eSports
Red Bull secure hat-trick of wins in F1 Esports Series Pro Championship Event 2, and go level with Mercedes in the title race
The 2021 F1 Esports Series Pro Championship presented by Aramco continued with three more nail-biting races as drivers took on an iconic trio circuits, Silverstone, Monza and Spa, in Event 2, with Red Bull taking wins in the each of the three rounds. Jarno Opmeer and Lucas Blakeley continued their strong starts with more impressive displays, and lead the Drivers’ Championship with 101 and 87 points respectively. Meanwhile, in the Teams’ Championship, the picture reflects real life as Mercedes and Red Bull lead the way, both on 140 points, and are well placed to get the lion’s share of the $750,000 prize pot.
One of last year’s leading title contenders Frede Rasmussen, secured his first win of the season – a first for Red Bull this year – with a brilliant performance at Silverstone, where he also started on pole. Rasmussen had the lead for the majority of the race, but had to wrestle it back from Mercedes’ Dani Moreno, who took P1 with just a few laps remaining, before the Red Bull driver regained the position going into the final corners. Lucas Blakeley continued his brilliant start to the season for Aston Martin with another podium finish in P3, despite a timing error that suggested he had crossed the line in second place ahead of Moreno.
Wednesday’s action continued with another thrilling encounter at Monza, as Marcel Kiefer made it an even better day for Red Bull with his first win of the season, showing why he cannot be counted out of this year’s title race. Kiefer and Rasmussen looked set to deliver a valuable 1-2 finish, before Opmeer, who started on pole, jumped into P2 on the penultimate lap – and things got even worse for Rasmussen as he was spun by Ferrari’s David Tonizza going into the first corner of the final lap, and fell down the order. Blakeley secured another podium finish after benefitting from time penalties that were given to Moreno for leaving the track, who finished in P3, and Tonizza for his collision with Rasmussen.
Rasmussen made it three wins out of three for Red Bull in Event 2 with a dominant drive and a tyre strategy that worked to perfection for him as he was victorious in Spa. In very wet conditions, Rasmussen, Opmeer and Kiefer were among those that chose to start on intermediate tyres and hope that they would last to the end of the race, which they certainly did. It looked like a 1-2 was on the cards for Red Bull, with Kiefer sitting behind Rasmussen going into the final lap, before he was overtaken, first by Opmeer, who secured another big points haul in his title quest, and then Tonizza, with the two former world champions finishing P2 and P3 respectively.
Event 3 will see the drivers race for the first time ever on the Portimão circuit, before battling it out at Zandvoort and the Circuit of the Americas, in a trio of undoubtedly action-packed races on 24-25 November.
Following Event 2, the official standings are as follows:
Driver standings
Team standings
Drivers are continuing to race remotely from their homes or team facilities, as they did in the 2020 season, but the hugely popular competition continues to broadcast from the Gfinity Esports Arena in London. Following the same Event format as recent campaigns, teams battle it out on the official F1 2021 video game, developed by Codemasters, with the live shows are streamed online via official channels of Formula 1 on Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and Huya, as well as broadcast on television via select international broadcast partners.
F1 Esports events have achieved over 40 million views across TV and digital, in the last 18 months, and this popularity led to a record number of people attempting to be a part of this year’s Pro Exhibition, with almost half a million taking part in qualification. Qualification for next year’s competition is now open through a challenge in the official F1 2021 video game, with the first event live until 31st October. If you would like to find out more information on how to take part in the F1 Esports Series and for more information on the Pro Championship presented by Aramco, visit www.f1esports.com.
Full race results:
Round 4 – Silverstone
Round 5 – Monza
Round 6 – Spa
NIP Group subsidiary Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP), a legendary esports organisation founded in Sweden in 2000, has officially renewed their partnership with iconic energy drink brand Red Bull. Originally teaming up in November 2022, NIP and Red Bull will strengthen operations, drive growth and expand their reach in esports. Red Bull’s global reputation opens new doors across content creation, fan engagement and operational stability for NIP, whilst Red Bull can reach NIP’s young and engaged audience as part of their continued commitment to the esports industry.
This renewed agreement will engage esports fans through exclusive player content – such as behind-the-scenes tournament footage – alongside the integration of Red Bull branding in Ninjas in Pyjamas’ social media, streams, player jerseys across multiple teams and events.
NIP and Red Bull will also work together on various activations, including the annual [SWE] CS Summit held at Red Bull Gaming Sphere in Stockholm, which sees leaders in the Swedish Counter-Strike scene come together to discuss and shape the future of their national scene. Supporting the Swedish esports scene and driving positive change at a national level is a key pillar of this partnership, which both will take steps to achieve through various activations.
Hicham Chahine, Co-CEO of NIP Group, said: “It has been a pleasure working with Red Bull over the past two years, collaborating on a series of highly successful projects. The more we work together, the clearer it has become that we align strongly on values and how to create meaningful experiences for our fans. We are truly delighted to continue this journey with them. Their passion for innovation and excellence aligns perfectly with our vision, and together, we look forward to pushing the boundaries of this industry even further.”
