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Is “Region-Locking” Really The Best Path Forward For Professional eSports?

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7 years ago

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Is ‘Region-Locking’ Really The Best Path Forward For Professional Esports?

While eSports has become an increasingly global affair, a looming debate over the mandate to “region-lock” teams continues to raise the question of whether this practice still belongs in the modern era.

 

Region-locking has created some controversy — appearing in many forms across multiple eSport titles. To League of Legends Championship Series participants, it means restricting the regional movement of players between teams.

In the Halo Championship Series, we recently saw NA players being denied access to HCS London. This was an event exclusive to only European teams, a first for the 17-year old competitive Halo franchise.

Why region-lock for esports?

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Region-locking was first introduced in Blizzard’s StarCraft 2 World Championship Series. Players needed to be legal residents of a country in the qualifying region to participate in the WCS.

The largely Korean-dominated-scene first prompted the concept of region-locking as a way to avoid predictable tournament results against the all-Korean teams and an attempt to lessen the occurrence of seemingly stale events.

Other regions had begun tapping into Korean talent pools and importing their players, essentially uncoupling teams from their local flavor. In fear of harming local followings, other leagues allow a limited amount of ‘imports’ to be drafted. This attempts to avoid teams converting to entirely culturally foreign rosters.

Building local pro-gaming scenes

Regional restrictions are seen as a way to build upon local gaming communities by leveling contests when competing locally.

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Fan engagement is a critical part of this conversation. Why? Esports has the advantage of a relatively small barrier between fans and the players. Fans have the ability to watch their favorite players practice and scrimmage while also communicating through Twitch.

Importing foreign players with a significant language barrier is essentially creating a barrier for the primarily English-speaking fan base.

 

Improving fandom and making eSports generational

Advocates of regional restrictions sustain a focal point revolving around the development of a sustainable ecosystem for pro-gaming leagues.

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Many believe facilitating a healthy global system is the key to maintaining a generational fandom.

“The way you do that is by creating narratives and story-lines of players that people want to follow,” Immortals CEO Noah Whinston said during a round-table discussion on region-locking. Whinston added to his argument by insisting that players who share similar cultural backgrounds would be more approachable and personable to fans.

In theory, enlisting casual fans to follow esports could be unaccommodating if a sizable cultural disconnect between the spectators and the players flares up. Region-locking could promote the health of esports holistically. But the argument against the restriction focuses more on the competition itself.

Improving regional skill

In esports, we see fascinating skill gaps between specific regions closely resembling the same abstraction in traditional sports. Just as Europeans remain well ahead of North America in soccer, Korean digital athletes are chiefly more skilled than the rest of their international competition in StarCraft.

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StarCraft is not on an island either. We see similar differences in technical savviness across the varying regions in other games, such as League of Legends.

Although Koreans dominate a majority of League’s landscape as well, Europe has also been able to produce very capable mid-laners. In Halo, we see a pro-league commanded by NA players with consistent and unchallenging victories against the European squads.

With such pronounced supremacy in esport titles, wanting to know what characteristics allow a region to easily trump another is a common inquiry.

Infrastructure facilitating artistry

One of most common references for Korean players sustaining an extensive distance ahead of their international competition was that the existing infrastructure in Korea was so sophisticated that it produced and facilitated an ultimate competition. The advanced competition offered in Korea was available only to Korean players or those that took the leap of relocating to Korea to train, creating a sizable skill difference in international bouts.

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In the case of the 17-year old Halo franchise, its competitive roots came in North America. That happened independently at first, and finally legitimized early on by Major League Gaming. The organized structure that MLG brought to Halo’s competitive scene encouraged and provided the top players the opportunity to significantly improve their skill sets.

An elevated contest of Halo in North America fostered professional players to play at a higher level. This movement allowed the players to compete in the MLG Pro Circuit — granting a heavy advantage when challenging other teams that lacked the same top-tier exposure.…

The post Is “Region-Locking” Really The Best Path Forward For Professional eSports? appeared first on Eastern European Gaming – News – Interviews – Legal Market Updates – Premium Reports – Events – Directory.


Source: EEGaming.

