eSports
NBA 2K League Season 3 Week 4 Preview

VIEWS FROM THE SIX: With two victories in Week 3, Raptors Uprising GC (6-0) remains undefeated in the NBA 2K League season. With averages of 34.3 points and 6.5 assists in Week 3, point guard Kenneth “Kenny Got Work” Hailey earned the NBA 2K League Player of the Week award for the second time this season. Raptors Uprising GC has a scheduled bye week in Week 4 and will return to action on Friday, June 5at 7 p.m. ET when they visit NetsGC.
STARS COLLIDE: Two of the most well-known NBA 2K League players will meet tonight at 9 p.m. ET when T-Wolves Gaming visit Mavs Gaming. Mavs Gaming’s Artreyo “Dimez” Boyd, the No.1 overall pick in the inaugural NBA 2K League Draft, switched positions from point guard to shooting guard and is leading his team to an impressive 4-1 start to the season. T-Wolves Gaming’s Michael “BearDaBeast” Key is the 2019 NBA 2K League Finals MVP and has steered his team to a 3-1 record. FUN FACT: Dimez and BearDaBeast both have appeared on ESPN’s The Jump.
LET’S LOCK IN (AGAIN): On May 23, the NBA 2K League debuted the second season of its award-winning content series, “NBA 2K League Locked In powered by AT&T,” on the NBA 2K League’s YouTube channel. The series takes fans behind the scenes into the lives of NBA 2K League players off the virtual court, focusing on the personal stories of the league’s 138 players and 23 teams. The first episode is entitled “The New Normal” and focuses on three teams – Pistons GT, T-Wolves Gaming and Wizards District Gaming – with different types of leaders at varying levels of experience on their teams, all vying for a shot to be crowned 2020 NBA 2K League champions.
THREE MORE FOR TV: ESPN2 will broadcast three additional nights of the NBA 2K League – Thursday, May 28, Friday, May 29 and Tuesday, June 2. Games will begin at 7 p.m. ET.
BATTLE OF THE BIG MEN: Jazz Gaming will host Blazer5 Gaming in the NBA 2K League “Game of the Week” on Friday, May 29 at 9 p.m. ET. The No.1 overall pick in the 2019 Draft, Jazz Gaming center Spencer “Ria” Wyman averaged a double-double of 20.5 points and 15.5 rebounds in Week 3. The sophomore will get an early challenge in the season when he faces Blazer5 Gaming center Dayne “OneWildWalnut” Downey. Downey is the 2018 NBA 2K League MVP and Defensive Player of the Year.
THIS IS NOT A GAME: Kings Guard Gaming rookie Matthew “Bash” Robles had a unique journey to the NBA 2K League. With aspirations of becoming a professional baseball player, the Los Angeles-native unfortunately tore his meniscus and began playing NBA 2K in 2016. While trying out for the NBA 2K League, Robles was pushed and motivated by his cousin Sebastian, who passed away shortly after Robles qualified for the Draft. Robles uses the gamertag “Bash” as a tribute to his late cousin.
Robles connected on the game-winning shot in Kings Guard Gaming’s victory over Grizz Gaming on May 22. Robles and Kings Guard Gaming will host Jazz Gaming on Thursday, May 28 at 9 p.m. ET.
eSports
Emmy-Winning Director R.J. Cutler’s Docuseries Esports World Cup: Level Up Premieres June 6 on Prime Video

Prime Video, one of the leading entertainment destinations, will premiere the five-part documentary Esports World Cup: Level Up on June 6, with new episodes released weekly. Directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker R.J. Cutler (Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, Elton John: Never Too Late and Martha), the series goes behind-the-scenes of the inaugural Esports World Cup (EWC) in 2024 — a defining moment in global esports, where over $60 million in prize money ignited a high-stakes, multinational battle to crown the world’s top esports Club.
The series is produced by This Machine (a part of Sony Pictures Television), with R.J. Cutler directing, John Dorsey serving as showrunner, and Jane Cha Cutler, Trevor Smith, Elise Pearlstein and Mark Blatty executive producing. Level Up will premiere exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
Esports World Cup: Level Up offers a rare look inside a global competition that’s redefining what it means to be a champion for a new generation of athletes and fans. R.J. Cutler and his team of expert storytellers embedded themselves within the eight-week tournament – watched by over 500 million fans globally – to uncover the personal sacrifices, rivalries and stakes driving the action.
Shot in verité style, the series combines intimate home visits from around the world and on-the-ground coverage from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It follows a wide cast of characters – from Club CEOs orchestrating million-dollar strategies to rising stars chasing life-changing wins – while capturing the pulse of elite esports competition.
“What drew me to the Esports World Cup was the compelling human stories unfolding within this high-stakes arena. Level Up isn’t just about the incredible competition and prize money; it’s about the dedication, the passion, and the sheer will of these athletes and teams pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Under high pressure, we discover the true character of the competitors who vie for $60 million, but who also expose their humanity in the process,” said Cutler.
At the heart of Level Up is the “EWC Club Championship,” an unprecedented, multi-title tournament format where Clubs compete across more than 20 games, earning points toward a single leaderboard. Every match, every point, reshapes the race for global dominance. With the highest prize pool in esports history on the line, the EWC is not just a tournament – it’s a proving ground for the next generation of sports icons.
“A win might make the headlines — but the real story is the people behind it. Level Up dives into the human side of esports: the pressure, the ambition, the sacrifices. It’s about what it really takes to compete at the highest level — and why it matters. R.J. is the best at bringing those stories to life, and this one captures the heart of what we’re building,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation.
eSports
Esports Charts Wins “Esports Innovation Award” at the EsportsNext Industry Awards

