eSports
ESL FACEIT Group and Znipe Esports reveal FACEIT Watch: A cutting-edge, new digital streaming platform from esports fans for esports fans
Designed for the competitive gaming community and now open to all, FACEIT Watch is created to disrupt the esports content distribution model by putting users in control of their viewing experience.
Designed in collaboration with Znipe Esports, a technical partner, FACEIT Watch marks the first major product launch from FACEIT that moves beyond gameplay by offering its audience a unique streaming experience tailored to the user.
Featuring a unique multi-perspective view selector where users can watch their favorite player’s perspective directly next to the main event stream, it enables esports fans to pause and rewind, with access to killcams and live-generated replays of key moments and adjust the volume of caster and multi-perspective sounds, as well as disable spoilers, letting them personalize how they engage with FACEIT Watch streaming content.
Earlier this year, FACEIT announced its collaboration with Call of Duty 2024 Challengers Season and partnership with Overwatch, that aim to grow the community of competitive gamers and fans on its platform. The launch of FACEIT Watch will provide an unparalleled viewing experience and create a new way for users to connect and enjoy content with friends, bringing fans closer together. By enabling users to watch their favorite players’ perspectives and offering tools that mean they will never miss a play again, FACEIT Watch establishes a new environment where esports enthusiasts can discuss and debate, celebrate victories, and forge lasting connections.
“Our mission at EFG is to create worlds beyond gameplay. FACEIT Watch represents a new chapter for the platform as it moves beyond the ultimate competitive environment to play and provides players multiple ways to engage with their favorite games,” said Warren Leigh, Senior Vice President of Product, Digital Platforms, ESL FACEIT Group. “On the FACEIT platform, we’ve had unparalleled insight into the needs and nuances of this community for over a decade, and, together with Znipe Esports, we’ve designed FACEIT Watch to meet them. We look forward to hearing their feedback after Katowice and continuing to develop and optimize Watch with them.”
Johan Ryman, CEO, Znipe Esports, added: âWe are honored and excited about being a part of this initiative from EFG and their commitment towards the esports community and looking forward to our combined efforts to create best in class esports streaming.â
Over 100,000 viewers have tuned in so far on FACEIT Watch during the play-ins of EFG’s flagship event, IEM Katowice, which culminates this weekend and will see the world’s best Counter-Strike 2 teams battle it out for a share of the $1,000,000 prize pool.
FACEIT Watch is now available to all at FACEIT.com. Tune in to see the Grand Final of IEM Katowice on the 11th of February on FACEIT. Watch at 17:00 CET.
eSports
CECC Texas âMay Madnessâ Scores Record Growth Again in its Fourth Year
Winthrop University, Ball State University, St. Clair College, and Illinois State University Crowned as Commissionerâs Cup Champions at the largest scholastic esports festival globally
McDonaldâs of North Texas, State Farm, Apple Music, Red Bull, U.S. Army 5th Brigade, Smoothie King, along with other world-class partners lend valuable support for event
Collegiate Sports Management Group (CSMG) concluded its fourth Collegiate Esports Commissionerâs Cup (CECC) today crowning four new champions during the largest scholastic esports festival globally and celebrating another year of record growth. CECC Texas presented by McDonaldâs welcomed more than 800 student-athletes representing 84 teams (up from 64 in 2023), including a record-breaking 19 conference champions, at Esports Stadium Arlington on May 2-5, along with thousands of fans. In total, 453 teams from 255 schools participated during the 2023-24 CECC season.
Champions included Winthrop University for Super Smash Bros.⢠Ultimate through Generation Esports, Ball State University for Rocket League, St. Clair College for VALORANT, and Illinois State University for Overwatch 2Ž
âBy elevating scholastic esports, we empower students, schools and conferences while fueling industry growth. This is a testament to the increasing interest from brands, media entities, publishers making this the ultimate destination for the scholastic esports and the gaming community.â said Michael Schreck, CEO for CSMG. âCECC isnât just a competition; weâre providing structure, recognition and endless opportunities to shape the future of esports.â
Arlington Mayor Jim Ross joined Schreck on stage during the event along with Arminda and Anthony Grissett, Owner/Operators of McDonaldâs of North Texas, to announce CECC will return to Esports Stadium Arlington in 2025, marking it the third straight year Texas will host this event.
