this season’s online qualification on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The winners from that stage will now represent their teams in the Club Playoffs to see if they have what it takes to reach the Finals and ultimately be crowned ePL champion 2020/21.
All 20 Premier League clubs will be hosting a Playoff between today and Wednesday 3 March, with a selection of the world’s best players going up against some relatively unknown contenders.
Last year’s winner Thomas ‘Hashtag Tom’ Leese will be defending his crown as he represents Tottenham Hotspur, while the inaugural champion Donovan ‘Fnatic Tekkz’ Hunt player is once again competing for Liverpool.
There will also be two Premier League stars taking part, as Patrick Bamford and Gjanni Alioski will be competing in the Leeds United Playoff on Tuesday 2 March.
Last season’s ePL runner-up Marc Marley turns out for Brighton & Hove Albion, with other recognisable names from the FIFA world going for glory including Jamie ‘Jamboo’ Rigden (Fulham), Spencer ‘Gorilla’ Ealing (Sheffield United), Diogo Mendes (Chelsea), Sean ‘Dragon’ Allen (Manchester United), Reece Rusher (Southampton), Kylem ‘FUTWIZ Lyricz’ Edwards (Crystal Palace) and Manchester City duo Ryan Pessoa and Shaun ‘Shellz’ Springette.
Following the conclusion of the Playoffs, the best players from all 20 clubs on both Xbox One and PS4 will take their place in the ePL Finals from 23-26 March. The Finals will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, BT Sport, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport online. They will also be shown on Premier League channels and http://twitch.tv/EASPORTSFIFA, as well as being made available to viewers around the world by international licensees. Over the last two seasons, the ePL Finals reached more than 22 million fans.
The group stages and quarter-finals on each console will take place on 23 and 24 March. The tournament reaches a climax on Friday 26 March, when the remaining players will take part in the console semi-finals, before the console finals and cross-console final. As well as being crowned 2020/21 ePremier League champion, the winner will take home £20,000.
The 2020/21 instalment of ePL was won by Watford’s Thomas ‘Hashtag Tom’ Leese after the inaugural ePL tournament was won by World No1 Xbox One player Donovan ‘Tekkz’ Hunt on behalf of Liverpool. You can see videos from the first two ePL seasons here.
During this season’s online qualifiers, all players were required to play in 90-rated Online Friendlies mode as their chosen Premier League club. Participants in the Club Playoffs and beyond will play on FIFA Ultimate Team ePremier League evolved during the 2019/20 season, with the introduction of the ePL Invitational tournament while football was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic. This saw first-team players and other famous faces compete on behalf of all 20 Premier League clubs in an online EA SPORTS FIFA 20 tournament. Two instalments of the competition were broadcast across five continents as then-Wolverhampton Wanderers player Diogo Jota and Leicester City’s James Maddison were crowned champions.
ePremier League is operated by esports tournament organisers Gfinity. For more information visit e.premierleague.com.
eSports
PandaScore and Playbook Engineering join forces

