eSports
WePlay! Clutch Island is a new Regional Major Ranking tournament
WePlay! Esports is hosting a CS:GO event.
The event will take place on June 16 – 28, 2020. The event sports a $50,000 prize pool and a quota of points needed to go to ESL One: Rio 2020. The new event sports uninhabited island of dangers laying under the scorching sun with hot sand and palm trees. Can the best CIS teams survive in such extreme conditions? Open Qualifiers
Three slots in Closed Qualifiers will be determined through the Open Qualifiers that will be taking place over these three days:
Any team from the CIS-region will be able to participate in the open qualifiers. Each qualifier takes off at 16:00 CEST, registration will be open until 15:00 for each corresponding qualifier. Each qualifier will be played in a single elimination bracket. All matches up to the finals will be BO1. The finals are BO3.
Registration to qualifiers will be open soon.
Closed Qualifiers
The winners of Open Qualifiers will be joined by five invited teams to play in Closed Qualifiers. The participants will be divided into two GSL-style groups. The best teams from each group advance to the main event. The winners of divider-matches play in the Final Group (GSL-style). Three best teams from the Final Group advance to the main event. All the rest teams are eliminated.
A tiebreaker match will be held between the teams that hold the third place in each group to determine the 10-place finisher.
Main event
The main event consists of the Group Stage and Playoff. In the Group Stage, the Closed Qualifier winners and invited teams are divided into two GSL-style groups. The four winners advance to the Playoffs, which will be played in a double-elimination bracket format.
Additional tiebreaker matches will be held between the teams that don’t make it to the Playoffs. The third place finisher from group A will face a third place finisher from group B. Same thing will happen between the fourth place finishers from both groups. All tournament matches including the Grand Finals are best of 3 series.
Prize pool allocation
The prize pool of $50,00 and 14,375 RMR-points will be divided as follows:
The list of teams, invited to the main event and Closed Qualifiers, will be announced soon.
Asia
Esports World Cup Foundation Announces Strategic Partnership with Tencent

Partnership to drive EWC’s expansion in China, leveraging Tencent E-sports’ networks and expertise to connect Chinese esports with EWC’s global ecosystem
The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) announced a partnership with Tencent, making Tencent E-sports the EWCF’s strategic partner in China to drive the expansion of the Esports World Cup’s presence in the region. This partnership marks a significant milestone in the EWCF’s purpose to unite global esports fans under one competitive umbrella and underscores its commitment to integrating the world’s most important and rapidly growing esports market into the Esports World Cup platform. The agreement was formalized at the Empower Esports Worldwide Series – The Esports Operation and Technology Session in Shenzhen, China.
The collaboration will establish a dedicated Development Team to enhance EWC’s visibility, engagement, and industry collaboration in China, while leveraging EWC’s and Tencent E-sports’ networks and expertise to connect Chinese esports with EWC’s global ecosystem. Tencent E-sports will provide marketing expertise, strategic consulting, and operational support to deliver diverse content and experiences.
“The Esports World Cup has created a global stage for competitive gaming, demonstrating its influence not only in China but across the world,” said Mars Hou, Vice President of Tencent Games and General Manager of Tencent E-sports. “Through this partnership, we are committed to elevating EWC’s presence in China and integrating our esports industry with the world’s largest competitive gaming event. We look forward to deepening our collaboration with EWCF to push esports forward on a global scale.”
“The Esports World Cup’s purpose is to create a global platform for esports and gaming fans worldwide, and investing in key growth markets for esports is a core pillar of our mission,” said Thamer Al Shuaibi, Chief of Staff at the Esports World Cup Foundation. “China plays a critical role in this vision, and Tencent’s leadership in gaming and esports positions it as an essential partner. By combining our expertise, we will continue to strengthen esports as an industry, providing new opportunities for Chinese players and Clubs, and bringing the best of the Esports World Cup to Chinese fans.”
Esports World Cup 2025 will once again unite gaming and esports communities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for a global competition that will crown the next Esports World Cup Champion. The tournament’s unique cross-game format will reward Clubs and players competing for a life-changing prize pool in a mix of platforms and genres, bringing together esports’ best players, Clubs and games under one banner in the largest-ever celebration of esports.
The post Esports World Cup Foundation Announces Strategic Partnership with Tencent appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Compliance Updates
ESIC Implemented its Anti-doping Testing Programme at IEM Katowice 2025