CSMG also announced during CECC Texas it has joined forces with Capcom to launch the College Street FighterTM Tour during its 2024-25 academic year with the finalists competing at CECC Texas in 2025 throughout its May Madness event. Wim Stocks will serve as the Commissioner of the College Street Fighter Tour and bring his 20 years of experience in college esports to create a dynamic and engaging format of competitive gaming.
CECC Texas offered something for everyone including the Texas High and Middle School Esports Championships, the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC) championship finals across League of Legends, Overwatch, Rocket League, and VALORANT, open tournaments for Street Fighter 6, Teamfight Tactics and HALO Infinite 2v2, the Smoothie King Super Smash Bros.⢠Ultimate Open, through Generation Esports with a prize pool up to $5,000, gaming-themed onsite activations, and various industry panels.
McDonaldâs of North Texas returned for the second year in a row as the presenting sponsor with various promotions and giveaways through the McDonaldâs App as well as awarding a free custom @McDonalds PC built by @Oasis PCâs.
âMcDonaldâs of North Texas was thrilled to once again sponsor CECC and to see first-hand the incredible experience this tournament brings to the teams and fans nationwide,â said David Floyd, Owner-Operator with McDonaldâs of North Texas. âAs local business owners, itâs an honor that our community could serve as the center of the esports world this weekend. We were also delighted to add a delivery service this year, which was a great success. This feature allowed fans to order food and continue in their CECC experience.â
The ESPORTSU Collegiate Awards took center stage throughout the weekend recognizing leaders who are driving the ecosystem forward, including:
- Commissioner of the Year – J.J. Myers (NACE)
- Community Ambassador – Yugina Yun (Gen.G)
- Club of the Year – Indiana University
- Club President of the Year – TJ Stephens (University of Georgia)
- Club Impact Award – Arizona State University
- Rising Star Award – Greyson Harding (Michigan State University)
- Coach of the Year – Ethan Stone (Indiana University)
- Director of the Year – Chris Bilski (Michigan State University)
- Program Impact – Michigan State University
- Ally of the Year – Christopher Turner (Southern University)
- Program of the Year – St Clair College
- CECC School of the Year – Winthrop University
The ESPORTSU Awards Committee Members included Kyler Tandal (ESPORTSU), ToniAnn Convertino (ESPORTSU), Nikita Bair (Syracuse University),Joey Gawrysiak (Syracuse University), Aaron Colaiacomo (Fisher College), Adam Antor (Ferris State), and Chase Neukam (St Cloud State University).
Finally, the Aurora Series, dedicated to supporting all who identify with a marginalized gender, made its debut at CECC Texas with the University of Houston Scarlet defeating the University of North Texas in a thrilling VALORANT match 13-11 on the main stage.
âThe power of esports was on full display this weekend as many colleges are continuing to push this as the ânew sportâ on campuses across the nation,â said Angela Bernhard Thomas, Chief Esports Officer for CSMG. âThe students arrived in all their team gear, the fans came out to cheer, and the brands integrated into the competition. Weâre excited to continue to shape the future of the ecosystem.â
Super Smash Brothers Ultimate through Generation Esports – Winthrop University
2nd seeded Winthrop University battled back after losing the first game to beat defending champion and 5th seeded Fisher College (Northeast), 3-1. Winthrop never backed down throughout the tournament, especially in the Grand Finals with Carlos âSonixâ Perez on the Fisher squad, who is considered a top 10 player globally in Super Smash. Bharat “Lima” Chintipall, a sophomore majoring in computer science from Dallas, TX, was named MVP for the tournament.
Winthrop advanced to the finals beating the 6th seeded University of Texas-Arlington 2-0, while Fisher College (Northeast) denied its fellow students and number one seeded Fisher College (East) 2-1 in best-of-3 series.
