eSports
Jarno Opmeer and Red Bull crowned world champions of F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco
Alfa Romeo’s Jarno Opmeer and Red Bull were crowned world champions in the Grand Final of the 2020 F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco after a nail-biting finale this week, which saw some of the most intense battles of the season, as the championships went down to the wire. Jarno Opmeer got his hands on his first ever F1 Esports Series title, whilst Red Bull took home their second successive team’s championship to secure the lion’s share of the series’ $750,000 prize pot.
The driver’s championship standings were incredibly tight going in to the Grand Final, with Alfa Romeo’s Jarno Opmeer, Red Bull’s pairing of Marcel Kiefer and Frede Rasmussen, and Nicolas Longuet of Renault, all in with a shot of winning the main prize. Whilst the teams’ championship was on the line for Red Bull and Alfa Romeo.
Wednesday’s action started with a trip to Suzuka, as drivers battled it out on the high-speed track, negiotiating the iconic ‘S’ curves, where Frede Rasmussen secured a huge win in the race for the title. Nicolas Longuet took crucial points in P2, whilst Racing Point’s Daniele Haddad scored a surprise first podium of the season.
Jarno Opmeer rounded off Wednesday with a well-fought, much-needed win at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City, ahead of two-time Esports champion Brendon Leigh and title rival Frede Rasmussen, who finished second and third respectively.
The season culminated where many famous F1 campaigns have ended, in Interlagos, as Nicolas Longuet finished the year with a brilliant drive to take victory in a breathtaking race. Marcel Kiefer’s P2 finish secured the teams’ championship and Brendon Leigh finished on the podium to round off the series and end his season on a high. Jarno Opmeer settled for P7, but it was enough to secure the title, after a time penalty put Frede Rasmussen down in P11, as he won his first drivers’ championship by 22 points.
The Pro Series Grand Final closed a thrilling season of action and excitement, which has been historic in its own right as driver’s raced remotely for the first time, from their homes or team factories, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The two trophies, alongside the DHL Fastest Lap Award to AlphaTauri’s Joni Törmälä, were awarded virtually from the Gfinity Esports Arena in London, where this season’s live shows have been broadcast from, as fans around the world were treated to more content than ever before. Throughout the season, live shows have been streamed online via F1’s official channels on Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and Huya, as well as broadcast by international television partners such as ESPN (US), Sky (UK) and Ziggo (Netherlands).
F1 Esport’s ventures have flourished in the face of adversity in 2020, with over 30 million viewers tuning in for the Virtual Grand Prix series earlier this year, and the most popular Pro Series yet. The huge popularity of F1’s Esports output is mirrored by sales of Codemasters’ official F1 2020 video game, and record numbers of participants attempting to qualify for next year’s series.
The support of the series’ partners, Aramco, DHL and Fanatec is paramount to the F1 Esports Series’ ongoing success. For more information visit www.f1esports.com.
Chase Carey, CEO at Formula 1 said:
“A massive thanks and congratulations to all the teams and people that made this Esports season possible. I know it’s not been easy and the virus has created challenges for all of us but they’ve not only taken on those challenges but achieved success beyond our wildest expectations. It’s been an incredible year from end to end, with participation up over 100%. There’s been great energy in the Esports competition, and we look forward to an even more exciting year next year and continued growth!”
Christian Horner, Team Principal at Red Bull Racing Team said:
“Congratulations to the Red Bull Racing Esports team on successfully defending the constructors title, a fantastic job by all three of you [the drivers], so enjoy it! It is a great result and something for us to live up to next year on the main circuit.”
Frank Sagnier, CEO at Codemasters said:
“On behalf of the F1 2020 team, I’d like to congratulate Jarno Opmeer on his maiden championship. Despite the remote participation due to COVID-19, we have witnessed some incredible racing moments, and thanks go to the drivers and teams for their commitment during a very challenging season. It’s been a fantastic year for F1® 2020 and the F1 Esports Series, which has seen record participation and viewership numbers. We look forward to even bigger and better things in 2021, starting with the F1 Esports Series Challengers.”
John Clarke, CEO at Gfinity said:
“F1 Esports Series has once again demonstrated the power and excitement of virtual racing at the highest level. The drivers and teams keep raising the bar with their performances. Record numbers of fans now have an even deeper appreciation of the skill levels required to compete and win. Congratulations to everyone involved in another outstanding season. And bring on 2021!”.
North Star Network are delighted to announce the acquisition of umdoisesportes.com.br, which becomes the latest addition to NSN’s global sports media portfolio.
Born from the GRPCOM merger of the editorial teams of Gazeta Do Povo and Tribuna do Paraná in 2020, Um Dois Esportes provides in-depth sports coverage and analysis for the Brazilian state of Paraná and beyond.
North Star Network co-founder Julien Josset said: “Thank you to the team at GRPCOM for their faith in us to take the brand forward. Um Dois Esportes is an established and renowned site in Paraná State, and we’re excited about the challenge of developing this asset.”
“We’re happy to maintain the collaboration with the existing editorial team, and look forward to working with them, bringing our unique NSN approach, to take UDE forward.” NSN’s signing of Um Dois Esportes is the media house’s fourth acquisition of 2024, following the recent deals to purchase UK-based SportsMole and MrFixitsTips, as well as Chilean site AlAireLibre, which was announced in March.
The latest addition to the North Star media portfolio joins existing assets including Top Mercato, Afrik-Foot, and Vringe. The Paris-based company already oversees a significant Brazilian operation, delivering over 6 million sessions per month, from the likes of Trivela, Premier League Brasil and Lakers Brasil.
