eSports
F1 ESPORTS PRO SERIES EVENT 2 LIVE THIS WEEK, FEATURING BRAND NEW CIRCUIT, & NEW F1 TRACKS TAKEOVER
TIMING DETAILS, WHERE TO WATCH INFO, AND DRIVER QUOTES FOR F1 ESPORTS PRO SERIES PRESENTED BY ARAMCO
The F1 Esports Pro Series presented by Aramco started in style last month as Alfa Romeo’s Jarno Opmeer dominated in Event 1, securing two victories, and reigning champion David Tonizza also picked up a crucial win for Ferrari, as fans were treated to three fantastic races. You can view the ‘Top 5 moments’ from Event 1 on YouTube here, and are free to embed this in editorial if you wish.
Event 2 gets underway on Wednesday afternoon with a trip to Zandvoort, a brand new circuit for the F1 Esports Pro Series, before battling out it on a fan favourite – the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. Thursday’s action will see drivers go wheel to wheel at the Red Bull Ring, to round off the first half of the series.
The live shows will be streamed online via F1’s official channels on Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and Huya, as well as broadcast on television by international partners such as ESPN (US), Sky (UK) and Ziggo (Netherlands), whilst Qualifying show content will be streamed exclusively on Twitch, YouTube and Huya (China). For full information about the Pro Series visit: https://www.f1esports.com/
Please see the table below for the full breakdown of the platform splits so you don’t miss a moment of the action:
| Day | Session | Time (GMT) | Coverage |
| Wednesday 4 November | Qualifying Show 1 (featuring Quali. 1 highlights and Quali. 2 live) |
15:30 – 16:45 | Twitch / YouTube / Huya (China) |
| Evening Show 1 (featuring Quali. 1 and Quali. 2 highlights, Race 1 re-run and Race 2 live) |
19:30 – 21:00 | TV & Online | |
| Thursday 5 November | Qualifying Show 2 (featuring Qualifying 3 live) |
15:30 – 16:45 | Twitch / YouTube / Huya (China) |
| Evening Show 2 (featuring Quali/Race 1 and Quali/Race 2 highlights, Quali. 3 highlights and Race 3 live) |
19:30 – 21:00 | TV & Online |
Drivers competing in this year’s Pro Series have combined to build the ultimate gaming playlist for F1 Tracks, featuring songs that get them in the zone and the tunes they blast when they’ve secured a win! The playlist caters for all tastes, and features massive tracks from KAM-BU, Nothing But Thieves, You Me At Six, The Weeknd, Queen, Kings of Leon and even Elvis Presley! You can find links to the playlist below:
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2YmjQL3 / Deezer: https://bit.ly/3hBqsgc / Apple: https://apple.co/3jkgArh
Ahead of the second round of races for this year’s Pro Series, we also caught up with three of the competition’s stars to get their thoughts about the upcoming season. Please feel free to use these comments in editorial around the build-up to Event 2.
Marcel Kiefer
On visiting the Red Bull Performance Centre in October
Marcel: “I’ve been to the Red Bull Performance Centre with the team. It was a really great experience, because we got to know more stuff about all the other areas that we don’t usually cover in our Esports training, like the physical activities, scheduling and how important it is to sleep and get physical exercises that can really increase your performance. It helped us a lot, and I think it already shows we’re in a good position for the season.”
Who to watch out for in terms of competitors
Marcel: “I think Alfa Romeo definitely. I mean we already knew that Alfa Romeo would be good this year. I expected Mercedes to be stronger, but maybe they will bounce back from the first event because it didn’t go that well for them. Alpha Tauri were also pretty solid. Renault looks really strong this year. I think we are in a really close season and Ferrari probably people expected them to be a bit stronger. But they also had technical difficulties during the first event, so we don’t know. I think Alfa is the big surprise. They made a huge step from last year.”
On their chances to win the title
Marcel: “I think we can win both the Drivers and Team championship. We have a solid pair with me and Freddie. And I’ve already proven I can fight up there. And we all know Freddie can do it. So yeah, I believe we have what it takes for both titles. Obviously, the focus is on the Team championship, because we are already Team Champions from last year and we want to keep that title. But if it doesn’t work out, we will just reapproach next year, just try to improve other areas. I mean, it’s so tight that you cannot even be mad if you lose, you obviously want to win. But everyone’s so good. They all work incredibly hard all teams. So if they win, they deserve it.”