Rocket League – Ball State University
In one of the most epic Grand Finals in Rocket League, the top seeded Ball State University needed overtime in the final game of the best-of-7 series to beat the three seeded Boise State University, 4-3. No team won a game by more than one goal throughout the match. Arlin “Oath” Burns, a graduate student majoring in clinical mental health counseling from Westfield, IN, was named MVP for the tournament.
In the semi-finals in the best-of-7 series, Ball State bounced the 5th seeded University of Akron 4-0, while Boise State knocked out the 7th seeded Fisher College, 4-2.
VALORANT – St. Clair College
The 5th seeded St. Clair College completed the sweep in a best-of-3 series to defeat 3rd seeded Blinn College, 2-0. The Saints from Windsor, Canada, become the first non-U.S. college to win a CECC championship. Tanner âgeezaâ McGhee, a freshman majoring in business from Camarillo, CA, was named MVP for the tournament.
In the semi-finals in the best-of-3 series, St. Clair edged out the 8th seeded Winthrop University, 2-1, while Blinn College held off the 2nd seeded Fisher College (White), 2-1.
Overwatch 2 – Illinois State University
The 6th seeded Illinois State University captured their second CECC trophy in three years after taking down the 5th seeded Northwood University, 3-0, in a best-of-5 series. The Redbirds captured their first title at CECC Atlanta in 2022. Denis âLethalâ Tari, a sophomore majoring in business administration from Dubai, took home MVP honors for the tournament.
In the semi-finals in the best-of-5 series, Northwood upset the top seed Winthrop University, 3-1, while Illinois State advanced by sweeping the 2nd seeded Fisher College Esports, 3-0.
Semi-Finals (best-of-5)
Brand Partners and Talent Elevate CECC Texas
CECC Texas grew its partners from 2023 with the support of McDonaldâs of North Texas, State Farm, U.S. Army 5th Brigade, Smoothie King, CTRL, Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau, Apple Music. Zipchair Gaming, Dairy MAX, Dallas Cowboys Game Time presented by Lenovo, Cisco, Red Bull, Oasis PC, Cirkul, Grand Canyon University, and U.S. Army ROTC, who activated throughout the event.
The broadcast team featured a stacked group of professional esports hosting, desk analyst, and casting talent. The event was stage hosted by Elyse âHerculyseâ Herrera and floor hosted by Mathew âSeptilenceâ Corfee II. The desk analysts included Carlos âCarlos Ivanâ Braadt, Miles âKilomilesIRLâ Catenza, Logan âCatinatorâ Brown, Cassandra âChixxaâ Meltsch, and Madison âN3RDYBIRDâ Benge. Shoutcasters included Keegan âClutchKeyâ Ohta and Jesse âTwinsaltyâ Brawders for Overwatch 2, Samuel âSamTalkzâ DeLoach II and Sierra â Zhobiiiâ Fisbee for VALORANT, Oliver âBassâ Bass and Jeffrey âTheDangerTacoâ Skalamera for Rocket League, and Phil âEEâ Visu and Saeed Hassan âSaiâ Shareef for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Creators also streamed their own CECC Texas experiences directly to their audiences on their channels. Well-known Twitch personalities included Hungrybox for Super Smash Bros.⢠Ultimate, TenacityTV for Rocket League, QuarterJade for VALORANT, and Flats for Overwatch 2Ž, creating a new engagement platform to build college esports fandom.
The Road to Texas featured official CECC sanctioned tournaments including the CECC Midwest Online Regional, CECC East Regional presented by the US Army and Army ROTC at Helix eSports in Foxborough, Mass. CECC South Regional, CECC West Regional, the Big Esports Conference live championship event at The Ohio State University and Game Arena featuring fourteen Big 10 schools, the Atlantic Coast Esports Conference online Rocket League championship, the Western Cactus League live championship at Grand Canyon University, the Military Services Academy qualifier, the ESPORTSU nâ I All Womens Qualifier, and the very competitive Last Chance Qualifier.
