eSports
The Esports Awards Launches Thrilling Collegiate Award Ceremony – Scholars

- Scholars is the premier collegiate gaming conference and awards ceremony created by the team behind the prestigious Esports Awards
- Scholars is set to take place November 27 to 28 at Worlds Resort Las Vegas, just days before the Esports Awards
- Nominations are now open until September 15 at ScholarsAwards .com
Scholars, the world’s premier collegiate gaming symposium created by the team behind the Esports Awards, unveiled the nomination categories for its inaugural awards ceremony alongside its first official partner. GamerTech, the gamer performance wearables and advanced apparel company, will join Scholars in Las Vegas later this year to celebrate and elevate the collegiate gaming industry.
Designed to empower students and professionals alike, Scholars provides a platform to delve into cutting-edge insights, connect with industry pioneers and celebrate excellence in the world of collegiate gaming. Scholars will feature an array of conferences and networking events taking place November 27 to 28 before the main awards ceremony.
“I’m absolutely delighted to extend a warm welcome to GamerTech as we embark on the inaugural editions of Scholars and our Collegiate Gaming Summit at PWR UP Las Vegas,” the Chief Executive Officer for the Esports Awards, Mike Ashford, said. “Through these events, we’re fully embracing the future of eSports and striving to equip gamers with the essential resources to nurture their careers.”
“We are thrilled to be a part of the inaugural edition of Scholars and the Collegiate Gaming Summit,” the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer for GamerTech, Amila Pathirana, said. “We believe that the collegiate gaming industry is booming and full of potential and we are excited to be a part of it. At GamerTech, we are passionate about helping our partners and gamers level up. That’s why we are happy to introduce our first performance boosting wearable product, the Magma Glove, at this event. We plan to strengthen our relationship with the Esports Awards team and we look forward to celebrating the achievements of the talented players.”
As part of the partnership, the team at GamerTech will bring its passion for players to the Scholars awards stage on November 28 at Resort World in Las Vegas by announcing the Player of the Year Award. Alongside the award, GamerTech is also the official title sponsor of the Collegiate Gaming Summit at PWR UP Las Vegas.
Created to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of talented scholars who have embraced the realms of gaming, Scholars has unveiled a host of inaugural categories to recognise those within the collegiate industry who have unrivalled dedication and skills and have shown their prowess across a myriad of disciplines.
The 2023 nomination categories include:
- Collegiate Program of the Year
- Conference of the Year
- Program Director of the Year Club of the Year
- Player of the Year presented by GamerTech Tournament Organizer
- Team of the Year
- Commercial Partner of the Year
- Collegiate Student Leader of the Year
- Institution of the Year
- LAN of the Year
- Global Impact on Collegiate Gaming
Join us in Las Vegas for an evening filled with anticipation, admiration and the crowning of true gaming scholars. Fans interested in attending Scholars, the premier collegiate gaming awards with the world’s most prolific collegiate teams, players, schools and their passionate communities, can register their interest at https:// esports.eventscase .com/EN/TheScholarsAwards.
Key dates:
- September 7 – nominations open via ScholarsAwards .com
- September 15 – Nominations close
- September 21 – Finalist reveal and voting opens
- November 20 – Voting closes
- November 27- Collegiate Gaming Mixer
- November 28 – PWR UP Collegiate Gaming Summit
- November 28 – Scholars ceremony
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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