eSports
Esports Publisher GGRecon & SCCG Management Announce Partnership
Esports And Gaming Publisher Plans to Expand Partnerships Into the USA
GGRecon, an esports and gaming publisher, has announced that they are expanding partnerships into the US with help from SCCG Management. The media company is planning on focusing on US partnerships and commercial opportunities, which SCCG specialises in. SCCG management will be assisting by managing GGRecon’s partnership operations, finding new and exciting clients, and assisting with commercial strategy.
GGRecon was founded in December 2019, and since its inception has had a heavy focus on esports. They cover titles such as VALORANT, CS:GO, Call of Duty, Overwatch, and many others.
As we continue to grow, serving our customers with the content that they clearly love, we felt now was a good time to expand more of our offering into the US,” says Chris Young, Managing Director at GGRecon.
As a result of ensuring they have high-quality content and a solid editorial strategy, GGRecon has seen their Page Views increase from 47k a month from when they started, to over 2.5 million a month in August 2021. In the last month alone, GGRecon’s Facebook Page has achieved nearly 251,000 reactions on their content, which is more than established brands such as GamesRadar+, GameByte, Eurogamer, and the official pages of Xbox, PlayStation UK, SEGA, and Epic Games. As it stands, their portfolio of social Pages equates to over 1.2m followers.
SCCG Management is a consultancy that specialises in esports, among other disciplines. The company consults with, and invests in, gaming clients worldwide in various casino development, internet gaming (iGaming) and gaming technology endeavours. Founder, Stephen A. Crystal, has spent over 20 years directly involved in all aspects of the casino and iGaming technology industry, including as an attorney representing public and private gaming companies, as a president and CEO of numerous casino holding and public gaming companies, and as an investor and advisor on over $4 billion dollars of project finance, mergers and acquisitions in the casino gaming space.
Chris Young, Managing Director at GGRecon, said: “We are thrilled to be working with SCCG management. As a well-respected and established company with someone like Stephen at the helm, we know that GGRecon’s future is in good hands. As we continue to grow, serving our customers with the content that they clearly love, we felt now was a good time to expand more of our offering into the US.
“The US is a market that we are keen to explore, as well as being able to show what GGRecon can do. Our audience is loyal and smart, which is a killer combination. We hope to be able to provide them with partnerships that are authentic as well as exciting.”
Founder of SCCG Management, Stephen A. Crystal, said: “It’s been a pleasure working with Chris over the last couple of years, and watching their business grow in the UK. As we expected, the content resonates well within the US market, which represents the majority of the GGRecon traffic. We look forward to helping GGRecon extend its presence in the US.”
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.
âiSports 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,â 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.
âMSI has been dedicated to cultivating gaming and esports for years with significant achievements. Weâre thrilled and honored to partner with iCode to develop this community to another level,â David Chou, VP of Sales at MSI, said.
eSports
HAWKS TALON GC SET FOR THE STEAL ON APRIL 19TH FOR CHANCE TO ENTER NBA 2K LEAGUE 3V3 PLAYOFF
Hawks Talon GC, the official NBA 2K League affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks, will begin play in the STEAL on Friday night against No. 14 Blazer5 Gaming at 7:30 p.m.
Talon collected 90 points over the SLAM and SWITCH, earning 60 points in the SLAM and 30 points in the SWITCH to earn the No. 3 seed heading into the STEAL.
Should Talon advance, they would play the winner of No. 6 Cavs Legion GC and No. 11 Hornets Venom GT on Saturday at 3:45 p.m., followed by the semifinals at 5:15 p.m., and the finals at 5:45 p.m. All games can be followed on the NBA 2K Leagueâs Twitch and YouTube channels.
âThe STEAL is probably the toughest tournament in the 2K League, but the guys are locked in and ready to fight for their season,â said Hawks Talon head coach Ismael âMAELOâ Diaz Tolentino. âWe are looking forward to going out there and proving that we belong amongst the best teams in the league. We were only a game away from clinching a playoff berth and we honestly think we are one of the teams to beat in this tournament.â
Talon owns a 4-4 record in bracket play thus far during the 2024 season over the SLAM and SWITCH opens, going 3-2 over the SLAM and 1-2 over the SWITCH.
The single elimination 3v3 tournament includes all 15 NBA 2K League teams that have not clinched a spot in the 3v3 playoffs, plus one community team from an open qualifier. The final two teams in the STEAL will earn a spot in the 3v3 playoffs beginning next week, with the winner receiving a winner-take-all cash prize.
eSports
EA SPORTS NHL 24 World Championship Winner Announced
A new champion was crowned yesterday in New York during the EA SPORTS NHL 24 World Championship, the National Hockey League announced. Ethan âPolgzâ Kerr-Polgar, who represented the Toronto Maple Leafs, earned his first EA SPORTS NHL 24 title, the $30,000 USD grand prize and a custom hockey stick trophy. The 21-year-old, Newmarket, Ont., resident won the back-and-forth, best-of-three series, including winning Game 1 in overtime against fellow Canadian Justin âRegsâ Reguly. With the win, Polgz cements his status as the top NHL 24 player in the World.
