eSports
THE ESPORTS AWARDS NAME RIOT GAMES, CS:GO AND RED BULL AS INDUSTRY FINALISTS
Returning to the Esports Stadium Arlington on November 20th, the Esports Awards will celebrate and honour every corner of the industry in the biggest night in the esports calendar
www.esportsawards.com/vote
The Esports Awards, the most prestigious night in the esports calendar, is excited to reveal the finalists for this year’s industry categories which showcase individuals and companies who are driving the industry forward. Announced during the 3rd Spotlight Show of the year and hosted by Thom ‘F.’ Badinger, this year’s nominees include the likes of VALORANT, Dexerto, PUBG MOBILE and Activision Blizzard.
The 3rd Spotlight Show also played host to an epic quiz challenge between hosts James “Dash” Patterson and Frankie Ward, an interview by Loviel “Velly” Cardwell with the Sentinels’ VALORANT team, and Nyvi Estephan sat down with LOUD_Coringa to discuss his Esports Awards Streamer of the Year nomination. The Esports Awards also showcased its third Creative Corner segment with George Nowack interviewing AARON CREATE from OpTic Gaming, cementing its goal of celebrating those who would otherwise go unrecognised and putting a spotlight on creatives.
The industry category at the Esports Awards aims to honour those individuals and businesses at the centre of the industry who innovate, support and showcase. The industry section of the Esports Awards includes Esports Broadcast/Production Team of the Year, Esports Commercial Partner of the Year, Esports Coverage Platform of the Year in association with Sizzle Creative, Esports Game of the Year in association with The Koyo Store, Esports Hardware Provider of the Year, Esports Journalist of the Year, Esports Publisher of the Year and Esports Supporting Agency of the Year.
The full list of industry awards finalists are:
Esports Broadcast/Production Team of the Year
- Riot Games
- ESL Gaming
- Nerd Street Gamers
- Psyonix
- Esports Engine
- Activision Blizzard
- Beyond the Summit
- BLAST Premier
- Garena
- FACEIT
Esports Commercial Partner of the Year
- Intel
- Red Bull
- BMW
- State Farm
- Logitech G
- Mountain Dew
- HyperX
- Alienware
- Verizon
- FTX
- Cash App
- KITKAT
Esports Hardware Provider of the Year
- Logitech G
- Razer
- Elgato
- HyperX
- NVIDIA
- Intel
- AMD
- Alienware
- Secretlab
- Corsair
- SteelSeries
- ASUS ROG
Esports Supporting Service of the Year
- ESG LAW
- Paper Crowns
- Aftershock Media Group
- Hitmarker
- Discord
- The Story Mob
- ESEA
- Creative Artists Agency
- Character Select Agency
- Prodigy Agency
- Mobalytics
Esports Coverage Platform of the Year in association with Sizzle Creative
- Dexerto
- The Esports Observer
- Esports Insider
- Dot Esports
- HLTV.org
- Liquipedia
- Esportmaníacos
- Inven Global
- SiegeGG
- Upcomer
Esports Game of the Year in association with The Koyo Store
- League of Legends
- VALORANT
- Free Fire
- CS:GO
- Call of Duty
- Rocket League
- Rainbow Six Siege
- Dota 2
- PUBG Mobile
- Overwatch
Esports Journalist of the Year
- Jacob Wolf
- Richard Lewis
- Adam Fitch
- Ashley Kang
- FionnOnFire
- Kevin Hitt
- Liz Richardson
- Wasif Ahmed
- Pablo ‘Bloop’ Suárez
- H.B. Duran
Esports Publisher of the Year
- Riot Games
- Tencent
- Garena
- Ubisoft
- Psyonix
- EA
- Activision Blizzard
- Epic Games
- Valve
“This year’s industry finalists provide a true showcase of the resilience and growth of the esports industry in the last 12 months and it’s such an honour to be able to provide a platform for them to receive the recognition that they deserve. As we sit in our sixth year I couldn’t be more proud of how the awards continue to reach new heights and I know that this year’s awards will be our best yet,” said Michael Ashford, Managing Director, Esports Awards.
Esports Awards 2021 key campaign dates for the rest of the year are:
- July: Finalists for Creative Awards
- September: Finalists for the Pro & On-Air Talent Awards
- October: The Go-Home Show building up to the main event
- Saturday 20th November: The Esports Awards 2021 Ceremony
Sponsors for the Esports Awards 2021 include The Koyo Store, Sizzle Creative, Touch of Ginger, SCUF, Arlington CVB, SecretLab, Matrix Keyboards and Verizon.
Nominations for Creative Awards and Pro & On-Air Talent Awards are still open over at www.esportsawards.com/nominate. Creative Awards close in July and Pro & On-Air Talent Awards nominations conclude in September.
eSports
North Star Network Acquires Um Dois Esportes
North Star Network has acquired Um Dois Esportes, a sports coverage and analysis site created from the merger of Gazeta Do Povo and Tribuna do Paraná in 2020.
