DreamHack Sports Games, a business unit of MTG that focuses on sports simulation titles, has appointed Roger Lodewick as its new CEO.

He served as the Co-CEO of DreamHack until the recent shuffle took place, bringing DreamHack and ESL together under ESL Gaming.

Lodewick’s experience prior to DreamHack saw him serve as CEO of Zoomin, CCO of Comosa, and a Senior Media Rights Sales Executive at TEAM Marketing.

“I’m excited to join DreamHack Sports Games as we provide a unique combination in this field of esports. We have already proven to be able to a convert traditional sports brands into relevant and meaningful media esports products enabling both sports IP holders and broadcasters the opportunity to extend, retain and regain the young demographics. I’m thrilled to be part of innovating and growing the esports Sports Gaming industry,” Lodewick said.

“I’m pleased that Roger Lodewick has agreed to head up DreamHack Sports Games. He brings a wealth of experience, a vast network in sport and a proven track record of working with both traditional sports IPs as well as the esports industry and is therefore a perfect match for DreamHack Sports Games,” Maria Redin, President and CEO of MTG, said.

ISFE is pleased to announce the appointment of Shweta Kulkarni as Director of Communications for ISFE and Sergi Mesonero as Head of ISFE Esports.

ISFE CEO Simon Little said: “We are delighted to strengthen the ISFE team with two senior appointments enabling us to further promote policies that will help one of Europe’s most vibrant creative and innovative sectors to generate jobs and drive growth –  needed now more than ever.”

Shweta comes to ISFE with 15 years’ experience in media relations and communications both from large corporations and trade bodies, and has a double degree in computer science and communications. In her role Shweta reports to Ann Becker, Head of Policy and Public Affairs.

Shweta said: “I am excited to start this new role at ISFE. The video games industry is a multi-faceted industry with many stories to communicate. I look forward to working with the ISFE team to ensure that all our stakeholders understand our industry: its creativity, its contribution to society and the economy and the importance of the players who are at the heart of everything we do.”

Sergi was previously co-founder and Public Affairs Vice President at LVP (Liga de Videojuegos Profesional), the biggest esports organisation in the Spanish-speaking market; co-ordinator of the esports committee at AEVI (Asociación Española de Videojuegos), and Chair of International Esports at Universidad Católica de Murcia (UCAM).

Sergi said: “ISFE Esports provides a common and authoritative voice for the sector.

With integrity, fair play and our players’ wellbeing at the heart of everything we do, I am committed to working to ensure that the industry is heard, the sector grows and that diversity, skill and talent can continue to thrive in Europe’s esports ecosystem.”

With the new competitive FIFA season set to kick off, FIFA has today announced the introduction of three dedicated narratives and also released qualification dates and information for FIFA’s esports events played on EA SPORTS FIFA 21.

The new FIFAe tournament structure has been created to unify and highlight three clear and distinct narratives of competitive FIFA: players, clubs and nations. New qualification opportunities will arise with the new stand-alone narratives, with each leading up to the respective FIFA pinnacle event.

Competitors will have the chance to represent their club in the FIFAe Club Series, compete for national pride and for their country in the FIFAe Nations Series or create their own legacy in the EA SPORTS FIFA 21 Global Series on the Road to the FIFAe World Cup™.

“With our FIFAe tournaments, we aim to get closer to pros, gamers and fans. In times of digital acceleration, we see a strong shift in media consumption, social values and entertainment narratives. To engage deeper with football’s next generation, we have to step up now,” said Christian Volk, Director of eFootball & Gaming at FIFA.

“Our ambition is to seed the movement for what might become a new football category in the ecosystem of FIFA. We want to create the biggest stage for the best players and teams of the community to shine brighter, while growing access for new up- and-comers to FIFAe tournaments. All of us at FIFA are excited for what the future holds!”

The FIFAe World Cup™ and the FIFAe Nations Series™ both now feature a USD 500,000 prize pool, with the FIFAe Club Series™ putting USD 350,000 on the line. Another USD 3 million in prizes will be distributed by EA across Qualifiers, Regional Playoffs, the eChampions League, and CONMEBOL eLibertadores as part of the EA SPORTS FIFA 21 Global Series.

“This is an exciting time for EA and FIFA as we continue to bring engaging competitions and entertainment to fans around the world,” said Brent Koning, EA’s FIFA Competitive Gaming Commissioner & Group Director.

“In partnership with FIFA, these narratives will bring fans closer to the action, give players more opportunities to compete, and help find the next big FIFA esports star. In these unprecedented times, we are dedicated to bringing people together to celebrate club, country, and personal glory.”

Players do not have to wait long to start competing. In addition to the new FIFAe tournament brand, FIFA has also announced today that registration for the FIFAe Club Series™ is now open. Teams and players can now sign-up on FIFA.gg/registration. The FIFAe Club Series will kick off online in November, with the best perfoming teams of the qualification competing at the FIFAe Club World Cup™ in 2021.

Over the coming weeks, FIFA’s participating member associations will also announce further details in regard to their selection processes on the Road to the FIFAe Nations Cup™ to kickstart the new ‘nations’ narrative under the FIFAe tournament brand.