Dani Bereznay
On preparing for Event 2 of the season
Dani: “We’ve had a lot less time to prepare compared to what we had ahead of the first event. I don’t think the field will be as tight as it was [last time] as people who adapt faster to the new circuits can have a bigger advantage. I’m pretty confident that we are the ones to beat ahead of the second event but Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, even the Williams guys, look pretty strong. Alpha Tauri and Renault included. To get in the top 10 will be really difficult.”
On main competitors for the title
Dani: “I think it’s good to be the team to beat but Alpha Tauri with Joni Tormala and Red Bull with Marcel Kiefer and Frederik Rasmussen are an insanely fast pair. Also, Ferrari with Enzo Bonito and the former champion, David Tonizza, are really big threats. If you see the timings and not just the results, there is maximum one tenth of a second that separates us from most of the field. It’s basically one apex, one little mistake, and the championship can turn upside down pretty quickly. That’s why esports is so good! We definitely don’t treat it like we’ve already won and we definitely won’t let off as the others are super motivated.”
On esports drivers making mistakes
Dani: “The gaps are pretty small in esports and it’s crazy to watch because we as drivers remember every single mistake of our laps. There are some mistakes that are inevitable, but there are some minor inaccuracies in our driving that we get frustrated about. What separates Jarno [Opmeer] from other drivers is that what he can do in a practice session he can pretty much replicate in the real life thing which is really hard as the pressure is so high.”
On his relationship with teammate Jarno
Dani: “It’s really important for me [to have a partner like Jarno]. I think we can push each other and the thing is with f1 esports is that we don’t know any of the other teams lap times. So to have a competitive teammate sets a good benchmark because if you have a slower teammate and you are beating him by one or two tenth of a second per lap you don’t know what kind of level you’re at. But with Jarno, if you’re beating him, you’re basically beating all the top guys. I think we push each other forward and set a pretty great benchmark on what could be the actual lap times. I want him to perform well and I want to perform well myself. Of course I want to finish in front but if I finish second then I want it to be my teammate rather than someone from another team.”
Cedric Thome
On what he learnt from former teammate Jarno Opmeer
Cedric: “Jarno is rapid, he’s amazing. He was really quick last year as well but he had some moments where he was really unlucky. He’s doing an amazing job [this year], he’s first in the championship and he deserves to be where he is.”
On his passion for darts
Cedric: “Yes, I love darts and obviously with us racing from home this year I have a board in my room so if I can throw a few [darts]. I feel like it’s a good chance to free your mind and just throw some darts. It doesn’t really help my concentration for F1.”
eSports
Esports World Cup Foundation Confirms Full Game Lineup, Schedule, and Club Championship Rules for EWC 2025
200 Clubs, 2,000 players, 25 tournaments across 24 games, and a $70M+ prize pool set the stage for the largest celebration of competitive excellence and esports fandom
The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has finalized the full lineup of games, tournament schedule and Club Championship rules for the Esports World Cup 2025 (EWC), the world’s largest esports event, set to return to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 7 through August 24. This summer, over 2,000 elite players and 200 top Clubs from more than 100 countries will battle across 25 tournaments in 24 games, for a record-breaking $70+ million life-changing prize pool, the largest in esports history.
The Esports World Cup 2025 will once again unite gaming and esports communities for a global competition that will crown the next Esports World Cup Club Champion, while elevating esports as a global sport and driving long-term growth for the entire ecosystem.
The confirmed EWC 2025 game lineup will include iconic esports titles spanning fan-favorite shooters, battle royales, MOBAs, fighting games, and chess. New additions — CROSSFIRE, FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves, chess and VALORANT — join the prestigious lineup of returning titles, making this the most diverse and competitive EWC yet.
With the schedule locked, the stage is set for seven weeks of world-class competition. The initial wave of tickets are now on sale, and the countdown is on for the biggest celebration of esports, kicking off with the EWC Festival on July 7. Below is the schedule for each EWC tournament.
