eSports
HAWKS TALON GC INVITES MEDIA TO NBA 2K LEAGUE DRAFT ROOM
Hawks Talon GC Possesses the No. 1 Overall Pick of the 2023 NBA 2K League Draft
WHAT:
The 2023 NBA 2K League Draft is set for Thursday, Jan. 26, and Hawks Talon GC will be selecting first overall for the first time in franchise history. Hawks Talon GC will have three selections in the draft: the first overall pick, the 31st overall pick, as well as Wizard District’s pick (37th overall), which was acquired in a trade. Media will be allowed access to be in the room for the first overall selection and capture instant reactions from Hawks Talon’s front office. The first overall selection will also be made available for interview remotely upon being selected.
WHO:
Wesley Acuff, Hawks Talon GC Director of Esports
Player Selected First Overall
Hawks Talon Gaming, the NBA 2K League Affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks
WHERE:
The Lab presented by Diggi Games by Georgia Lottery
1 State Farm Dr, Atlanta, GA, 30303
WHEN:
The NBA 2K League Draft is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET, but media are invited to arrive beforehand to speak with Director of Esports Wesley Acuff and Head Coach Ismael Diaz-Tolentino.
MORE INFORMATION:
ATLANTA – The 2023 NBA 2K League Draft is set for Thursday, Jan. 26, and Hawks Talon GC will be selecting first overall for the first time in franchise history. Hawks Talon GC will have three selections in the draft: the first overall pick, the 31st overall pick, as well as Wizard District’s pick (37th overall) acquired in a trade.
The 2023 NBA 2K League Draft pool will consist of players who win draft eligibility as part of the “NBA 2K League Draft Prospect Series,” “Sony Scouting Grounds” tournaments, unretained players from the 2022 season, select competitors in the NBA 2K League’s APAC, Australian and European Invitationals, and other high-performing players in the 2K community as determined by league and team officials. More than 100,000 people tried out to join the NBA 2K League.
On October 13, 2022, Hawks Talon GC won the NBA 2K League Draft Lottery and the right to the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA 2K League Draft. Entering the day, Hawks Talon held 2.1 percent odds of winning the first pick, the second-to-worst odds of any team in the lottery.
Last season, Hawks Talon GC advanced to bracket play in three out of four regular season tournaments, including three consecutively following THE TIPOFF Powered by AT&T. The team’s point guard, Caesar Martinez (CEEZ), was also named NBA 2K League Player of the Week twice (May 11, July 26) – making him the only player in the league last season to earn the award twice. His 27.2 points per game led the entire league during THE TURN. That culminated in the team’s first postseason berth in team history in Ismael Diaz-Tolentino’s first season as head coach.
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 ‘Polgz’ 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 ‘Regs’ 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 Polgz’s 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 Tammenpää) |
2022* | NA: Regs (Justin Reguly)
EUR: EKI (Erik Tammenpää) |
NA: Gren-35- (Matthew Grenier)
EUR: J-_-JamalTheMan (Jimi Rönkkönen) |
2021* | NA: Gren-35- (Matthew Grenier)
EUR: EKI (Erik Tammenpää) |
NA: Regs (Justin Reguly)
EUR: NikkeDangles (Niklas Tukiainen) |
2020* | CAN: Regs (Justin Reguly)
USA: OF’s HF (Josh Fuss) EUR: Artuzio (Arttu Mustila) |
CAN: 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 Tammenpää) | 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)
eSports
BITKRAFT Ventures Launches New $275M Venture Fund, Continues to Invest in Early-Stage Gaming and Interactive Media Startups Globally
Once closed, this fund will bring BITKRAFT Ventures’ total assets under management to over $1 billion
BITKRAFT Ventures, one of the leading global games investment platforms, has announced the filing of BITKRAFT Venture Fund 3, a $275 million fund dedicated to driving early-stage investments in gaming and interactive media companies. Serving as the successor to their two Early Stage Equity Venture Funds, BITKRAFT Venture Fund 3 will continue to invest in studios, platforms, and technology globally within the gaming and interactive media space at the Seed and Series A stages. Once closed, this milestone launch will bring BITKRAFT Ventures’ total assets under management to over $1 billion.
Grounded in its vision of synthetic reality, BITKRAFT believes in the transformative power of digital experiences, shaping the future of entertainment. With a core belief that humanity is increasingly immersing itself in digital realms, BITKRAFT recognizes game companies as central to this development, driving the evolution of digital entertainment. Founded by seasoned entrepreneurs and builders in the games ecosystem, BITKRAFT has grown from a small team to over 25 professionals distributed globally, with a presence in key markets in Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America.
