

eSports
VALORANT Game Changers EMEA Updates: Stage 3 Finals Venue and New Mixed Tournament Revealed!
2024 has been a great year for VALORANT Game Changers EMEA so far, with Stage 1 concluding in March, and Stage 2 in June – both of which saw G2 Gozen defeat Team Falcons Vega 3-0 in the Grand Finals! Our goal is for the best Game Changers players to find success in other parts of the VCT ecosystem, and we are starting to see some great progress, with G2 Gozen having recently competed in the Challengers DACH promotion/relegation tournament.
Stage 3 is set to begin in September, and will decide whether G2 Gozen claims all three Stages this year, or if another Game Changers EMEA team can dethrone them.
Ahead of the start of Stage 3, we wanted to share a couple of special announcements with you all.
VALORANT Game Changers EMEA: Stage 3 – Grand Finals Location, Format & Where to Watch
We’re super excited to announce that for the first time ever, we’re taking Game Changers EMEA on the road!
On Sunday, October 6, we’re hosting the Stage 3 Grand Finals at the ESA Arena in İstanbul, Türkiye. The ESA Arena will offer visiting fans an excellent viewing experience and an unmatched atmosphere, as we witness all of the action unfold and confirm all of our EMEA representatives for the VALORANT Champions Tour 2024: Game Changers Championship.
As a reminder, the top four teams from the two groups will qualify for the Playoffs, which consists of a double elimination bracket and will all be played online, aside from the Grand Final itself. The Upper Bracket contains three rounds of play to reach the Grand Final, while the Lower Bracket consists of four.
The Upper Bracket Final is a best-of-three (BO3), while the Lower Bracket Final is best-of-five (BO5). The Grand Final will also be BO5.
For those joining us from home, the first two days (September 23 and 24) of Stage 3 Playoffs will be available on twitch.tv/dive_gg. All games from September 25, including the Grand Finals (October 6) will be available to watch on twitch.tv/VALORANT_EMEA
Full ticket information will be shared at a later date – be sure to follow our socials to stay up to date.
VALORANT Game Changers EMEA: VCT OFF//SEASON Spotlight Series – Overview, Grand Finals Location & Format
Alongside this announcement, we are happy to introduce a new tournament – the VCT OFF//SEASON Spotlight Series – a mixed gender tournament that will take place online from Thursday, October 10 to Wednesday, October 16, before concluding at Paris Games Week on Thursday, October 24!
As one of the largest gaming events in Europe, Paris Games Week has been a major event for gaming fans since 2010. The Grand Final will take place on the largest stage, The Main Stage, with capacity for 2000 spectators.
This will be an invitational event, with 14 VCT and Challengers teams who have been actively investing in Game Changers asked to join the competition. Teams will be required to have at least two Game Changers players on their mixed teams, with the choice left to teams on whether to be majority men or women. Teams will also compete for a €30,000 prize pool!
Playoffs will feature a double elimination bracket. Seeding will be decided by previous results, with the top two receiving a first-round bye, whilst the remaining twelve teams compete. From here, teams will continue to compete through the Upper and Lower Bracket, with the Upper Bracket consisting of four rounds of play and the Lower Bracket consisting of six.
“We are extremely excited to bring VALORANT Game Changers on the road for the first time and to introduce a mixed gender tournament to the 2024 VALORANT Esports calendar at Paris Games Week”, said Daniel Ringland, Head of VALORANT Esports EMEA. “Our ambition with Game Changers is to create new opportunities for women in our ecosystem, and we hope these events will help us accelerate towards a future where all players are competing side by side at the highest level.”
Further information on invited teams will be shared closer to the start of the event – follow our socials for future updates!
The post VALORANT Game Changers EMEA Updates: Stage 3 Finals Venue and New Mixed Tournament Revealed! 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.
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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