eSports
RAPTORS UPRISING CROWNED CHAMPIONS OF THE TURN TOURNAMENT POWERED BY AT&T

Raptors Uprising GC, NBA 2K League affiliate of the 2019 NBA champion Toronto Raptors, defeated Wizards District Gaming, NBA 2K League affiliate of the Washington Wizards, in a 2-0 series (56-51 and 54-51) to win the NBA 2K League’s THE TURN Tournament powered by AT&T. Raptors Uprising GC become the first team in NBA 2K League history to win the first two tournaments of the year after capturing THE TIPOFF Tournament powered by AT&T in June.
Undefeated in regular season action, Raptors Uprising (13-0) entered the second in-season tournament with a bye into the Round Of 16 as the first-placed seed. On Thursday, Raptors Uprising cruised to a 2-0 series sweep (91-69 and 81-52) over Gen.G Tigers of Shanghai, winning each game by an average margin of 25.5 points, before eliminating 2019 NBA 2K League champions T-Wolves Gaming in a 2-0 quarterfinal series (77-50 and 62-58) on Friday. Earlier this afternoon, Raptors Uprising defeated THE TIPOFF losing finalist Kings Guard Gaming in a 2-1 semifinal series (72-60, 58-73 and 63-56) to book the team’s second Finals appearance in franchise history.
Kenneth “Kenny Got Work” Hailey, the franchise’s first-ever draft pick, was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, averaging 28.8 points and 8.6 assists through 9 tournament games including averaging 26.0 points per game in THE TURN Finals. With the accolade, the 30-year-old point guard becomes the first multi-tournament Most Valuable Player award winner in NBA 2K League history after winning THE TIPOFF MVP last month.
For the second consecutive year of THE TURN, the NBA 2K League implemented an “Archetype Ban,” introducing an added layer of team strategy as specific player archetypes were limited based on the selection of the opposing team. This year, up to six archetypes were banned in a three-game series with each ban impacting both teams.
All teams participated remotely from their respective local markets for a total prize pool of $260,000 USD, the league’s biggest prize pool ever. All five Raptors Uprising players that featured in THE TURN competed from the team’s residence and state-of-the-art training facility known as the Bell Fibe House, located in Toronto. After winning 8 of the team’s 9 games at THE TURN, Raptors Uprising take home $117,000 USD in prize money, with losing finalist Wizards District Gaming receiving $52,000 USD while Kings Guard Gaming and Jazz Gaming each receive $22,100 USD after finishing third and fourth in the tournament. Raptors Uprising will also receive THE TURN championship plaque, one of three plaques awarded to the three in-season tournament champions that altogether form THE BANNER CHAIN powered by AT&T.
With the conclusion of THE TURN, the NBA 2K League’s regular season will resume on Tuesday, July 28. League teams will continue participating in regular season gameplay remotely through the end of the regular season in Week 14 (August 4-7). Games will continue to be broadcasted live on the NBA 2K League’s Twitch and YouTube channels starting 7 p.m. ET every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with a minimum of four distinct matchups each night.
Raptors Uprising (13-0) return to regular season action in Week 13 when they face Kings Guard Gaming (9-4) on Wednesday, July 29.
eSports
Esports Charts and GG.BET have presented an interactive map with data on tournaments around the world