Esports Charts, a Ukraine-born analytics company that aggregates real-time viewership insights about esports, has won the Esports Innovation Award at the EsportsNext Industry Awards, hosted by the Esports Trade Association (ESTA) in Dallas, US.
The Esports Innovation Award recognizes an organization or individual that has introduced groundbreaking technology, services, or strategies significantly advancing the esports industry.
Esports Charts was honored for its scalable analytics platform, which provides comprehensive tournament and viewership statistics across more than 25 livestreaming services — helping stakeholders from publishers and teams to fans make smarter, data-driven decisions.
“Winning the Innovation Award from ESTA is an important milestone for us as a leading esports analytics service in the world. Also, we’re especially proud to represent Ukraine-born innovation on an international stage.
“From day one, our mission has been to bring clarity and transparency to the world of esports data. And this recognition from the industry is both an honor and a motivation to keep raising the bar.
“Thank you to our incredible team and partners, who believed in us from the start. This award is a shared success — and we’re just getting started,” Artyom Odintsov, co-founder and CEO of Esports Charts.
eSports
TEAM VITALITY WINS INTEL EXTREME MASTERS DALLAS 2025

Today, leading esports club Team Vitality was crowned champions at the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Dallas 2025, held at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Centre. Most Valuable Player (MVP) Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut guided the team to an imperious victory in Texas, delivering standout performances throughout the tournament, particularly in the Grand Final against MOUZ. With this victory, Team Vitality is crowned the champions of IEM Dallas 2025, bouncing back from a narrow 2-1 defeat in the 2024 tournament, where they finished as runners-up.
ANOTHER TROPHY LIFTED IN TEAM VITALITY’S LEGENDARY RUN
The powerhouse lineup of Dan ‘apEX’ Madesclaire, Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut, Shahar ‘flameZ’ Shushan, William ‘mezii’ Merriman, and Robin ‘ropz’ Kool all shone on the server, defeating several top-tier clubs, with “ZywOo” being named as the tournament’s MVP.
Kicking off their run in Group A, Team Vitality’s first match saw an impressive 2-0 win over South American side Legacy, showcasing their strength on both Inferno and Dust 2. The Upper Bracket Semifinals presented a closer challenge against GamerLegion, yet Team Vitality held firm and secured another 2-0 victory.
In the Upper Bracket Final, the French powerhouse faced Mongolian org, The MongolZ. The series began with a 13-10 Team Vitality victory on Inferno, but the MongolZ answered back with a 13-7 win on Nuke. However, the Bees levelled the series back on Mirage, where flameZ delivered a standout performance, leading them to a 13-11 victory. This victory continued Team Vitality’s 28-game win streak and secured their spot in the Playoffs Semi-finals.
The Semi-Final saw a rematch of the IEM Melbourne 2025 Grand Final, as the Bees faced off against Team Falcons. Dust II went the way of Team Vitality, with a commanding 13-7 win. However, the opposition roared back to take Train 13-6, setting up a grandstand final round on Inferno. Here, Team Vitality rallied together and managed to see off their rivals in close fashion, winning 13-11 to set up the Grand Final against MOUZ.
Team Vitality kicked off the Grand Final with a stunning comeback victory on Dust II, winning 13-11 from being 8-11 down. The Bees continued their early form into Mirage, asserting their dominance early to take a 13-9 win. The French club finished the 3-0 sweep on Inferno, taking a 13-8 win to secure the victory.
TEAM VITALITY EXTENDS THEIR REIGN IN COMPETITIVE CS2
The 2025 IEM Dallas title marks the club’s sixth Counter-Strike tournament win of the year. By defeating MOUZ at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Centre, Team Vitality extends their historic streak – a triumph made even more meaningful by taking place in Dallas, a city deeply rooted in Counter-Strike’s competitive legacy.
Fabien Devide, President of Team Vitality, said: “I’m extremely proud of our CS team for securing yet another major title with this IEM Dallas victory. Team Vitality continues to showcase the strength and excellence of French esports organisations on the global stage, and we have no intention of slowing down anytime soon.”
With the IEM Dallas title under their belt, Team Vitality have established their status as the team to beat for the remainder of the 2025 competitive calendar. Their unstoppable run will continue at the BLAST Austin Major next month, followed by IEM Cologne in July, where the team will look to continue winning trophies. By winning IEM Dallas, Team Vitality has already taken the first step in securing back-to-back ESL Grand Slams, a feat never before achieved by any other esports club.
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