Week 1 (July 8–13):
VALORANT featured at 2025 Esports World Cup (July 8-13), Apex Legends at 2025 Esports World Cup 10–13), FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves at 2025 Esports World Cup (July 10–12), Rennsport at 2025 Esports World Cup (July 8–11), Dota 2 at 2025 Esports World Cup – Week 1 (July 8-13)
Week 2 (July 15–20):
League of Legends featured at 2025 Esports World Cup (July 16–20), Free Fire at 2025 Esports World Cup (July 16–20), Dota 2 at 2025 Esports World Cup – Week 2 (July 17–19), Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Women’s Invitational at 2025 Esports World Cup (July 15–19), Honor of Kings World Cup at 2025 Esports World Cup – Week 1 (July 15–20)
Week 3 (July 22–27):
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 at 2025 Esports World Cup (July 24–27), PUBG MOBILE World Cup at 2025 Esports World Cup – Week 1 (July 25-27), Honor of Kings World Cup at 2025 Esports World Cup – Week 2 (July 23-26), StarCraft II at 2025 Esports World Cup (July 22–25), Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid Season Cup at 2025 Esports World Cup – Week 1 (July 23–27)
Week 4 (July 29–August 3):
Overwatch Champions Series: MidSeason Championship at 2025 Esports World Cup (July 31–August 3), PUBG MOBILE World Cup at 2025 Esports World Cup – Week 2 (July 29-30 / August 1–3), Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid Season Cup at 2025 Esports World Cup – Week 2 (July 30–August 2), Chess at EWC 25 (July 29–August 1)
Week 5 (August 7–10):
EA SPORTS FC 25 at 2025 Esports World Cup (August 7–10), Call of Duty: Warzone at 2025 Esports World Cup (August 6–9), TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX SIEGE X at 2025 Esports World Cup (August 7–9)
Week 6 (August 11–17):
Rocket League featured at 2025 Esports World Cup (August 14–17), PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS at 2025 Esports World Cup (August 12–16), TEKKEN 8 at 2025 Esports World Cup (August 13–16), Teamfight Tactics featured at 2025 Esports World Cup (August 14–15)
Week 7 (August 19–24):
Counter-Strike 2 at 2025 Esports World Cup (August 21–24), Street Fighter 6 at 2025 Esports World Cup (August 20–23), CROSSFIRE at 2025 Esports World Cup (August 19–23)
EWC 2025 will unfold across four dedicated arenas, each spotlighting one game at a time to deliver the best fan experience. Select titles will host Last Chance Qualifiers in the Festival zone — giving players one final shot at advancing to the main stage.
The Esports World Cup has introduced a refined tournament schedule to enhance viewership across its expanded lineup. Finals will now take place on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays – reducing overlap and ensuring dedicated coverage for each title. Tickets for EWC 2025 are now available to purchase at esportsworldcup.com.
The total $70+ million prize pool is allocated across the Club Championship, Game Championships, MVP Awards, and EWC Qualifiers. Out of this, $27 million is dedicated to the EWC Club Championship — an innovative cross-game format that rewards the top 16 Clubs for their performance across multiple titles, with $7 million reserved for the 2025 champion. Game Championships will feature their own prize pools, totaling over $38 million combined, while standout players will compete for a share of the $450,000 MVP Award pool.
Open to all participating organizations, the Club Championship awards points for top-eight finishes across tournaments. To claim the title, Clubs must secure at least two top-eight placements and win at least one tournament. New for 2025, joint ventures — collaborations between two distinct organizations on a specific roster — will be ineligible for points, with Clubs required to compete under one aligned name throughout the EWC to qualify. The Club that shows both consistency and competitive excellence across the entire EWC calendar, will be crowned the Esports World Cup Club Champion at the EWC 2025 closing ceremony on August 24, 2025.
At EWC 2024, Team Falcons dominated with 5,665 points and three tournament wins to claim the $7 million Club Championship. Team Liquid and Team BDS followed in second and third, with 2,545 and 2,000 points respectively. The top 10 also featured some of the biggest names in global esports: Gaimin Gladiators, T1, Virtus.pro, Team Vitality, Twisted Minds, Gen.G, and LOUD — all delivering standout performances across multiple titles, setting the stage for EWC 2025.