Pioneering esports odds, data and betting products provider now available to operators powered by leading platform supplier with the integration facilitated by Sporting Solutions
PandaScore, the award-winning provider of esports odds, data and betting products, has integrated its suite of solutions with Playbook Engineering, the global sportsbook platform provider.
The partnership has been facilitated by Sporting Solutions, which has strategic partnerships with both PandaScore and Playbook Engineering.
Playbook Engineering has established itself as a leading sportsbook platform provider, supporting brands such as Star Sports, AK Bets, Priced Up, Bet Wright, Gentleman Jim, and Dragon Bet.
Following the integration, online sportsbooks powered by Playbook Engineering can access PandaScore’s Odds feed allowing them to offer comprehensive and competitive esports odds for some of the most popular disciplines.
The scope of markets and the value of odds are unrivalled with PandaScore using sophisticated models backed by a team of experienced traders including specialist traders for disciplines like CS2, Dota 2 and LoL.
A growing number of platform providers and operators are making a move into the lucrative esports betting space, with PandaScore recently surpassing €1bn of bets through its platform off the back of a sharp rise in demand among players and operators.
Joseph Noone, Senior Sales Manager at PandaScore, said: “Playbook Engineering powers some renowned sportsbooks as well as up and coming brands that are really making an impact.
“It’s great that these sportsbooks can access our esports odds, data and betting products, allowing them to engage new and existing player cohorts with a compelling esports offering that stands out when it comes to the range and value of odds.
“The integration wouldn’t have been possible without our shared partner Sporting Solutions, and stands as an example of what can be achieved when providers work together.”
Luke Cousins, Commercial Director at Playbook Engineering, added: “Sportsbook operators simply can’t ignore the demand for esports betting and in PandaScore, we have a premium odds, data and betting product provider that lives and breathes esports.
“This partnership, done through our mutual friends, Sporting Solutions, further positions Playbook Engineering as a tier-one platform provider to some of the most exciting sportsbook brands around the world. This makes it a win for us, our partners and their players.”
The post PandaScore and Playbook Engineering join forces appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
Four Countries Shortlisted to Host GOTF 2027

Phygital International (PI), the exclusive rights holders and custodians of The Games of the Future (GOTF), announced that Brazil, Serbia, South Africa, and Uzbekistan are the shortlisted applicants to host GOTF 2027. The Games of the Future is the world’s leading phygital sports tournament, bringing together sports and esports athletes from around the world.
With the UAE set to host GOTF 2025 and Kazakhstan in 2026, the competition for the 2027 edition has drawn significant interest from nations eager to position themselves as leaders in the world of phygital sports.
Nis Hatt, CEO of Phygital International, said: “We received bids from right around the world which highlights the growing awareness and passion for phygital sports globally. We would like to thank all the nations who bid to host The Games of the Future 2027 and are pleased to announce that Brazil, Serbia, South Africa, and Uzbekistan have been selected as the nations shortlisted as potential hosts.”
Following further evaluations and detailed assessments of each finalist’s proposal, the final decision on the host country for GOTF 2027 will be announced in the summer of 2025.
The post Four Countries Shortlisted to Host GOTF 2027 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Asia
Valorant Added to Hero Esports Asian Champions League

The HERO ESPORTS Asian Champions League (ACL), Asia’s premier multi-title esports tournament hosted by Hero Esports, has officially announced the addition of VALORANT to its inaugural lineup.
Previously, ACL unveiled six game titles: Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2 (CS2), Honor of Kings, Teamfight Tactics, Delta Force, and Crossfire. With VALORANT joining the roster, the total number of games now stands at seven, with more titles expected to be announced soon.
Through continued collaboration with the Esports World Cup, ACL has revealed that the champions of the ACL CS2 and Honor of Kings Tournaments will secure direct entry to the Esports World Cup. Further collaborations on the remaining titles of the ACL are anticipated.
The ACL VALORANT Tournament will be the only international-level VALORANT tournament held in China during the first half of 2025, attracting top teams from overseas. The Final of the event will take place offline in Shanghai. The event will use world-class production and cutting-edge live broadcasting technology to enhance audience experience.
The ACL is set to take place in the first half of 2025, with the Finals of the ACL CS2 Tournament and Honor of Kings Tournament scheduled for May. The ACL will have a total prize pool of $2 million.
Jonny Wang, CEO of the Asian Champions League, said: “We are excited to announce the addition of VALORANT to the ACL. Our ambition is to make ACL into a truly comprehensive tournament, providing a larger stage for players and teams across various competitions while delivering more exciting content for our audience.”
Danny Tang, Co-Founder and CEO of Hero Esports, said: “We are pleased by the progress of the ACL and its ability to attract top teams and titles to compete across Asia. We look forward to the continued collaboration between Hero Esports, ACL and the Esports World Cup Foundation, which is testament to our shared ambition to shape and empower esports globally.”
The post Valorant Added to Hero Esports Asian Champions League appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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