The post Ninjas in Pyjamas Renews Partnership with Red Bull appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Leading online sportsbook and casino operator in Spain and Mexico integrates provider’s cutting-edge esports odds feed
PandaScore, the award-winning provider of esports data, odds and betting products, has added yet another tier-one operator to its roster of partners after signing a deal with Orenes Grupo.
The partnership sees Orenes Group deploy PandaScore’s powerful Odds feed across its online betting brands in Spain and Mexico, allowing it to offer comprehensive and competitive odds for some of the most popular esports disciplines.
PandaScore’s Odds Feed really is unrivalled in the scope of markets and the value of the odds it allows operators to offer to their players. It uses a sophisticated model backed by a team of experienced traders including specialist traders for each discipline including CS2, Dota 2 and LoL.
PandaScore has seen a surge in demand for its esports betting data, odds and products as the vertical continues to go from strength to strength, especially as more tier-one brands look to get in on the action. This has seen PandaScore pass €1 billion in esports bets through its platform.
In addition to its Odds Feed, PandaScore offers a range of products including a smart BetBuilder, MicroBetting markets and an innovative AI-powered StoryBuilder.
João Carvalho, Senior Sales Manager at PandaScore, said: “Orenes Grupo has established itself as a leading operator in both Spain and Mexico with its sportsbook and casino brands and through this partnership with PandaScore, can really strengthen that position with a compelling esports betting offering.
“Demand for esports betting is on the rise and savvy operators are looking to capitalise on this by offering markets and odds to their players, which is what Orenes Grupo can now while being confident its odds are among the most competitive.
“We are thrilled to add another power player to our network of partners and look forward to working with the Orenes Grupo team to help the operator maximise the opportunity that esports betting presents.”
Vicente Rabasco, Head of Product & PMO at Orenes Grupo, added: “PandaScore is a leading provider of esports betting odds and products and we really couldn’t think of a better partner to be working with.
“We have established and defended our position by embracing new trends and delivering experiences our players demand, and this deal with PandaScore allows us to really build momentum behind our esports betting offering by putting quality at the heart of our proposition.”
The post PandaScore and Orenes Grupo unite appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
BETBY, a premium provider of innovative sports betting solutions, has announced the launch of a custom-made Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) league exclusively for CSGOEmpire, a leading operator in the esports sector. This latest addition reinforces BETBY’s commitment to delivering tailored esports experiences that enhance engagement and offer operators unique branding opportunities.
The newly introduced league, integrated into BETBY’s award-winning esports content portfolio BETBY Games, fully replicates the lifecycle of a real CS2 match. It follows a best-of-three (BO3) format with a maximum of 24 rounds (MR24) and overtime, incorporating side switches, weapon purchases, bomb plants, and all the mechanics that define real CS2 gameplay.
Featuring top teams from the HLTV ranking, the league ensures a high level of competition. Additionally, a special guest team, ‘Empire’, representing CSGOEmpire’s brand owners, joins the lineup with an up-to-date roster. This exclusive league was made possible through complex mathematical modeling and advanced infrastructure. It is available only on CSGOEmpire, providing its audience with an unparalleled esports betting experience.
This initiative is part of BETBY’s broader strategic collaboration with Moonrail Limited, the parent company of CSGOEmpire. Through this partnership, BETBY has provided its cutting-edge technology and services to enhance CSGOEmpire’s sportsbook operations, further strengthening its position in the sports betting sector.
Kirill Nekrasov, Head of Sportsbook Product at BETBY, commented: “Our partnership with CSGOEmpire to develop a custom CS2 league highlights our ongoing efforts to push the boundaries of innovation in esports betting. We have meticulously designed this league to replicate the real dynamics of professional CS2 gameplay, ensuring that CSGOEmpire’s users enjoy an authentic and engaging experience that cannot be found anywhere else.”
A representative from CSGOEmpire added: “At CSGOEmpire, we are always looking for ways to bring our users the most authentic and immersive esports betting experiences. BETBY’s ability to develop a fully customized CS2 league that mirrors real gameplay is a game-changer for us. This exclusive league not only strengthens our brand identity but also provides our community with a truly unique betting product they won’t find anywhere else.”
The launch of this league builds upon BETBY’s previous announcement introducing customizable esports tournaments, allowing operators to create tailor-made leagues that align with their brand identity. This framework enables partners to personalize various aspects of their tournaments, from team branding to in-game visuals, making content more engaging and brand-specific. The collaboration with CSGOEmpire is a prime example of how this approach can deliver a unique product that resonates with the platform’s users.
The post BETBY LAUNCHES EXCLUSIVE CUSTOM CS2 LEAGUE FOR CSGOEMPIRE appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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