The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) implemented its comprehensive anti-doping testing program at IEM Katowice 2025, organised by ESL FACEIT Group (EFG). Conducted at EFG’s request, this initiative reinforced the commitment of both organisations to maintaining the highest standards of competitive integrity in esports.
ESIC’s anti-doping procedures, carried out in accordance with the ESIC Anti-Doping Code, ensured that all participating competitors at IEM Katowice adhered to globally recognised best practices. The programme featured advanced testing protocols, thorough monitoring and rigorous enforcement measures, all designed to uphold fair competition.
“At ESIC, our mission is to protect the integrity of the esports ecosystem. By deploying our anti-doping testing at IEM Katowice 2025, we reaffirmed our dedication to supporting event organizers like EFG in hosting competitions where athletes compete responsibly and ethically,” Stephen Hanna, Chief Executive Officer of ESIC, said.
Over the past few years, ESIC has administered more than 700 anti-doping tests at major esports events, including those hosted by EFG. This extensive experience further cements ESIC’s reputation for providing industry-leading services that prioritise player welfare, competitive fairness and a culture of transparency.
“Protecting integrity is paramount for esports, which is why EFG and ESIC are constantly working together to ensure fair competition. ESIC have proven themselves to have the experience, as well as an advanced system that provides the credibility and peace of mind needed at one of our biggest and most prestigious events, IEM Katowice,” Carsten Kramer, Director of Tournament Management at EFG, said.
The post ESIC Implemented its Anti-doping Testing Programme at IEM Katowice 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
BLAST.tv Austin Major Becomes Austin’s First Arena Esports Event & Sells Out in Record Six Hours

BLAST, Live Nation, C3 Presents and the Austin Sports Commission announced that tickets for the highly-anticipated Counter-Strike Austin Major sold out within six hours, breaking all records of previous BLAST esports events.
The BLAST.tv Austin Major will feature 32 of the world’s top Counter-Strike teams competing for a $1.25 million prize pool, from June 3 to June 22, with June 19-22 taking place at a packed out Moody Center.
Counter-Strike is one of the world’s most iconic esports titles, with over 20 years of competitive history and a massive global fan base. As the first Counter-Strike Major in the U.S. since 2018, this event continues to solidify Austin’s position as a premier destination for world-leading events. Catch a glimpse of what is to be expected by viewing the last CS Major, in Paris.
The BLAST.tv Austin Major is anticipated to be one of the largest esports events ever hosted in the United States, with thousands attending in person and millions more watching online across 150+ territories in more than 30 languages.
In addition to the impressive international presence guaranteed at this event, it’s an exciting time for Texas-based esports teams like Complexity Gaming, headquartered in Frisco, Texas, to represent their home state on their home turf.
At a press conference last night at the Moody Center (livestream available on youtube) featuring remarks from Mayor Kirk Watson, Leo Matlock (BLAST), Jason Lake (Complexity Gaming), Drew Hays (Austin Sports Commission/Visit Austin) and Andrew Haworth (BLAST), the spokespeople revealed that the Austin Major will drive economic impact for the local community:
- The estimated direct economic impact of the Counter-Strike Austin Major in Austin is $30M+
- Estimated total attendance: 40,000+
- Estimated out-of-state attendance: 65%
- Estimated average daily fan spend: $481
- 15 broadcast days and 59 hours live from Austin
- 220+ million projected views and an estimated 30 million US-based viewers
(Credit David Brendan Hall)
The BLAST.tv Major adds to Austin’s growing reputation as a world-class event destination, joining a lineup of high-profile international events, including SXSW, Austin City Limits Music Festival, and Formula 1 at Circuit of The Americas.
The road to the Counter-Strike Austin Major has officially begun and will feature several exciting moments leading up to the final stage inside the Moody Center arena. Stay tuned for upcoming announcements including watch parties, tailgates, tickets and more by heading to BLAST.tv.
BLAST.tv Major dates and schedule:
- Phase One: June 3rd-6th (Downtown Austin)
- Phase Two: June 7th-10th (Downtown Austin)
- Phase Three: June 12th-15th (Downtown Austin)
- Playoffs: June 19th-22nd (Moody Center)
The BLAST.tv Austin Major will be the first to feature the Major Regional Qualifiers (MRQs). The MRQs are a brand new qualifying system to the Major – featuring a series of online qualifiers across 3 regions: Europe, Americas and Asia. Americas is split into separate North American & South American qualifiers and Asia is split into Oceania, China & Rest of Asia regions: Mongolian & Western Asia, China and Oceania and South East Asia. You can read more details on the qualifying process at blast.tv/cs/news/blasttv-austin-major-mrqs-info.
The post BLAST.tv Austin Major Becomes Austin’s First Arena Esports Event & Sells Out in Record Six Hours appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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