

eSports
VALORANT tournament Spike Nations returns with €60,000 to be donated to charity by Riot Games
BLAST has teamed up with Riot Games to bring back the Spike Nations VALORANT tournament for a second installment in October (7-9 October).
The three-day online tournament features 12 EMEA-based teams made up of professional esports players, popular gaming personalities and streamers, each representing their nation or region, with €60,000 donated to charitable causes.
The Spike Nations format will create opportunities for funds to be raised and added incentives for teams to beat each other, upping the stakes in the process. Each team will be competing for national glory as they tussle with each over three-days of VALORANT action next month.
The tournament consists of three groups of four. The top two teams in each group will progress to the final knockout stage. VALORANT’s latest map addition Fracture will also feature in the tournament.
Further information in the coming weeks will be announced on the format, teams, other tournament mechanics and how the €60,000 will be donated to charity by Riot Games.
The nations competing include:
Team United Kingdom
Team France
Team Spain
Team Portugal
Team Nordics
Team Poland
Team Turkey
Team CIS
Team Italy
Team DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland)
Team Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)
Team Eastern Europe
Leo Matlock, VP of Commercial at BLAST, said: “Welcoming back Spike Nations for a second year is testament to how well the inaugural event in 2020 was received by the VALORANT community. We’ve made some exciting additions to the tournament, added new teams made up of more nations than before. We can’t wait to rekindle old rivalries and create fun storylines for fans to enjoy.
“BLAST has proven itself as the leading esports tournament organisation and we are delighted to partner up again with Riot Games and create more incredible VALORANT experiences for fans who love the game or are experiencing it for the first time.”
Felix Morgan, VALORANT Product Lead, Europe said: “After hearing such positive feedback from both creators and fans during last year’s Spike Nations event, this year we’re partnering with BLAST to deliver something even bigger and better. We’ve got some great surprises in store and feel confident that this year will deliver an even better fan experience. We can’t wait to see our country teams battling it out for a good cause.”
Last year’s first ever Spike Nations took place in November with 10 teams competing against each other. The final saw Team Portugal beat Team United Kingdom 2-0
eSports
Galaxy Esports Becomes a Member of the Esports Integrity Commission

Galaxy Esports Ltd has become a member of the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC). This new membership reflects Galaxy Esports’ commitment to safeguarding competitive integrity and promoting ethical standards in the esports industry.
By joining ESIC, Galaxy Esports reaffirms its dedication to fair play and professionalism by adopting the ESIC Integrity Program across its activities. Galaxy Esports joins an extensive list of the world’s largest esports stakeholders who rely on ESIC’s Integrity Programme for their competitive integrity and governance needs.
Stephen Hanna, Chief Executive Officer of ESIC, said: “We are pleased to welcome Galaxy Esports to the ESIC membership network. Galaxy’s proactive adoption of ESIC’s standards represent a positive step for the competitive integrity of their tournament offerings. We look forward to supporting their journey and working together to uphold the values of fairness and transparency in esports.”
Yurii Tereshchenko, CEO of Galaxy Esports, said: “Having been involved in esports for many years, I have witnessed its evolution and the increasing need for structured integrity frameworks. At a pivotal point in the industry’s growth, ESIC has emerged as a vital organization in establishing and upholding standards of fair play. We are proud to become a member of ESIC and view this as a significant milestone in Galaxy Esports’ development and our ongoing commitment to competitive integrity.”
The post Galaxy Esports Becomes a Member of the Esports Integrity Commission appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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.
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