The post Esports World Cup Foundation Confirms Full Game Lineup, Schedule, and Club Championship Rules for EWC 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
The Insights Group and Playmakers launch with purpose to reshape digital entertainment across esports, gaming, creator economy & sports
- The Insights Group, a new media and events business focused on the digital entertainment sector, will launch with its first brand now live: The Esports Radar, a modern multimedia platform delivering in-depth coverage of the global esports sector
- TER Events teams up with ESIC and BLAST to collectively launch Global Esports Industry Week, taking place in Austin, Texas, from June 18th to 22nd and featuring TER’s own Esports Leaders event, the ESIC Global Esports Summit, other socials, and culminating in the sold-out BLAST.tv Austin Major
- Playmakers rebrands from TWG as it focuses on connecting leading gaming, esports & sports IPS and talent with brands and opportunities
The GSE Group, a newly established holding company founded by esports and sports industry experts Sam Cooke and Alfie Wright, is thrilled to unveil The Insights Group, a media and events company centered on the digital entertainment industry. GSE is also proud to welcome Playmakers (formerly TWG) to its portfolio, an agency dedicated to managing high-value commercial partnerships for rights holders and influencers across sports, gaming and esports.
Sam and Alfie will serve as directors across both businesses, with Sam leading The Insights Group as CEO and Alfie continuing to oversee the newly rebranded Playmakers. Sam embarks on this venture after successfully exiting Esports Insider. Meanwhile, Alfie brings nearly a decade of experience in gaming and sports, building partnerships with top brands and influencers.
The Insights Group will be backed by investment from Continuum X Group (CXG), a leading esports and gaming venture firm. Founder & CEO of CXG, Jonas Gundersen, most recently the COO of NIP Group, which went public on NASDAQ last year, will join as a Non-Executive Director & Advisor, bringing years of industry expertise to drive strategy and growth. As part of its launch, The Insights Group is introducing The Esports Radar, a multimedia platform that delivers consistent, in-depth business coverage. Regional editions will follow soon, including an Arabic language edition, TER Arabia, in collaboration with Saudi-based entity NESMA Group, who operate Nesma Esports led by co-founder and CEO Elie Honain, a fully-fledged gaming creative and production studio based in Riyadh.
As part of its events offering, The Insights Group is (re)introducing Esports Leaders, a premier gathering of C-suite executives from in and around the esports sector, including decision makers and senior execs from game publishers, teams, tournament operators, brands, agencies and other key stakeholders. Pioneered by Sam Cooke during his tenure at Esports Insider, Esports Leaders facilitates high-level discussions in an exclusive setting. The first edition under The Insights Group and TER Events will take place from June 18th-22nd in Austin, Texas, alongside the annual ESIC Global Esports Summit and the sold-out BLAST.tv Austin Major, collectively forming Global Esports Industry Week.
James Woollard, Director of Market Development at BLAST, said of the news: “BLAST is always looking for opportunities to work with best-in-class partners and to elevate business and networking experiences around the biggest esports events. Having the Global Esports Industry Week co-located with the sold-out BLAST.tv 2025 Major in Austin is an opportunity to bring together esports orgs, players, teams, brands, businesses and city partners who are all integral to the market growth of this vibrant industry and to share ideas. Working with The Insights Group, The Esports Radar and Playmakers – experts in the esports business space – as well as Visit Austin, will give us the opportunity to connect people and pioneers in the gaming and esports space.”
Playmakers, formerly known as TWG, marks its first anniversary with a renewed focus on securing and managing commercial partnerships for brands, rights holders and influencers. Specialising in strategic consultancy, deal brokerage, and talent management, Playmakers is dedicated to driving impactful collaborations. With Alfie Wright’s industry expertise and extensive network, Playmakers’ goal is to bridge the gap between esports, gaming, and traditional sports.
“Launching GSE Group and The Insights Group is not just another step in my career, it’s a culmination of over a decade in the industry and desire to launch a bold new venture across not just esports but digital entertainment more broadly. Together with Alfie and with key partners and individuals such as Jonas, Elie and others, we are ready to deliver something fresh for the space. With initiatives like The Esports Radar and Esports Leaders to begin, we’re setting the stage for long-lasting meaningful discussions and collaborations, and we’ve a lot more in the pipeline outside of just esports too,” commented Sam Cooke, CEO, The Insights Group, and a Director at GSE.