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American iGaming

Supremeland Gaming Gains Interim License Approval in West Virginia

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1 month ago

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March 15, 2024

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Supremeland Gaming, the emerging brand in American iGaming, announced the approval of an interim Supplier License in West Virginia, further solidifying its position as a key player in the rapidly expanding iGaming industry. This milestone marks the company’s third approval following the successful acquisition of the first approvals in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Supremeland Gaming is approved to operate under this interim license and is now authorized to offer its cutting-edge innovation to the Mountain State.

Supremeland’s game portfolio has garnered international appeal since its debut in November 2023. The innovative brand promises cutting-edge slot play, combining immersive storytelling, state-of-the-art graphics, and impressive bonuses.

Rickard Öhrn, CEO of Supremeland Gaming, said: “The acquisition of our interim Supplier License in West Virginia is a pivotal step in our journey, reflecting on our dedication to delivering innovative experiences to a broader audience. As we expand our footprint, our commitment to excellence remains unwavering, and we look forward to contributing to the vibrant gaming landscape in the Mountain State.”

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​​Supremeland is gaining traction for its emerging portfolio of top-notch games, including Red Panda Rising and the international debut title, Munition Mine, underscoring its commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation in the iGaming industry.

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Albert Bellavista

Pragmatic Play Expands LatAm Reach with Betsala Deal

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1 month ago

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March 14, 2024

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Pragmatic Play, a leading content supplier to the iGaming industry, is continuing its momentum in the Latin American market, after signing an agreement to take its three biggest products live with Betsala.

The agreement will see Pragmatic Play’s full portfolio of award-winning Slot content go live, including recently released Slot titles Loki’s Riches and The Big Dawgs in addition to familiar player-favourites such as Sugar Rush and Gates of Olympus.

Betsala customers will soon gain access to Pragmatic Play’s Live Casino products upon integration being completed. The sector has been a focus for the provider over the previous 12 months with releases such as the dynamic Treasure Island game show which complements Pragmatic Play’s comprehensive range of casino classics such as Roulette, Mega Roulette, and Blackjack which are also available on the platform.

Completing the product offering is Pragmatic Play’s cutting-edge 3D renderings of popular sports such as horse and greyhound racing, football, and motorsports.

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The latest LatAm development for Pragmatic Play sees it further boost its profile across the region where it has cemented its status as a leading supplier of casino experiences.

Victor Arias, Vice President of Latin American Operations at ARRISE powering Pragmatic Play, said: “Proving LatAm is still a key source of growth, Pragmatic Play is delighted to now count Betsala as another valued partner in the region.

“Pragmatic Play’s three leading products will soon be on the platform, and we look forward to even more players discovering its robust and engaging offering.”

Albert Bellavista, CEO at Betsala, said: “Pragmatic Play has built a stellar reputation across Latin America for its high-quality experiences, and we welcome them as our latest partner to bolster our offering and provide more thrills than ever.

“Most iGaming enthusiasts worldwide are already familiar with Pragmatic Play’s titles and we know the upcoming addition of its content will come with a great response from our players.”

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Conferences

Pragmatic Play Gears Up for SAGSE LATAM 2024

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2 months ago

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March 7, 2024

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Pragmatic Play, a leading content supplier to the iGaming industry, is set to make another appearance at a Latin American summit, at SAGSE LATAM in Buenos Aires.

Taking place across two days from March 20th-21st, the event sees iGaming professionals gather at Buenos Aires’ Hilton Hotel for the 32nd edition of the iconic exhibition.

SAGSE LATAM marks the second summit attended by Pragmatic Play in Latin America in 2024, with its new immersive proposal Pragmatic Play Experience, after an extremely successful exhibition tour in 2023, which saw the provider make inroads across the continent and impress industry representatives.

The gaming provider will be at Stand 120 to showcase its diverse portfolio, including Slots, Live Casino, Virtual Sports and Bingo content, alongside its brand-new Sportsbook solution.

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In addition, Pragmatic Play will be a platinum sponsor of the event, highlighting the importance of such industry exhibitions and the vital role the leading provider plays in them.

Victor Arias, VP of Latin American Operations at ARRISE powering Pragmatic Play, said: “Pragmatic Play is proud to be a platinum sponsor of SAGSE LATAM and to be influential in shaping the future of the Latin American iGaming market. With a comprehensive multi-product offerings and solutions, it is poised to capitalise on the immense opportunities that the region presents.

“With an exciting range of panel discussions and interactivities that the conference brings, it is set to be yet another momentous date in the LATAM gaming calendar.”

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