NSN will retain Curitiba-based journalists from the Um Dois Esportes legacy team to maintain the asset’s unique tone and popular coverage of the Paraná sports scene across site and social.
“We were surprised by the interest, and initially had no intention of selling Um Dois, but as the conversations evolved, we realised this was a serious group with good intentions,” said GRPCOM Director Rafael Mello. “We were very happy to see our project being valued by a large international group and going global, demonstrating the quality of the content we produced.”
“We’re also proud that North Star inherited our journalists, who are truly responsible for the success of the product we offer readers every day.”
The post North Star Network acquires Um Dois Esportes appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
GIANTX Promotes LVP Superliga Toplaner Th3Antonio to the League of Legends EMEA Championship Roster
Today, GIANTX is excited to announce an update to its LEC competitive roster. Antonio”Th3Antonio” Espinosa Bejarano is recognised as one of the most successful LVP Superliga players in the history of GIANTX, and he has now reached a pivotal moment in his career to compete in the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC).
The LEC is the most important League of Legends competition in Europe and one of the most relevant in the international esports scene. The Barcelona-born ‘toplaner’ will be part of the lineup kicking off the LEC Summer split season in Berlin, which starts in June. As the community quotes; ‘Th3LEC’ is finally a reality.
Commenting on his new role, Th3Antonio said:
“This is the dream I’ve been working towards since I entered esports. I always wanted to compete at the highest level to face the best, and finally, I have this opportunity. I never stopped striving, and thanks to that and the work we’ve done together with all my teammates, we’ve achieved great things in Spain, but the LEC has always been my ultimate goal. Going to the LEC with my lifelong club, GIANTX, is a double dream. Everyone knows what GIANTX means to me”.
Sports Director at GIANTX, David Alonso, added:
“Th3Antonio deserves this opportunity, both in recognition of the level he’s at and all the work he has put in over the past few years. We are convinced of this decision and that he will give everything to succeed in the LEC. He has always been characterised by sacrificing himself for others, and lately, he has taken a step forward by leading in crucial moments, a clear sign of his maturity as a player”.
Having joined at a young age in 2017, Antonio ‘Th3Antonio’ Espinosa has become one of the most decorated players of the LVP Superliga and of GIANTX history. During his time with the team, he has won four Superliga titles, two Iberian Cups, one Copa, and has reached an EMEA Masters final, as well as other national competitions.
The decision to promote Th3Antonio reflects GIANTX’s need to implement changes following the results of the LEC Winter and Spring split seasons. In both splits, the team fell short in the first round of playoffs. The Summer split season is the main shot at Worlds for all teams, and the aim of the club was to make the necessary changes to achieve this goal. After a period of reflection and numerous trials, Th3Antonio has been chosen for the toplaner position.
The post GIANTX Promotes LVP Superliga Toplaner Th3Antonio to the League of Legends EMEA Championship Roster appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Ukrainian esports team L&G won the Dragon EC Cup tournament, held on the 20th of April by Dragon Esports Club. Four teams competed in the tournament’s final: Lazer Cats, L&G, which received a direct invitation to the final stage, EsportsBattle, and ThunderFlash, which had open qualifiers. During the Grand Final, the L&G team competed with Lazer Cats on Mirage, Anubis, and Vertigo maps.
“This victory is a testament to the exceptional talent and commitment of our players, as well as the collective effort of our coaching staff and support personnel,” said Alona Shevtsova, founder of L&G Esports. “We are immensely proud of their accomplishments and grateful for the unwavering support of our fans.”
L&G is among the top 5 Ukrainian teams in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. It was founded in 2021. The previous name was Leogaming, and it was created on the initiative of the famous Alona Shevtsova from the fintech sector.
The team began competing in top tournaments and almost immediately made it to the Advanced division of the ESEA League Europe competition. The team also participated in and took prizes in European tournaments such as the SCL League, WhiteBit Crypto Open, Phoenix League, and local competitions. The team players are marat2k, r0ublE, kr1vda, kL1o, OneUn1que, rji (coach).
The winners received a 50,000 UAH prize. Dragon Esports Club also prepared a 15-skin giveaway for the broadcast’s viewers.
It is worth mentioning that the L&G team created its merch items, which are available for order worldwide. To get more information about the team, visit the L&G Instagram page, Twitch, or Telegram Channel.
The post L&G esports team founded by Alona Shevtsova won the national Dragon EC Cup tournament appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
Africa3 weeks ago
BMM Testlabs Continues Its Expansion in Africa with New Licenses in Botswana and Nigeria to Test Land-Based and Digital Products
-
Australia3 weeks ago
VGCCC Fines Bookmaker MintBet $100,000 for Repeat Breaches of its Responsible Gambling Code of Conduct
-
GAT Expo4 weeks agoPragmatic Play Prepares for GAT Cartagena Gaming Week 2024
-
Compliance Updates3 weeks ago3 Oaks Gaming extends European reach with Romania licence
-
Central Europe3 weeks agoGaming Corps makes key European addition with Fortuna Entertainment Group partnership
-
Press Releases1 week agoOpenBet Powers Record-Breaking 100,000+ Peak Bets per Minute at Grand National 2024
-
Africa3 weeks ago
KingMakers’ Nigerian operating business, BetKing, selects Genius Sports to power growth with in-play trading services
-
Africa3 weeks agoIESF African Regional Qualifiers Host Announced