“Playmakers is at the intersection of gaming, esports, and sports, and our renewed focus is all about forging lasting commercial partnerships that bring value. We understand the importance of bridging these industries, and our team is ready to deliver. It’s also an honor to work alongside a veteran like Sam in creating an ecosystem which aims to make a true impact on the industry,” added Alfie Wright, CEO, Playmakers, and a Director at GSE.
The post The Insights Group and Playmakers launch with purpose to reshape digital entertainment across esports, gaming, creator economy & sports appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
BETBY LAUNCHES INDUSTRY-FIRST ESPORTS BETTING TIPS, ENHANCING WIDEST SPORTS COVERAGE IN THE MARKET
BETBY, a leading provider of innovative sportsbook solutions, has announced a major update to its Betting Tips feature, introducing insights for esports. This industry-first addition positions BETBY as the supplier with the widest betting tips coverage in the iGaming market, enhancing the player experience by delivering data-driven tips that help bettors make more informed and confident decisions.
Part of BETBY’s award-winning AI Labs suite of tools, Betting Tips will provide insights derived from the latest news, key team and player statistics, and other relevant information for popular titles such as Counter-Strike. Betting Tips will cover all major esports tournaments for supported titles, based on betting volume and regardless of the event tier, ensuring comprehensive industry-wide coverage.
In addition to expanding into esports, Betting Tips now delivers significantly improved tip quality. Around 99% of all tips now include a relevant supporting fact or statistic, resulting in clearer, more actionable insights. These enhancements contribute to a more engaging and valuable experience for both operators and bettors.
The integration of esports into Betting Tips reflects BETBY’s commitment to innovation and adaptability in the rapidly evolving betting landscape. The introduction of esports betting tips is also expected to drive higher conversion rates, providing operators with a valuable tool to engage esports enthusiasts more effectively.
To maximize accessibility, Betting Tips will be available in 25 languages: English, Portuguese (Brazilian and European), Spanish, Turkish, Russian, German, Japanese, French, Italian, Kazakh, Azerbaijani, Uzbek, Kyrgyz, Estonian, Finnish, Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Latvian, Polish, Romanian, and Georgian. This multilingual support ensures a seamless experience for operators and bettors worldwide.
“Integrating esports into our Betting Tips marks a significant milestone in our mission to provide comprehensive and innovative solutions to our clients,” said Danil Emelyanov, Head of BETBY’s AI Labs. “As the esports industry continues to grow worldwide, we recognize the importance of offering tailored insights that cater to this dynamic market. This expansion not only reinforces our commitment to innovation but also solidifies our position as a leader in the sports betting sector.
In addition to expanding into esports, Betting Tips continues to offer intelligent insights across a wide range of traditional sports, including Soccer, Ice Hockey, Basketball, Tennis, Cricket, American Football, Handball, Volleyball, Baseball, and Table Tennis. This ensures that operators can engage bettors across all major sports verticals.
The post BETBY LAUNCHES INDUSTRY-FIRST ESPORTS BETTING TIPS, ENHANCING WIDEST SPORTS COVERAGE IN THE MARKET appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
Press Releases4 weeks agoGraffiti Rush marks PG Soft’s debut in graffiti-themed slots
-
Latin America3 weeks ago
Paysecure expands reach across LATAM, showcasing solutions at SIGMA Americas
-
Amusnet3 weeks ago
Amusnet to Participate in the Third Edition of SiGMA Americas
-
Africa3 weeks ago
Springbok Casino is Offering 25 Free Spins in Honour of South Africa’s Top 5 Wild Egg Hunters
-
Balkans4 weeks ago
7777 gaming partners with LiveScore to elevate its new operations in Bulgaria
-
Baltics2 weeks ago
Playson powers ahead in Europe with Fenikss partnership
-
Central Europe3 weeks ago
Digitain Partners with Gamingtec to Expand Presence in Europe
-
Arnold Sports Festival South America 20254 weeks ago
SCCG Sponsors Arnold Sports Festival South America 2025
