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Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)

eSports

CS:GO Update – BIG promote the first BIG OMEN Academy player to their main roster

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Trialing a BIG OMEN Academy player for the first time, BIG would like to welcome Karim “Krimbo” Moussa to their main CS:GO team!

A household name in our BIG OMEN Academy project, Karim has shown excellence over multiple iterations of the team, most recently acting as the in-game leader and team captain. Under his lead, the BIG OMEN Academy finished in a strong second place in season three of the WePlay Academy League, and secured some notable scalps from international teams in various online leagues.

His fantastic development as a player over the years is one of the many reasons why he is the first BIG OMEN Academy talent to be trialed by the main roster, also marking an important milestone in BIG’s talent development efforts. In turn, Nils “k1to” Gruhne will be moving to the academy roster where he will try to prove himself and work on his comeback to the main roster.

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Reworking the roster at the start of 2022 with increased resources, BIG’s academy project built together with OMEN will continue to be one of BIG’s most important projects. The aim of the initiative is to develop an in-house talent pool that guarantees the competitive longevity of BIG’s CS:GO department. The BIG OMEN Academy has already produced some of German Counter-Strike’s future stars, and is considered as one of the best German teams right after BIG’s main roster.

Statement Roman “Roman R.” Reinhardt, Head of CS:GO
“I am delighted to announce that Karim “Krimbo” Moussa is the first player to be trialed by the main CS:GO team from our BIG OMEN Academy project. Karim has shown his capacities in multiple iterations of the academy lineup, and has proved that he deserves the chance. The change means that Nils “k1to” Gruhne will move to the BIG OMEN Academy team for now and will support the further development of our talents there.

Statement Karim “Krimbo” Moussa
“I was very excited when I heard the team wanted to play the Major qualifiers with me, and now very happy that I am being trialed by the team. I have big shoes to fill, but I am confident especially after successfully qualifying for the EU RMR. Thank you for all of the support and of course best of luck to my BIG OMEN Academy teammates moving forward!”

Statement Alphan Özbaltaci, Gaming Marketing Manager DE,AT HP
“It is a pleasure to see a young talent from our BIG.OMEN Academy Team flourish to a pro esports player. I congratulate Karim “Krimbo” Moussa for his achievement and wish him a successful career with Team BIG.”

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eSports

PandaScore and Playbook Engineering join forces

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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.

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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.

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“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.

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eSports

Four Countries Shortlisted to Host GOTF 2027

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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.”

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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.

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Asia

Valorant Added to Hero Esports Asian Champions League

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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.

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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.”

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