eSports
Three-way title fight in this week’s F1 Esports Series Pro Championship presented by Aramco Grand Final
While the real-world F1 season may have ended on Sunday, we have plenty more racing action for you this week as we head into the Grand Final of the F1 Esports Series Pro Championship presented by Aramco, with just eight points separating the top three drivers. Reigning champion Jarno Opmeer leads the way on 140, with Lucas Blakeley and Frede Rasmussen within touching distance of the Dutchman on 135 and 132 points respectively. It is still all to play for in the Teams’ Championship too with Mercedes on 222 points and Red Bull not far behind on 199, as they fight to get their hands on a share of the $750,000 prize pot.
Drivers will take on the iconic Imola circuit for the first time in an F1 Esports Series event, after it was introduced to the F1 2021 video game this year, before Wednesday’s action finishes up at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. The final Round of the season will take place at Interlagos, where many famous championship battles have been decided in the real world.
The live shows will be streamed online via official Formula 1 channels on Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and Huya, as well as broadcast on television by select international partners including the likes of Sky, ESPN and Fox Sports, whilst Qualifying show content will be streamed exclusively on Twitch, YouTube and Huya.
Please see the table below for the full breakdown of the platform splits so you don’t miss a moment of the action this week:
Day |
Session |
Time (GMT) |
Coverage |
Wednesday 15 December |
Qualifying Show 1 |
15:30 – 16:45 |
Twitch, YouTube & Huya |
Evening Show 1 |
19:30 – 21:00 |
TV & Online |
|
Thursday 16 December |
Qualifying Show 2 |
15:30 – 16:45 |
Twitch, YouTube & Huya |
Evening Show 2 |
19:30 – 21:00 |
TV & Online |
Ahead of this week’s Grand Final, we spoke with Jarno Opmeer, Lucas Blakeley and Marcel Kiefer, all looking to get their hands on some silverware this week, with all quotes below available for use in editorial:
Jarno Opmeer – Mercedes
“There’s a lot of pressure on the top three going into the final. It’s going to be a battle between me, Frede and Lucas which makes it very exciting, especially with how qualifying works. It can switch around really fast so anything could happen!”
Lucas Blakeley – Aston Martin
“I’ve not been in this position fighting for a championship before so it’s a privilege to even be in this position so I’m grateful I’m able to be doing this in the first place. I’ve been working on the details and making sure I’m prepared to the best level I can be to perform at the final event at the same standard that I have been driving all season. I’m more excited about the final than nervous for it.”
Marcel Kiefer – Red Bull
“Lucas has had a great season and Aston Martin have made a great comeback so we have to give them credit for that. Jarno is probably the smartest guy on the grid when it comes to strategy so he’s always tricky to race against. Frede is the most talented driver and probably sim-racer overall, especially over one lap. His raw pace is incredible. I’m backing our boy Frede for the title and hoping he can secure P1.”
eSports
GIANTX unveils its team for the Spanish Superliga of League of Legends
The global esports organization GIANTX has officially presented the roster for its League of Legends Superliga team, the most prestigious esports competition in Spain, organized by the LVP. The roster includes Feisty (midlaner) and Aetinoth (ADC), who continue for another year after establishing themselves as key players for the organization, and newcomers Badlulu (toplaner), Ferret (jungler), and Lospa (support).
The team, known as GIANTX Pride, will be led by Fearless, a veteran coach who has already won three Superliga titles with GIANTX. After previous stints with teams like Guasones and Rebels, Fearless returns to lead this young and promising roster as they pursue the organization’s long-awaited eighth Superliga trophy, with the season set to begin in January 2025.
The roster was revealed during an event at the Home of GIANTX in Málaga, attended by over 150 fans and supported by Opel, the team’s main partner in the Superliga. The event featured activities, giveaways, and a showmatch against Barça Esports, where fans got a first glimpse of the team in action.
Feisty (South Korea, 2003) and Aetinoth (Turkey, 2005) return for another year, having gained recognition as rising talents with potential for the LEC, Europe’s premier competition in which GIANTX also competes. Badlulu (France, 2002), with prior experience in the Superliga at CASE Esports, joins as the toplaner. Ferret (Turkey, 2001), a promising jungler from the Turkish scene, comes from FUT, while Lospa (South Korea, 2002), a former Iberian Cup champion, joins as support after training in Gen.G Academy.
GIANTX Pride is the most decorated organization in Superliga LVP history, with seven titles to its name. The last victory came in the summer of 2021, and the team is determined to add the elusive eighth trophy to its collection. The Superliga for 2025 will feature ten teams, including Barça Esports, Guasones, Los Heretics, LUA Gaming, Movistar KOI, Ramboot Club, UCAM Esports, VENI VIDI VICI, and ZETA, competing across three splits—winter, spring, and summer.
