eSports
NBA 2K LEAGUE TO TIP OFF 2021 SEASON MAY 19

– Eastern and Western Conferences Implemented for First Time –
– NBA 2K League Playoffs Delivered by DoorDash Expand to 12 Teams –
The NBA 2K League announced its 2021 regular-season schedule and season-long competition structure. The 16-week season will begin Wednesday, May 19 with THE TIPOFF Powered by AT&T, and will conclude Saturday, Sept. 4 with the 2021 NBA 2K League Finals Delivered by DoorDash. The 23 teams will play 28 regular-season games each.
For the first time, the NBA 2K League will be aligned into two conferences: the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Each team will play matchups both within its conference and against teams in the other conference. The teams in each conference are listed below:
- Eastern Conference
- 76ers GC, Celtics Crossover Gaming, Gen.G Tigers of Shanghai, Grizz Gaming, Hawks Talon GC, Heat Check Gaming, Hornets Venom GT, Knicks Gaming, Magic Gaming, Nets GC, Raptors Uprising GC and Wizards District Gaming
- Western Conference
- Bucks Gaming, Blazer5 Gaming, Cavs Legion GC, Jazz Gaming, Kings Guard Gaming, Lakers Gaming, Mavs Gaming, Pacers Gaming, Pistons GT, T-Wolves Gaming and Warriors Gaming Squad
Also new this year, the field for the 2021 NBA 2K League Playoffs Delivered by DoorDash has expanded to 12 teams. The playoffs will begin Thursday, Aug. 26.
Each NBA 2K League team will begin the 2021 season playing remotely from its local market. Games will be simulcast live on the NBA 2K League’s Twitch and YouTube channels, and will be available on Dash Radio, ESRevolution, Loco in India and Sport1 in Europe.
The 2021 season will once again include three in-season tournaments (THE TIPOFF, THE TURN and THE TICKET) as part of THE BANNER CHAIN powered by AT&T. All 23 teams will compete in THE TIPOFF and THE TURN. The top five teams in each conference at the end of the regular season will automatically qualify for the NBA 2K League Playoffs Delivered by DoorDash. The 13 remaining teams will compete in THE TICKET, with the winning teams from each conference earning the 11th and 12th spots in the playoffs. The NBA 2K League will award $1.5 million in prize money across the THE TIPOFF, THE TURN and the playoffs.
“After a transformational 2020 season, we are thrilled to bring NBA 2K League action back to fans worldwide in Season 4,” said NBA 2K League President Brendan Donohue. “We’re working toward returning to our live studio experience once we safely can be together, and all fans rooting for their teams around the globe will surely enjoy the rivalries that will develop with the introduction of conferences.”
Regular-season games will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights with four distinct matchups each night. Matchups will be played in a two‑game format. For the first time, regular-season broadcasts will feature nightly themes:
- “NBA 2KL Block Party Wednesdays” will highlight voices around the NBA 2K League community, including influencer personalities.
- “NBA 2KL Bounce Pass Thursdays” will be the league’s most fast-paced nights of gameplay, packing all four matchups into a three-hour window. They will include as many as three games happening simultaneously, and the broadcasts will bounce around to highlight the most exciting action.
- “NBA 2KL Friday Night Fire” will spotlight the week’s marquee matchup with the Game of the Week and dive deep into the stories of the league’s 138 players with never-before-seen content and interviews.
- “NBA 2KL Saturday Night Showdown” will explore new broadcast elements and voices and focus on the hardcore 2K fans by showcasing the game and players through the lens of the league’s most compelling storylines, including rivalries between individual players and teams.
The full 2021 NBA 2K League schedule is below:
- May 19 – 22 THE TIPOFF Powered by AT&T
- May 26 – 29 Regular Season – Week 1
- June 2 – 5 Regular Season – Week 2
- June 9 – 12 Regular Season – Week 3
- June 16 – 19 Regular Season – Week 4
- June 23 – 26 Regular Season – Week 5
- June 30 – July 3 Bye Week
- July 7 – 10 Regular Season – Week 6
- July 14 – 17 THE TURN Powered by AT&T
- July 21 – 24 Regular Season – Week 7
- July 28 – 31 Regular Season – Week 8
- August 4 – 7 Regular Season – Week 9
- August 11 – 14 Regular Season – Week 10
- August 19 – 21 THE TICKET Powered by AT&T
- August 26 – 28 NBA 2K League Playoffs Delivered by DoorDash
- September 4 NBA 2K League Finals Delivered by DoorDash
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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