Polgz (@PolgzNHLon X) is an avid hockey fan and gamer who chose to represent his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs in the EA SPORTS NHL 24 World Championship. His superior offensive skills allowed him to score eight goals in the Final series to earn the World title. Polgz dedicated the win to his mother, who is his biggest supporter and has beat cancer three times.
Fellow Maple Leafs representative Regs finished the day as runner-up. Regs was previously the North American Champion of EA SPORTS NHL 22.
The virtual qualifying events for the live competition were hosted in partnership with Rival on its fan engagement platform that connects gamers from all over the world. The NHL 24 World Championship qualifying spanned two continents and showcased the global reach of virtual hockey.
EA SPORTS NHL 24 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
Round Robin
Polgz (Toronto Maple Leafs) 3 vs. Regs (Toronto Maple Leafs) 2 (OT)
Deeks (Montreal Canadiens) 7 vs Tempannen (Anaheim Ducks) 3
Regs (Toronto Maple Leafs) 2 vs. Tempannen (Anaheim Ducks) 1 (OT)
Polgz (Toronto Maple Leafs) 4 vs. Deeks (Montreal Canadiens) 3
Regs (Toronto Maple Leafs) 5 vs. Deeks (Montreal Canadiens) 1
Polgz (Toronto Maple Leafs) 4 vs. Temppanen (Anaheim Ducks) 1
Standings after Round Robin
1. Eki (*automatically advanced to Semifinal) *defeated Gren for 1st seed
2. Gren (*automatically advanced to Semifinal)
3. Polgz, TOR (3-0-0), 6 pts
4. Regs, TOR (2-0-1), 5 pts
5. Deeks, MTL (1-2-0), 2 pts
6. Temppanen, ANA (0-2-1), 1 pts
Semifinal (best-of-three)
EKI (NYI) vs. Regs (TOR)
Regs wins series 2-0
Gren (BUF) vs. Polgz (TOR)
Polgz wins series 2-0
Final (best-of-three)
Game 1: Polgz, 3 vs. Regs, 2 (OT)
*Polgz took an early lead over Regs by scoring the first goal of the series. Polgz secured a two-goal lead in the second period, which was quickly answered by Regs bringing the score to 2-1. Regs made an epic comeback in the third period, tying up the game with 17 seconds left and forcing the first game into overtime. Despite strong gameplay from both sides, Polgz pulled through to earn the overtime win.
Game 2: Polgz, 0 vs. Regs, 5
*Regs dominated in Game 2 of the Final. He scored two goals in quick succession in the first period, then took a three-goal lead in the second period. Polgz had some good chances in the second period, but ultimately was unable to overcome Regs. Regs sealed the deal with another two goals towards the end of the third period, securing a 5-0 win over Polgz and tying the series at 2-2.
Game 3: Polgz, 5 vs. Regs, 3
*An unstoppable Polgz took the early lead, scoring four unanswered goals in the first period. After a mostly quiet second period, Regs got on the board with two unanswered goals of his own, suddenly cutting Polgzâs lead in half. Entering the third period at 4-2 with Polgz in the lead, Regs made up ground with another goal early in the third period, making for an exciting battle for the win. In the end, Polgz locked in the win with a fifth goal in the third period, winning Game 3 with a final score of 5-3 and ending the series 2-1.
World Championship History
YEAR | WINNER | RUNNER UP |
2024 | Polgz (Ethan Kerr-Polgar) | Regs (Justin Reguly) |
2023 | Jos x 10 (Joseph Olmstead) | EKI (Erik TammenpÀÀ) |
2022* | NA: Regs (Justin Reguly)
EUR: EKI (Erik TammenpÀÀ) |
NA: Gren-35- (Matthew Grenier)
EUR: J-_-JamalTheMan (Jimi Rönkkönen) |
2021* | NA: Gren-35- (Matthew Grenier)
EUR: EKI (Erik TammenpÀÀ) |
NA: Regs (Justin Reguly)
EUR: NikkeDangles (Niklas Tukiainen) |
2020* | CAN: Regs (Justin Reguly)
USA: OFâs HF (Josh Fuss) EUR: Artuzio (Arttu Mustila) |
CAN:Â YungGren (Matthew Grenier)
USA: Top Shelf Cookie (Matthew Gutkoski) EUR: MrNipsuli (Roni Kajan) |
2019 | Top Shelf Cookie (Matthew Gutkoski) | JohnWayne90 (John Casagranda) |
2018 | EKI (Erik TammenpÀÀ) | Jr Pens (David Roebuck) |
*World Championship canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions NA = North America / EUR = Europe
EA SPORTS NHL 23 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL STANDINGS
1. Polgz, Toronto Maple Leafs ($30,000 USD)
2. Regs, Toronto Maple Leafs ($10,000 USD)
3. Gren, Buffalo Sabres ($5,000 USD)
4. Eki, New York Islanders ($5,000 USD)
5. Deeks, Montreal Canadiens ($1,000 USD)
6. Temppanen, Anaheim Ducks ($1,000 USD)
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