Esports Charts, an analytical service that analyzes esports viewership, has partnered up with betting brand GG.BET, to present Esports Map, an interactive map with data on the most popular esports tournaments in 110 different countries. Each tournament also comes with historical moments when favorites and outsiders unexpectedly switched places in the bracket.
The analytical service Esports Charts has added a new interactive tool to its website, the Esports Map. It features the most popular tournaments by country, as well as data on peak viewership, winners, and prize pools. It also contains information on the most popular games in each country. There are also separate analytics dedicated to the United States, with information available for each of the 50 states. Data has been collected for a period spanning from 2017 up to right now, and is continuously updated.
GG.BET, who partnered with the project, supplemented the tournament information with interesting facts about participating teams. The insights include historical breakthroughs by underdogs and unexpected losses by tournament favorites. The information is provided using past outright betting data.
Esports Map allows users to track the esports industry’s development in various parts of the world. For instance, although League of Legends remains the most popular game and the League of Legends World Championship has kept its spot as the top esports tournament for many years, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) is visibly closing the gap between the two games. Worlds 2024 in London had 6,856,769 peak viewers, breaking the world record among all esports games since 2017. However, MPL Indonesia’s Season 15 of MLBB has kept its place in the top spot for 2025, with 4,132,224 peak viewers. Today, MLBB remains the only mobile game capable of attracting such a massive audience, and its fan base is growing, especially in Southeast Asia. Analysts are looking forward to Worlds 2025 in China, which will allow them to update the available data and compare how different games are developing.
“Esports Map is a new project from Esports Charts, which we’ve launched alongside GG.BET as our first partner. We aimed to create a tool that would be interesting and useful to both fans and industry professionals. At its core lies Esports Charts’ analytics, supplemented by betting insights from GG.BET—covering everything from peak viewership and prize pools to discipline trends and stories of unexpected victories.. When combined, this data turns into a live snapshot of esports that can be tracked by country and region,” said Esports Charts’ press office.
“GG.BET regularly supports projects that help people understand esports at a greater depth. Esports Map provides an easy-to-understand visual representation of the industry’s progress in individual countries around the world and displays the breakdown of games by region. It will be of interest to fans and will prove useful to professionals who are developing the industry,” added GG.BET’s press office.
Esports Charts and GG.BET have previously worked together on an analytical project dedicated to the BLAST Premier 2024 season. That project displayed data on views, unique statistics about both the game and bets placed, an analytical breakdown of the season, and exclusive infographics on teams and players.
eSports
Thunderpick Partners with Oddin.gg and Introduces BetPeek, First Fully Interactive Esports Viewing Platform

Thunderpick, the leading esports betting platform, in partnership with Oddin.gg, a provider of end-to-end esports betting solutions, today announced the exclusive launch of BetPeek, a first-of-its-kind interactive esports viewing experience available only on Thunderpick.io.
While most esports streams today limit fans to static broadcast feeds and pre-selected camera angles, BetPeek flips the script. For the first time, viewers can control how they watch the action—transforming every match into a personalized, immersive event.
BetPeek’s key features include:
- Follow Any Player – Switch instantly to the POV of any competitor on the server.
- Dynamic Camera Control – Place the camera anywhere on the map for a unique vantage point.
- X-Ray Vision – Unlock strategic insights by seeing what players can’t.
- Play, Pause & Rewind – Revisit every clutch play with DVR-style controls.
- Integrated Betting Tools – Access deeper context and analysis to inform smarter wagers.
“Traditional esports streams have barely evolved; they’re often one-size-fits-all broadcasts that leave fans wishing for more control,” said Kelly Sanders, Head of Strategy at Thunderpick. “BetPeek completely changes that. By putting fans in the driver’s seat, we’re delivering an esports experience that’s not just more engaging, but truly revolutionary for bettors and spectators alike.”
Why It Matters
Until now, esports fans had little choice beyond passively watching standard tournament streams or fragmented co-streams. BetPeek represents the next era: an interactive, on-demand, and bet-integrated platform unlike anything else in the industry. For bettors, this means unprecedented visibility into momentum shifts, rotations, and player form. For fans, it’s a chance to experience the match exactly how they want.
Exclusive to Thunderpick
BetPeek is available only on Thunderpick.io, reinforcing Thunderpick’s position as the most innovative esports betting destination worldwide. In partnership with Oddin.gg, a global leader in esports betting solutions, Thunderpick continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in live, fan-first esports engagement.
eSports
Global Esports Federation confirms program for Los Angeles 2026 Global Esports Games

The Global Esports Federation at its 16th Board Meeting approved the draft program for the Los Angeles 2026 Global Esports Games, to be held in December 2026. This follows the earlier announcement of Los Angeles as host city at a major ceremony hosted by Los Angeles Times Media Group Executive Chairman & CEO Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and El Segundo Mayor Chris Pimentel—now marking a significant milestone on the road to GEF’s flagship event in the United States.
The GEF Board also unanimously elected Paul J. Foster as President of the Global Esports Federation. Paul, who is GEF Chief Executive Officer, was appointed President ad interim following the resignation of founding President Chris Chan in July, and now assumes the role of President & CEO through December 2027.
In addition, the GEF Board approved the establishment of frameworks to develop the esports ecosystem in the United States, anchored in Los Angeles. This initiative will strengthen the GEF’s connections with stakeholders worldwide and reinforce its mission to elevate esports for all.
The outcomes of GEF 16th Board Meeting reaffirm the GEF’s role as a convening platform, uniting athletes, publishers, Member Federations, and partners to power the future of esports globally.
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