Team Vitality, the leading esports club in France and Europe, has won the very first Paris Major in its history. In the ten years since its founding, the number 1 ranked club in the HLTV world ranking signs its first major title on the CS:GO shooting game. A flawless journey for the team which left its mark on the game’s final tournament, before moving to the highly anticipated CS2 this summer.

Team Vitality saw a prominent start to the tournament by qualifying directly for the Legends stage of the BLAST.tv Paris Major championship. The team then secured its spot in the quarterfinals following a stellar performance with three resounding victories against G2, ENCE, and Monte. The team, made up of Frenchmen Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut and Captain Dan ‘apEX’ Madesclaire, Danes Peter ‘dupreeh’ Rasmussen and Emil ‘magisk’ Reif, and Israeli Lotan ‘Spinx’ Giladi, gave an incredible performance, building off the momentum of their IEM Rio victory in April.

Once qualified for the playoffs, Team Vitality maintained their rock-solid mentality to guarantee an incredible show for their fans. The bee team, which has never reached the semi-finals of a major CS:GO tournament before, found the support of hundreds of Golden Hornets fans and 60,000 spectators present during the 4 day tournament at the Accor Arena. After their victories against Into the Breach and Apekz in the playoffs, Team Vitality made history after an incredible victory against GamerLegion in the Grand Final, with ZywOo crowned MVP of the Major.

“I am filled with pride, for the whole team, our fans, our families, the staff, and our partners. The team gave a stellar performance that will stay with us for a very long time. For us, this is the result of opening the roster to international talent, who bring their own unique talents to the team. It is also the reward for assembling a tailor-made team to nurture the growth of our French talent, ZywOo, who makes us proud worldwide. This trophy shows that after 10 years of existence, we continue to write the history of French esports in the world,” said Fabien ‘Neo’ Devide, President and co-founder of Team Vitality.

“We are living an incredible moment of happiness. We have been dreaming of lifting this trophy for years and this team has done it. It’s all the more moving because we are at home, in front of all the people we care about. We will never forget it. It’s the culmination of 10 years of work to make Team Vitality the club it is today: strong, ambitious, with lots of plans to keep the scene growing. We’ve just accomplished a dream: to leave our mark on the history of CS:GO by closing the end of this mythical game, and to obtain the greatest victory of the French esport. But more than ever, believe me, we are already looking to the future,” said Nicolas Maurer, CEO and co-founder of Team Vitality.

BLAST and TikTok have entered into a partnership and delivered live coverage of the momentous and final Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO) Major event in Paris. Thus, Paris Major has become the First TikTok Streamed CSGO Event.

The partnership was made to connect esports and gaming enthusiasts by offering an immersive experience through integrated features and tailor-made content on the immensely popular short-form content platform.

“The esports world will have their eyes firmly fixed on Paris this week when the world’s best Counter-Strike teams descend onto the French capital to compete for the coveted last ever CS:GO Major trophy. Teaming up with TikTok will allow us to bring fans even closer to the experience with a number of integrated features and exclusive content on the platform,” Robbie Douek, CEO of BLAST, said last week.

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is fast becoming the leading destination for esports in the UK, with its premier esports arena, Copper Box Arena, at the centre of this rapidly growing industry. The arena has already hosted major esports tournaments featuring popular games such as Apex Legends, League of Legends (LoL Esports), Gran Turismo, and Call of Duty, drawing in avid esports fans from all over the world.

• Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park welcomes esports epic League of Legends 20-day tournament at Copper Box Arena.
• The leading innovation campus, Here East, on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, is now home to a thriving esports community.
• The global games market has more than doubled in value from $70.6Bn in 2012 to $180.1Bn in 2021.
• Hub of esports education with courses at Staffordshire University London based at Here East and College of Esports at Lee Valley VeloPark.

This month, the arena, which is operated by Better, the charitable enterprise, is working with League of Legends Esports (LoL) to host the League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational (MSI). This is one of many high-profile events taking place at the third-largest arena in London annually.

LoL Esports is the fastest growing global sport and the pinnacle of competitive gaming with more than 100 professional esport teams and over 860 players. Accessible around the globe on 30+ TV and digital platforms, it is one of the most-watched forms of sports entertainment globally.

The 7,500 seater arena’s flexibility enables it to accommodate the diverse event set-ups different esports events require from a full auditorium, to accommodating event and expo combined, from end stage to centre stage to projection onto the field of play itself.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:

“It’s clear that Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is a global leader in esports. The Park is harnessing this growing industry, becoming a hub for skills training and jobs in the sector, and helping to create a better, more prosperous London for all. The eyes of the gaming world will be on the Copper Box Arena this month, as tens of thousands of visitors take part in the exciting programme of events, with millions more joining in online.”

Lyn Garner, Chief Executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation, said:

“Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park has become a leading destination for esports in the UK. The Copper Box Arena is the perfect venue to host these global spectaculars playing to an audience of millions around the world.  With many events choosing to return year after year, the Arena has established itself as the capital’s prime esports venue.

“This phenomena is about much more than the events, with courses for people wanting to develop their skills and a growing cluster of businesses offering a career in the sector. We are creating an ecluster that benefits the London and UK economy as well as having a reputation as a world leader in this high-tech, fast moving industry.”

It also marks two years since the publication of a landmark report by Here East and supported by the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) which outlined a roadmap to create a world-class esports cluster that will drive job creation and bring an industry worth $180bn globally to east London. The innovation campus, based in the heart of East London, has been instrumental in promoting the sector and positioning the park as a hub for this rapidly growing industry.

The campus is home to a world leading production, broadcast, tournament, and program design hub, specifically serving the global esports community. As well as Staffordshire University London who are offering undergraduate degrees in digital courses, centered on the gaming and computer sectors. Lee Valley VeloPark, home to the College of esports, is also a key part of the growing esports cluster in the park, providing state-of-the-art facilities for esports athletes and enthusiasts.

Gavin Poole, CEO of Here East, said:

“We are proud that Here East is playing a fundamental role in shaping how the next generation of talent learn about esports, gaming and the industries of the future. Alongside our partners and the businesses and academia based on campus, we are truly realizing East London’s potential to establish a globally significant urban testbed delivering on ideas that are going to power the future economies.”

Miles Eady, Commercial Events Manager at Copper Box Arena, said:

“I am excited to see the rise of esports on Queen Elizabeth Olympics Park and hugely proud to be part of the emergence of Copper Box Arena as the UK’s premier esports venue. The convergence of traditional sports and gaming creates a dynamic and inclusive space for all to come together and compete at the highest level.”

Esports has garnered immense popularity, with viewership for events rivalling that of traditional sports, and the park is at the forefront of embracing this global phenomenon. As esports continues to capture the hearts of many, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is positioning itself as a leading destination for esports in the UK, offering a dynamic and cutting-edge environment for esports tournaments, athletes, and fans alike.