Champions representing participating conferences that receive automatic bids include the: Atlantic Coast Esports Conference, Big Esports Conference, Big Sky Conference, Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference, East Coast Conference, Great Lakes Esports Conference, Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference, Metro Atlantic Athletics Conference, Mid-American Conference, Mid-Atlantic Esports Conference, Midwest Esports Conference, Missouri Valley Conference, Mountain West Conference, National Esports Collegiate Conferences, National Junior College Athletics Association Esports, Peach Belt Conference,,Western Cactus League and Western Esports Conference
Full list of CECC Texas-qualified teams (in order of seeding):
Super Smash Brothers Ultimate (through Generation Esports)
Fisher College (East), Winthrop University, Northwood University, University of California-Riverside, Fisher College (Northeast), University of Texas-Arlington, Lubbock Christian University, Manchester College (Indiana), University of Akron, New Jersey City College, Oakland University, Wichita State University, Quinnipiac University, Sacramento State University, University of Houston, University of Miami-Ohio, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, San Jose State University, Marist College, University of North Texas, Southern New Hampshire University, Illinois State University, Arizona State University, and Michigan Tech University.
Rocket League
Ball State University, Boise State University, Indian River State College, Nichols College, University of Akron, Lubbock Christian University, Maryville University, St. Clair College, Davenport College, Fisher College, Syracuse University, Indiana University, University of Arizona, Old Dominion University, University of Air Force, Northern Arizona University, San Jose State University, Staten Island College, Montevallo University, and Saint Xavier University.
Valorant
Blinn College, Simon Fraser College, Northwood University, Fisher College (White), St. Clair College, Fisher College, San Jose State University, Winthrop University, Texas A&M University, Brewton-Parker College, Converse University, Boise State University, Grand Canyon University, Purdue University, Northeastern University, Utica University, Manhattan College, University of North Texas, University of Air Force, and Saint Xavier University.
OverwatchÂŽ 2
Wintrhop University, Maryville University, Fisher College, Northwood University, Arizona State University, Illinois State University, University of California-Irvine, Fisher College (Freaks), Converse University, Boise State University, Blinn College, Bryant and Stratton College, University of Miami-Ohio, Southern New Hampshire University, University of Maryland, University of Texas-Arlington, Grand Canyon University, Cleary University, University of Army-West Point, and Salt Lake Community College.
eSports
Axlebolt and Epic Esports Events announce WINLINE EPIC Standoff 2: Brasil #2
Axlebolt mobile game developer, Epic Esports Events tournament operator, RuHub esports broadcasting studio and Winline company announce the second tournament in the series as part of WINLINE EPIC Standoff 2: Brasil. The event takes place from 11 to 19 May. This means audience and pro-players will have new exciting games and unexpected outcomes of matches between teams from South America in the fight for the prize pool of 10 000 USD*
The WINLINE EPIC Standoff 2: Brasil #2 tournament first stage will be held in the open qualifiers format. They will be organized on 11 and 12 May on the Battlefy platform.
Teams from Latin America can register their team using the links:
- Qualifiers 1 â battlefy.com
- Qualifiers 2 â battlefy.com
The group tournament stage will take place from 14 to 16 May. Four teams that advance to the open qualifiers stage will compete. They are will joined by four teams that received invites at the main stage:
- A7
- INVENCCY E-SPORTS
- iNCO
- 7Sete
Further four teams that have passed the group stage will compete in the playoffs in the Double Elimination format to win the large prize pool and get the tournament winner status.
The tournament prize pool distribution:
- 1 – 5 000 USD*
- 2 – 2 500 USD*
- 3 – 1 500 USD*
- 4 – 1 000 USD*
Tournament broadcasts will start from the main stage and will be available on the official RuHub online resources. Live broadcasts will be available in English and Portuguese language.
*The tournament prize pool is 1 000 000 rubles The announcement video on youtube.
eSports
CAPCOMâS STREET FIGHTERTM 6 GOING TO COLLEGE THIS FALL
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