Julien Josset, co-founder of North Star Network, said: “Thank you to the team at GRPCOM for their faith in us to take the brand forward. Um Dois Esportes is an established and renowned site in Paraná State, and we’re excited about the challenge of developing this asset.
“We’re happy to maintain the collaboration with the existing editorial team, and look forward to working with them, bringing our unique NSN approach, to take UDE forward.”
NSN’s signing of Um Dois Esportes is the media house’s fourth acquisition of 2024, following the recent deals to purchase UK-based SportsMole and MrFixitsTips, as well as Chilean site AlAireLibre, which was announced in March.
The latest addition to the North Star media portfolio joins existing assets including Top Mercato, Afrik-Foot, and Vringe. The Paris-based company already oversees a significant Brazilian operation, delivering over 6 million sessions per month, from the likes of Trivela, Premier League Brasil and Lakers Brasil.
NSN will retain Curitiba-based journalists from the Um Dois Esportes legacy team to maintain the asset’s unique tone and popular coverage of the Paraná sports scene across site and social.
Rafael Mello, Director of GRPCOM, said: “We were surprised by the interest, and initially had no intention of selling Um Dois, but as the conversations evolved, we realised this was a serious group with good intentions. We were very happy to see our project being valued by a large international group and going global, demonstrating the quality of the content we produced.
“We’re also proud that North Star inherited our journalists, who are truly responsible for the success of the product we offer readers every day.”
eSports
L&G esports team founded by Alona Shevtsova won the national Dragon EC Cup tournament
Ukrainian esports team L&G won the Dragon EC Cup tournament, held on the 20th of April by Dragon Esports Club. Four teams competed in the tournament’s final: Lazer Cats, L&G, which received a direct invitation to the final stage, EsportsBattle, and ThunderFlash, which had open qualifiers. During the Grand Final, the L&G team competed with Lazer Cats on Mirage, Anubis, and Vertigo maps.
“This victory is a testament to the exceptional talent and commitment of our players, as well as the collective effort of our coaching staff and support personnel,” said Alona Shevtsova, founder of L&G Esports. “We are immensely proud of their accomplishments and grateful for the unwavering support of our fans.”
L&G is among the top 5 Ukrainian teams in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. It was founded in 2021. The previous name was Leogaming, and it was created on the initiative of the famous Alona Shevtsova from the fintech sector.
The team began competing in top tournaments and almost immediately made it to the Advanced division of the ESEA League Europe competition. The team also participated in and took prizes in European tournaments such as the SCL League, WhiteBit Crypto Open, Phoenix League, and local competitions. The team players are marat2k, r0ublE, kr1vda, kL1o, OneUn1que, rji (coach).
The winners received a 50,000 UAH prize. Dragon Esports Club also prepared a 15-skin giveaway for the broadcast’s viewers.
It is worth mentioning that the L&G team created its merch items, which are available for order worldwide. To get more information about the team, visit the L&G Instagram page, Twitch, or Telegram Channel.
eSports
Introducing iSports at iCode: A Cutting-Edge Esports Program for Aspiring Gamers
iCode, a premier coding and STEM learning program for kids, announced its latest addition to its program offerings: iSports, a one-of-a-kind esports program geared towards young gamers aged 8-13.
Starting the week of June 3, 2024, this innovative 12-week esports course will be offered across the entire iCode franchise and is dedicated to introducing students to the thrilling world of competitive gaming in a safe and secure environment. This season will revolve around the popular game Fortnite, which will feature a special iCode-only map within the platform.
“iSports will serve as a great summer activity for kids to get out of the house, but the overall goal is to foster personal development through the many dynamic skills competitive gaming requires. The iSports program places a strong emphasis on developing important life skills like sportsmanship, teamwork and strategic thinking. It will keep participants engaged and learning while school is out, and parents can rest assured knowing that their children are playing in a controlled environment,” Abid Abedi, founder and CEO of iCode, said.
Throughout the 12-week iSports season, participants will dedicate one hour per week to gameplay and skill development. All sessions are led and supervised by knowledgeable iCode coaches. Their administration along with the exclusive iCode-only map is specifically designed to provide a secure gaming experience with a safe, monitored environment. The program culminates in the opportunity to compete in a tournament-style championship to crown the best gamer across iCode national network.
iCode is partnering with MSI to supply an array of state-of-the-art gaming equipment including high-quality headsets and top-tier gaming computers equipped with speedy processors. Gamers will also have access to advanced gaming chairs for maximum efficiency and comfort. This setup will ensure that every participant enjoys a premium gaming experience, mirroring the standards of professional esports environments. In addition, MSI will provide prizes to the top iSports gamers, including one of their brand new Claw handheld gaming devices.
“MSI has been dedicated to cultivating gaming and esports for years with significant achievements. We’re thrilled and honored to partner with iCode to develop this community to another level,” David Chou, VP of Sales at MSI, said.
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