eSports
Karmine Corp Acquires Astralis’ LEC Slot
LFL royalty Karmine Corp is taking over the LEC spot of Astralis, joining the LEC from the start of the 2024 season
As the battle for the 2023 World Championship rages on in South Korea, we’re briefly interrupting to bring EMEA LoL eSports fans some news from a little closer to home. We’re happy to announce that 2023 EMEA Masters Summer Champions Karmine Corp will be taking over the LEC spot of Astralis. The team will make its LEC debut in the 2024 LEC Winter Split and we’re so excited to see what they’ll bring to the Berlin stage.
If you know anything about League of Legends (LoL) in EMEA, then chances are that you’ve already heard of French powerhouse and fan favourite Karmine Corp. Qualifying to the La Ligue Francaise (LFL) First Division in 2021, Karmine Corp went onto win two LFL titles and four EMEA Masters trophies, making the team one of the most decorated organisations in the EMEA Masters ecosystem.
The French community has consistently been one of the loudest and most passionate in the EMEA region. At our recent 2023 LEC Season Finals in Montpellier, in the Occitanie region, we were blown away by the support our teams received from the French crowd and we can’t wait to welcome Karmine Corp’s loyal fanbase to the LEC.
But as one door opens, another closes, and in welcoming Karmine Corp to the LEC we must also say goodbye to Astralis. They’ve had an unforgettable three years in the LEC and we wish the team and its players all the best moving forward.
“Astralis has been a valued partner to us throughout its time in the LEC and we wish the organisation the very best with its future endeavours,” the Director of League of Legends Esports EMEA at Riot Games, Maximilian Peter Schmidt, said “But we know its spot will be in capable hands with Karmine Corp. LEC fans have wanted to see the team in the league for some time now, which is, in part, due to the incredible strength of the organisation’s brand and its loyal and passionate fan base, something that has been showcased since its entry into the EMEA Masters ecosystem. We also know how locally resonant the organisation is in France, a country that is a major force in EMEA LoL Esports, and 2024 will be the season we find out whether that ERL dominance translates to the LEC stage.”
It’ll be a few months yet until Karmine Corp makes its debut but make sure to follow us on socials and keep an eye on LoleSports .com to stay up to date with all our offseason news.
FAQ
What happens with Astralis’ LEC players?
All Astralis players will become free agents from the start of the upcoming offseason.
What will happen to Karmine Corp’s LFL team?
Karmine Corp will continue to compete in the LFL alongside the LEC with its LFL roster used as an academy team that will focus on developing emerging talents.
Why were Karmine Corp chosen as Astralis’ successors?
The selling team has the final say on which team their spot is sold to, as long as the purchasing team fits Riot’s criteria for a partnered organisation. The LEC works closely with both the selling team and applicants throughout the selling process and reserves the right to veto applicants on evaluation of various aspects of their application. But the final decision is made by the selling and purchasing organisations.
What does the review process look like for teams wanting to enter the league?
The LEC conducts a detailed review into any prospective partnered teams’ ownership group, brand and fandom, business history and objectives as well as their approach to player development and performance. Based on this criteria teams are either vetoed or can progress to finalise negotiations with the selling team.
Did the LEC get a cut from the sale?
Astralis is entitled to all proceeds from the sale of its spot in the league.
ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), the leading esports and video game entertainment company, and DreamHack, a leading global gaming festival, have announced a full slate of esports programming for DreamHack Dallas, taking place the weekend of May 31-June 2, 2024, at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.
One of DreamHack’s longest-running North American gaming festivals, DreamHack Dallas features everything gaming under one roof. From the world-famous bring-your-own-computer (BYOC) LAN party, panels, and an expo, to art, cosplay, creator meet-and-greets, and much more, DreamHack Dallas offers attendees a great variety of activities for an unforgettable experience. Furthermore, the festival will host 13 unique esports competitions – including iconic titles like Counter-Strike 2, Overwatch, StarCraft® II, and more to come – with over $1 million in total prizing.
For the first time, several DreamHack Dallas esports events – including competitions in EA SPORTS FC 24, Tekken 8, Street Fighter 6, and more – will offer aspiring competitors the chance to qualify for this summer’s debut Esports World Cup. With new pipelines to a $60 million prize pool and a global audience in Riyadh, DreamHack is offering more opportunities than ever for grassroots talent to fight their way to the world stage.