“At BITKRAFT Ventures, we are as committed to — and optimistic about — the future of the games industry as we were from the inception of BITKRAFT in 2016. We’ve seen continued growth across all major game platforms, in metrics including user engagement, activity levels, and monetization,” says Jens Hilgers, Founding General Partner at BITKRAFT Ventures. “Newly formed game studios have seen substantial break out successes over the last years, and the advent of AI in game production further benefits new upstarts in the space. Additionally, we have witnessed increased interest in game content beyond incumbents from media and tech giants, as well as private equity firms entering the landscape of potential buyers further expanding the exit landscape.”
BITKRAFT Ventures has strategically invested in various stages in a global roster of well-known companies including Frost Giant, a studio dedicated to bringing back real-time strategy; Anzu, an in-game advertising platform revolutionizing the gaming industry; Carry1st, a mobile gaming platform focused on serving the African market; InWorld, a social platform merging the digital and physical worlds; Voicemod, a voice modulation software empowering content creators; Immutable, the creators of the popular blockchain game Gods Unchained; and Karate Combat, an innovative martial arts league bringing high-octane combat sports to global audiences.
BITKRAFT Ventures’ funds exhibited noteworthy performance, as documented by the Cambridge Associates Benchmarking Data Report 2023. BITKRAFT’s inaugural Web 3 fund achieved a top 5% ranking, while its second Venture Fund secured a position in the top 8% of all funds based on Internal Rate of Return (IRR).
Canada
Canadian Gaming Summit: Providing the Framework for Sports Betting Success
As sports betting professionals seek to strengthen their connection with Canadian bettors, the Canadian Gaming Summit will provide the optimal framework for stakeholders to harness brand loyalty, innovate their offerings and strike lucrative partnerships, all aimed at solidifying their presence in the region.
The Sports Betting track is scheduled to take place on the first core day of the summit, Wednesday, June 19, at the Metro Toronto Convention Center. Catering to 3,000 industry stakeholders, discussions will encompass fostering mutually beneficial relationships with sports leagues, strategies to emulate the success of Canadian lotteries, analyzing the profiles of Canadian sports viewers and exploring the future of eSports and daily fantasy sports (DFS).
Opening the track is the panel entitled The Winning Ticket: How Sports Betting Can Emulate Lottery’s Appeal. It will explore the strategies sports betting operators can adopt to rival the popularity of traditional Canadian lotteries. Industry experts will examine whether sports betting operators are taking the right approach to emulate the success, brand loyalty and integrity of lotteries and whether a rise in the popularity of sports betting will affect provincial lottery models.
The session entitled It’s All In The Game: Innovations In Live Betting will shed light on how live, in-gaming betting is leading the way for innovation within sports betting. Industry luminaries will discuss the importance of crafting real experiences for bettors, analyze the profiles of potential bettors and explore strategies to fully integrate sports streaming content with sportsbooks.
The Game Changers: Collaborative Synergy With Sports Leagues panel will explore the power of sports league partnerships and how they are redefining the Canadian sports betting landscape. Expert panelists will delve into the intricacies of such partnerships and discuss how successful partnerships can be leveraged to enhance brand visibility, fan engagement and market presence. The panel will also examine successful case studies, partnership models and ideal strategies for achieving mutually beneficial partnerships.
Expert speakers set to appear across the track will include Conor Murray (VP Marketing, FanDuel), Nic Sulsky (CCO, Pointsbet), Owen Welsh (VP Gaming, Sports Betting and Innovation, CFL), Martin Lycka (SVP American Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Gambling, Entain), Britt Doll (Global Marketing Director, Rivalry), Tomer Imber (Senior Director of Sales, Optimove), Iain Montgomery (founder, Now or Never Ventures), Michael Sandalis (founder, Wait What), Peter Czegledy (Partner, Aird & Bellis), Anthony Gaud (founder, Gaud Hammer Gaming Group), Sean Simpson (Senior VP, IPSOS), Paul Burns (President, CGA), Scott Morasch (Senior VP, IPSOS), Sebastian Jedrzejewski (Director Regulatory Affairs, US Integrity), Greg Bloom (CEO, BYB Extreme), Steve McAllister (VP, Parleh Media), Troy Ross (President, TPM Public Affairs), Witek Wachinski (VP Strategy and Development, BetMGM), Patrick Harris (Managing Partner, Rubicon Strategy) with more to be announced.
Attendees will have the opportunity to strengthen their knowledge of the Canadian market through dedicated conference tracks on affiliation, advertising, leadership, land-based operations, payments and compliance. Additionally, attendees will have the opportunity to attend a pre-day player protection symposium.
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