eSports
F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco returns remotely for fourth season with record prize fund
![F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco breaks viewing and engagement records in 2021](https://europeangaming.eu/portal/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/f1-esports-series.jpg)
Formula 1® has announced the F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco will return for a fourth season, with one of the biggest cash prize funds in sports simulation esports on offer at $750,000. The action gets underway with the “Pro Draft Reveal Show” on 27 August 2020, where the official F1 teams will reveal their selected roster of talented drivers. A record breaking number of participants of over 237,000 attempted to qualify for this year’s competition as F1 Esports continues to enjoy its most exciting year yet.
As with other major sporting events, the F1 Esports Pro Series, which will take place this autumn, has adapted to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and will therefore be operating remotely in 2020, with competitors racing from their own homes and team factories to ensure the safety of all the teams and drivers involved.
The F1 Esports Series has been more anticipated than ever before following the success of the Virtual Grand Prix series, which featured a host of sports and music stars and achieved over 30m views globally across eight events between March and June this year. The 2019 F1 Esports Series saw Ferrari’s David Tonizza crowned drivers’ champion alongside Red Bull, who took home the constructor’s championship, with over 8.7m viewers across digital platforms and TV, and 169m social media impressions, making it the most successful season to date.
MAKING THE CUT AT THE “PRO DRAFT REVEAL SHOW”
This season’s “Pro Draft Reveal Show” will air on 27 August, where teams will announce their line-ups for the 2020 season for the first time, with each team required to add at least one qualifying draft member to their three-driver roster from a group of 45 qualifiers. The 2020 qualfication routes saw record participation of over 237,000 entrants, a growth of +118% from 109,000 in 2019, with players competing on traditional consoles and also mobile for the first time.
All Pro Draft qualifying drivers are available for selection, with no knockout racing qualification as the series adapts to a shorter process due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the online draft and team picks will take place online in advance.
For the first time, the two winners of the highly successful inaugural season of the F1 Esports Series China Championship (organised by licensed partner Juss Intellisports), Tang Tianyu and Yuan Yifan, will also be available for team selection after their success in last year’s regional campaign, where they came out on top as the fastest two drivers in the competition.
A BIGGER AND BETTER PRO SERIES
The Pro Series will run between October – December, following the same format as last season with a 12-round championship made up of four online events featuring three races, but races will now be run at an increased distance of 35%. There will also be a new full qualifying format for the 2020 season in line with real-life F1 World Championship.
F1 Esports Pro Series drivers will be racing on a bespoke version of the recently released F1 2020 official video game developed by Codemasters, with equipment provided by official supplier Fanatec, the world leader in professional simulator hardware, for a third season. Points scoring will once again follow real-life World Championship rules, with F1’s Official Logistics Partner DHL rewarding an extra point to the driver with the fastest lap.
MORE CONTENT THAN EVER BEFORE
This year’s Pro Series will provide fans with more content than ever before with eight live broadcasts, doubling last season’s offering. There will be live racing on Wednesday and Thursday across an event week, and this season will also see the introduction of supplementary livestreamed qualifying sessions on both days further adding to the content proposition for fans across the globe.
The F1 Esports Pro Series 2020 will be broadcast on F1’s social channels (Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and Huya), as well as select TV broadcast partners, with two live shows per event from the Gfinity Arena.
Julian Tan, Head of Digital Business Initiatives and Esports said:
“F1 Esports has had a huge year with the massive success of the Virtual Grand Prix series that we ran through lockdown. This has set us up well for the launch of the 2020 F1 Esports Series which will be our biggest and most innovative season yet. With over 237,000 participants this year, up from 109,000 participants in 2019, we are seeing incredible growth. We also continue to push boundaries by offering our largest ever cash prize fund of $750,000 which is industry-leading as well as continue to innovate by adapting quickly in the current landscape and operating the series entirely remotely as we look to ensure an enjoyable, but safe, Pro Series this year – we can’t wait to get started!”
Frank Sagnier, Codemasters CEO said:
“The appetite for F1® content has never been greater. We saw tremendous success from the Virtual Grand Prix Series, and that momentum has carried through to the launch of F1® 2020. It’s now time for the esports professionals to rise to the challenge. The 2020 F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco promises to be the most exciting and competitive to date. We can’t wait for the virtual racing to begin.”
John Clarke, Gfinity Chief Executive Officer said:
“The F1 Esports Series goes from strength to strength. Formula 1 has benefited from being an early adopter in the gaming space, with millions of young fans now engaging with the series. It is hitting the right notes in terms of driver performance, competitive racing and all round entertaining content. This year is going to raise the bar even higher. Expect high octane racing with lots of tension. Gfinity is proud to be a long-term esports operator for F1 and be at the heart of the design and delivery of this industry-leading competition”.
2020 F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco:
Teams | |
Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN F1 Esports | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Esports Team |
BWT Racing Point F1 Esports Team | Red Bull Racing Esports |
FDA Hublot Esports Team | Renault Vitality |
Haas F1 Team Esports | Scuderia AlphaTauri Esports Team |
McLaren Shadow | Williams Esports |
eSports
IESF Kicks off Bidding Process for 2025 and 2026 Events
![](https://europeangaming.eu/portal/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/sdyuuiewudjnas.jpg)
The International Esports Federation (IESF) has officially launched the bidding process for the next two editions of the World Esports Championship and Regional Qualifiers. Cities interested in hosting IESF’s flagship event can learn more about the bidding process on the IESF Events Bidding Process page.