“Esports has been part of the fabric of DreamHack Dallas since the festival’s inception, and we’re excited once again to welcome tens of thousands of fans this summer to celebrate their favorite competitive titles,” said Shahin Zarrabi, Vice President, Festivals, ESL FACEIT Group. “From the 100th IEM event to the first-ever OWCS live event and qualifiers for Esports World Cup, DreamHack is celebrating every type of gamer, from world-class competitors to the next breakout stars.”
Dallas Hosts 16 Top Counter-Strike 2 Squads for 100th IEM Event
The birthplace of North American Counter-Strike esports will invite 16 of the world’s best teams to clash in Intel® Extreme Masters (IEM) Dallas, the 100th IEM event. With an ESL Pro Tour (EPT) Masters trophy, $250,000 in prizing, and qualification to an EPT Championship up for grabs, fans will watch as hometown heroes challenge international hopefuls in the US’s biggest Counter-Strike event of the year.
Overwatch Luminaries Assemble for First-Ever International Live Event for OWCS
The first-ever in-person Major tournament of Blizzard Entertainment and EFG’s Overwatch Champions Series invites eight of our competitive region’s top teams for a three-day showcase of industry-class talent. Featuring a prize pool supported by crowdfunding, fans can watch the action unfold live – or at home with the official broadcast or partnered co-streams – as teams face off to be the first team to claim an international OWCS title and qualify to compete at Esports World Cup.
ESL Impact Returns to DreamHack Dallas with $123K Season Finale
ESL Impact, a global all-women Counter-Strike circuit, returns to DreamHack Dallas for the exciting conclusion of Season 5 of competition. Eight of the world’s best women’s Counter-Strike teams representing North America, Europe, South America, and Asia will face off to see who will claim the title and the lion’s share of the $123,000 prize pool.
ESL Pro Tour in StarCraft® II Makes Masters Stop at DreamHack Dallas
The EPT in StarCraft® II, the title’s premier global esports circuit, continues with the ESL SC2 Masters: Spring 2024 Finals at DreamHack Dallas. Not only will competitors battle for their share of the $100,000 prize pool, but the opportunity to qualify for StarCraft® II competition at this summer’s inaugural Esports World Cup.
EA SPORTS FC 24 at DreamHack Dallas Kicks off Esports World Cup Qualifications
Electronic Arts’ soccer title, EA SPORTS FC 24, comes to DreamHack Dallas for the first time this summer with a world-class tournament. With the top two players securing their spot at Esports World Cup this August, the competition offers up to 250 competitors their first opportunity to qualify for EWC, in addition to $100,000 USD in total prizing.
Fighting Games take Center Stage with New DreamHack Fighters, Esports World Cup Tournaments
DreamHack’s marquee fighting game hub, DreamHack Fighters, brings six open tournaments to Dallas, including a mix of modern mainstays and FGC classics. Open to all registered attendees, competitors can face off to claim a slice of the $16,000 total prize pool. Participating titles include:
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Singles ($5,000)
- UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes (UNI 2) ($2,500)
- Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising ($2,500)
- Guilty Gear Strive ($2,500)
- Mortal Kombat 1 ($2,500)
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Doubles ($1,000)
For the first time, DreamHack will also host competitions in Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6, which include the chance to qualify for Esports World Cup. Both tournaments offer $50,000 in prizing each, as well as pipelines to compete on some of the titles’ biggest stages in Riyadh this summer.
eSports
SuperGaming Reveals Nationwide Grassroots Indus Battle Royale Esports Tournament Series With Rs. 5,50,000 Prize Pool
Made-in-India battle royale Indus is hosting its first ever series of nationwide grassroots esports tournaments dubbed Indus Inferno. This is SuperGaming’s summer special of tournaments with prizes and bragging rights on the line — but most importantly: a chance for players to experience Indus at the highest skill level and be the best in India’s first new-generation battle royale.
Created by award-winning Pune-based developer SuperGaming, Indus is an Indo-Futuristic battle royale slated for mobile, PC, and consoles with pre-registrations live on Google Play for Android. Pre-registrations for the game have crossed 10 million already.