The LVP, part of Grupo Mediapro, has introduced changes to the Superliga’s format for 2025. The updated calendar will be released soon, setting the stage for another thrilling season.
The post GIANTX unveils its team for the Spanish Superliga of League of Legends appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
GRID Joins IBIA as an Associate Member, Strengthening Esports Integrity
GRID, an esports data platform, has officially joined the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) as a first esports-focused Associate Member. This collaboration signifies a pivotal moment for esports integrity, aligning GRID with IBIA and its globally recognized integrity-focused members, who monitor over $300bn in sports bets per annum and have a growing focus on esports betting.
With this partnership, GRID and IBIA are committed to collaboratively addressing any integrity issues in esports, fostering trust across stakeholders, and setting a benchmark for excellence in the ecosystem. GRID has been a certified member of IBIA’s Data Standards program since 2022, actively contributing to the development of tailored esports integrity protocols. This membership further underscores GRID’s dedication to transparency and collaboration in combating betting-related corruption within esports.
Since 2018, GRID has operated an internal integrity department pioneering official data-driven solutions for esports. This makes GRID one of the first companies to monitor tournament and data integrity in the competitive sports sector and actively flag and report suspicious behavior, enabling it to collect a large database of integrity reports and insights.
IBIA is a not-for-profit body that protects regulated sports betting markets from match-fixing. It represents over 50 of the world’s leading betting companies which operate over 125 sports betting brands. IBIA’s global monitoring network is a highly effective anti-corruption tool, detecting and reporting suspicious activity in regulated betting markets using transactional activity linked to individual customer accounts.
Under the partnership, GRID and IBIA will share information relating to suspicious esports betting and potential match manipulation from their respective monitoring and intelligence platforms. IBIA members will also benefit from free access to wider integrity-focused resources supplied by GRID.
Moritz Maurer, CEO of GRID, commented: “Integrity is at the heart of GRID’s mission. By joining IBIA as an Associate Member, we are taking a definitive step toward establishing esports as a trusted and credible industry. This partnership enables us to further our efforts in promoting transparency, reducing risks associated with esports betting, and strengthening operational practices across the ecosystem.’’
Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “We are delighted to welcome GRID as an Associate Member of IBIA. This partnership is a landmark for the esports sector and reflects our commitment to expanding our integrity initiatives into new markets. GRID’s expertise in esports data monitoring and integrity standards is an invaluable asset in our shared mission to combat betting corruption globally.”
The post GRID Joins IBIA as an Associate Member, Strengthening Esports Integrity appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
ComeOn Group and Astralis unite to drive esports engagement in the Nordics
ComeOn Group announced a sponsorship partnership between its flagship brand ComeOn! and Denmark based Astralis, one of the most esteemed esports organisations globally. As a global leader in esports, Astralis is providing a vibrant and engaging esports experience that is aligned with ComeOn!’s brand experience and is further enhanced by its focus in providing a leading esports betting destination.
As the official sponsor of Astralis, ComeOn! will be prominently featured across all of their platforms, including social media, team events, and competitive gaming content, boosting their brand exposure in key global markets with a focus on the Nordics. ComeOn! is already known as a vibrant brand in the Nordics and with the increased brand visibility it will be put at the heart of the fast-growing esports scene.
ComeOn Group continues to invest in its Sportsbook product experience that is powered by its proprietary sportsbook platform, where esports holds an important strategic market opportunity with its ever growing demand.
Juergen Reutter, Chief Executive Officer at ComeOn Group, said: “We are very excited to team up with Astralis as this collaboration not only allows us to showcase our innovative Sportsbook platform but also strengthens our ties to the esports community. This partnership is very much in the heart of one of the fastest growing betting markets globally. Esports has seen great demand by our audiences, and we want to provide the best betting experience for our customers. This partnership is also a testament to our localisation and personalisation focus and by working together with Astralis, we can deliver unique experiences that resonate with our players and elevate the entertainment experience around competitive gaming.”
Mads Rasmussen, Commercial Director at Astralis, said: ”We are proud to present ComeOn Group as our new global partner. This partnership holds great significance for Astralis both as an organization and as a business, and we look forward to bringing the agreement to life, benefiting the vast majority of our fanbase – who are adults. We have undergone a long and very positive process with ComeOn, and the fact that they are European-based with licenses in all our key markets, including Denmark, has been a decisive factor in our decision. Astralis fans, both in Denmark and internationally, can look forward to an innovative new digital activation, which promises to deliver an exciting and engaging experience.”
The post ComeOn Group and Astralis unite to drive esports engagement in the Nordics appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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