WEC, a long-standing tradition of competitions watched across the world, creates a direct opportunity for the host to link its city brand to the IESF Realm, multiple game titles, and some of the world’s best athletes.
IESF remains open to discussions with any cities, regions, or countries worldwide that are interested in hosting the World Esports Championship or Regional Qualifiers. We welcome inquiries from all potential hosts to explore the opportunities and benefits of bringing these premier esports events to their locations.
IESF General Secretary Boban Totovski said: “After Bali, Iasi, and Riyadh this year, we are all looking forward to our next host for the 17th World Esports Championship. We already have many cities waiting for the process to start bidding and we are all very excited to start the negotiations and discover where will the IESF flag go on the 19th of November in Riyadh, on the closing ceremony”
IESF assesses potential hosts based on several criteria, including how well they align with regional and national development plans, as well as the long-term strategic goals of the IESF vision and mission. The host city is expected to meet all requirements set by IESF. The final selection of the host city is made by a vote from the IESF Board.
The 2023 World Esports Championship in Iași, Romania, was a unique experience, attracting over 100,000 attendees and amassing an impressive 35 million viewers across all platforms. This year, the championship moves to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, promising to be the biggest event yet with a record 130 nations and over 600 players competing, solidifying Riyadh as this year’s Esports capital.
Which city will rise to become the next epicenter of esports excitement?
eSports
Skyesports Championship 2024: Aurora Gaming and 3DMAX Become First Teams to Advance to the Playoffs
![](https://europeangaming.eu/portal/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/sdafjlksajoidlkmdn.jpg)
The Skyesports Championship 2024, a $300,000 international Counter-Strike 2 esports tournament, is taking place at the Taj Lands End, Mumbai from July 24 to 28. As the Group Stage nears its conclusion, two teams have advanced to the prestigious Playoffs, where they will battle for glory and a shot at the lion’s share of the prize pool.
Serbia’s Aurora Gaming and France’s 3DMAX Vie for Glory: First Teams to Reach the Playoffs
Aurora Gaming and 3DMAX have earned this accolade with flawless records so far in the Group Stage.
The 11 participating teams, which include prominent esports organizations from Mongolia, France, Turkey, India, and Russia, have been split into two groups: A and B.
In Group A, Aurora has secured their spot in the Playoffs after convincing victories against Parivsion, ENCE, and True Rippers, standing first in their group with a 3-0 record. With their advancement to the next stage, Aurora is eyeing a consecutive third trophy in Skyesports’ IPs, having previously won the $350,000 Skyesports Masters 2024 and the Skyesports Grand Slam 2024 in Pune, India.
All eyes are still on Group A as teams like The Mongolz and ENCE have to battle it out on Day 3 to make it to the Playoffs.
In Group B, 3DMAX has triumphed over Amkal, DMS, and Revenant Esports, securing a 3-0 record at the top of the group.
The action continues in the Skyesports Championship on Day 3, as the final day of the Group Stage will decide who will join 3DMAX and Aurora Gaming in the Playoffs. Fans can catch all the action live on the Skyesports YouTube and Twitch channels.
Unlike the Group Stage, the Playoffs will take place on the main stage at the prestigious 5-star hotel, the Taj Lands End in Mumbai, India.
Group A Standings
Group B Standings
eSports
THE DOTA 2 VIRTUAL HALL OF FAME: GG.BET AND DOT ESPORTS PRESENT 50 WORLD RECORDS
![](https://europeangaming.eu/portal/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dota2.jpg)
Dot Esports, the leading esports news outlet, and betting brand GG.BET have created a virtual hall of fame to celebrate 50 Dota 2 World Records. Check it out to discover the stories behind the most impressive feats in the game’s competitive history and watch videos of when they happened.
The Dot Esports team have painstakingly selected and presented Dota 2 records in 5 categories: players, teams, tournaments, content creators and talent. You can find a list of the extraordinary individuals and organizations in each one, as well as dive into the events that have made Dota 2 a Tier-1 esports discipline on the world stage.
GG.BET press office: “Although Dota 2 was released over 11 years ago, it continues to rank among the top games in the esports community. As we wait for the biggest tournament of the year, The International 13, to kick off, we’ve decided to look back and reflect on the most remarkable milestones throughout the competitive history of Dota 2. Did you know that the fastest time a match was won was in less than 8 minutes? Or that there’s a team that’s played 2813 professional matches? The experts at Dot Esports will tell you all about this and much more in our joint project. We’re delighted to support the creation of such insightful content.”
Jody Rones, CRO at Dot Esports: “From its humble beginning as a fan made mod to one of the largest games in the world, DotEsports is thrilled to partner with GG.BET to shine a light on DOTA and its community as it passes its 11 year mark. From the content creators, to the team, players, tournament organizers, shout casters and more, they’re a key part of what makes this esport great, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to give them the recognition they deserve with the launch of the collaborative DOTA World Records.”
50 Dota 2 World Records is already available on the Dot Esports website in English and Ukrainian.
Before the end of the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive era and the transition to CS2, Dot Esports put a spotlight on 50 CS:GO World Records in collaboration with GG.BET. This project got a great reaction not just from the esports community, but from the players and teams themselves.
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