Indus Inferno kicked off with the Regional Scrims featuring a Rs. 50,000 prize pool this week. The scrims were met with immense excitement, with players hailing from multiple cities across India.
The Indus Inferno Finale scheduled to take place on 1st June will feature a lucrative prize pool of Rs. 5,00,000.
Player registration for the Open Qualifiers is now open and will end on 19th May. The Qualifiers are set to run from 20th May to 24th May. It is important to note that only the top 2,000 players from the Inferno in-game Leaderboard will be eligible to register for the qualifiers. The top 10 winning teams from the Open Qualifiers will earn coveted spots in the finale, joining the invited esports teams for an epic showdown.
The following teams have been invited for the Indus Inferno Finale:
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Team Moggers
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Team Redlock
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Team Pushpa
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Destruction of Game
In addition to this, teams of Indus content creators, community members, several esports organizations as well as winners of past playtests will be present for the tournament. There’s a total prize pool of Rs. 5,00,000 with the winners netting Rs. 2,50,000 and the runners-up, third-place, and fourth place getting Rs. 1,00,000, Rs. 75,000, and Rs. 50,000 respectively. The most valuable player will get Rs. 25,000.
More importantly, the finale will feature India’s top esports team owners so Indus’ best players can have face to face opportunities to be scouted for a career in esports playing Indus. These include:
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Godlike Esports
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Revenant Esports
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Orangutan
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Entity Gaming
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Reckoning Esports
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Carnival Gaming
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Chemin Esports
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True Rippers
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Enigma Gaming
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Team Tamilas
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Marcos Gaming
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TWOB
“With Indus Inferno and previous Indus esports tournaments that we’ve been running since last year such as the Indus Invitational and Indus Unchained, we want to lay the foundation for a sustainable esports ecosystem for our community and the nation at large,” says SuperGaming CEO and Co-Founder Roby John. “Having India’s best esports team owners at the finale is our small way of making that happen.”
SuperGaming is also going to have exclusive rewards, developer panels, and more, so head on over to the official Indus Discord server for all the details.
Players will be able to share their thoughts on various aspects of the game and impact the direction of how SuperGaming crafts its most ambitious title yet through this official esports tournament.
This is inline with how SuperGaming has crafted its biggest hits — MaskGun and Silly Royale. Popular multiplayer shooter MaskGun has amassed over 80 million players since its launch with a relentless focus on putting its players first leading to some of its biggest community members featuring in-game as well as celebrating India-specific events like Diwali.
The post SuperGaming Reveals Nationwide Grassroots Indus Battle Royale Esports Tournament Series With Rs. 5,50,000 Prize Pool appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Zenni Optical, the world’s leading online eyewear retailer, announced a partnership with ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), the leading esports and video game entertainment company. Designed to integrate eye health education with innovative eyewear solutions for the esports community, the partnership will officially launch at DreamHack festival in Dallas, taking place from May 31 to June 2.
This collaboration will showcase a co-branded collection of lifestyle and competitive eyewear and accessories, highlighting Zenni Optical’s commitment to promoting overall eye health, particularly in addressing issues like eye fatigue and strain. Additionally, the initiative will incorporate essential eye health education across various DreamHack Festivals, in alignment with EFG’s broader mission to foster inclusive gaming worlds and engaged, supported communities.
“DreamHack and ESL represent some of the most community-centric and prestigious competitive events in the world. In their own unique ways, they embody esports for everyone. By partnering with these incredible brands across the gaming and esports spaces, we aim to create engaging experiences that combine eye-health education with innovative eyewear solutions for players and fans at all levels,” said Robb Chiarini, Head of Gaming, Sports, & Events at Zenni Optical.
“We are thrilled to partner with Zenni Optical as the Official Eyewear Partner of DreamHack and ESL. The genuine passion that Zenni has for the esports industry is a refreshing sight to see, and a major driving factor for the decision behind our partnership. Zenni’s ongoing commitment to provide eyewear for everyone mirrors our own drive to create worlds beyond gameplay for gamers everywhere,” Craig Levine, Co-CEO at EFG, said.
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