eSports
Alpine officially enters esports with Alpine Esports Team: driver lineup and competition schedule revealed
Alpine Esports Team officially launched its 2021 campaign today to compete in the biggest virtual racing competition in the world, the F1 Esports Pro Championship. The team, in partnership with Sim racing experts Race Clutch, represent Alpine’s first official venture into virtual racing.
As the team’s official partner this year, Race Clutch will help the drivers with their training and preparation for the 2021 competition from its HQ in Limoges, France. The team’s goal is to hire and train the best Esports racers in the world to compete in the biggest virtual racing competitions.
Suiting up for the team in this year’s F1 Esports Pro Championship starting in September, will be the returning driver pairing of Nicolas Longuet and Fabrizio Donoso, who led the team to third in last year’s championship.
The drivers will be guided by the leadership of Team Principal Richard Arnaud, Race Director Robin Bondon, Performance Manager Julien Southon, Ambassador Thom “Thomb” Brouwer and Coach Samba Sy.
In addition to competing in this year’s F1 Esports Pro Championship, Alpine Esports will act as an organiser to the Alpine Esports Series due to start next month. The series will run on Assetto Corsa Competizione, the official game of the competition in a championship of six races, with various prizes available to the winners.
Laurent Rossi, Alpine Cars CEO: “We are delighted to announce the first Alpine Esports team participating in virtual competitions and championships this year. By partnering with Race Clutch, Alpine Esports Team will seek out and train the best Sim racers in the world with the ultimate goal of winning. The team have fantastic facilities and a superb line-up to make it happen. The Esports team will also continue to bridge the gap between virtual and real races, as these bridges move closer and closer each year between the two worlds. It will also learn from our Formula 1 and Alpine Racing programs. We can’t wait to see our team and our drivers compete virtually in 2021.”
Richard Arnaud – Race Clutch president & founder, Team Principal of Alpine Esports:
“The entire team at Race Clutch is proud and excited to become part of the Alpine family! Our expertise and years of experience in Sim racing will give Alpine Esports the best environment to continue to compete at the front. The goal is to win championships, with the F1 Esports Series as a first target. I believe in the team we have put together. I am sure this collaboration will increase the interest for the sport, bringing new F1 fans with us, and opening new opportunities for Alpine in the virtual world of racing. This is an exciting new journey that starts for Esports racing in France.”
Nicolas Longuet, Alpine Esports Team driver:
“I am happy to continue my career with Alpine after a successful 2020 season. For sure, after a first full campaign, now the goal is to fight for the championship and add more wins. The experience from last year will help to not repeat some mistakes. Some other teams seem stronger than last year already, but I feel confident and I am looking forward to the 2021 F1 Esports Series.”
Fabrizio Donoso, Alpine Esports Team driver:
“Considering last season, it’s great to have a chance to compete again this year. I’ve had time for myself on and off the sim. My main goal now is to focus only on performance and my driving. I am happy with the way things are going and I am looking forward to the season with the reshaped team and our new colours.”
eSports
Sony Group Becomes Founding Partner of Esports World Cup
Multi-year collaboration will produce the Anthem and original documentary series of Esports World Cup 2024
The Esports World Cup Foundation (“EWCF”) and Sony Group Corporation (“Sony”) have signed a multi-year partnership agreement to collaborate on initiatives for the Esports World Cup. The collaboration leverages Sony’s acclaimed gaming products and entertainment expertise alongside the EWC’s vision to unite the global gaming and esports communities across the most popular games, and underscores a shared ambition to broaden the appeal of gaming and esports to players and fans worldwide. The inaugural Esports World Cup 2024 is slated to take place this summer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
As part of this agreement, Sony Pictures Entertainment will create a behind-the-scenes documentary series showcasing the players and games of the Esports World Cup. Sony, together with Sony Interactive Entertainment, will also look to exploring additional opportunities to support promising creators and talent in the region. Sony Music Entertainment will produce the music Anthem of the Esports World Cup 2024
“Sony is the perfect partner for the Esports World Cup,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO, Esports World Cup Foundation. “Our goal is to establish a global platform for esports and gaming that sets new standards for live esports events. Sony’s experience in creating stunning visuals, engaging music, compelling storytelling, and state-of-the-art technology will be a game-changer for the Esports World Cup. The EWC aims to take esports to the next level, and we are thrilled to count on Sony’s world class expertise in this endeavor.”
“We’re excited to make the Esports World Cup more fun and engaging for fans globally by harnessing the creativity and technology from across our diverse businesses.” said Toshimoto Mitomo, Executive Deputy President and CSO, Sony Group Corporation. “Sony has been enhancing the esports experience especially with Sony Interactive Entertainment’s initiatives such as PlayStation Tournaments and the annual EVO fighting game series. We look forward to further catering to this growing, global community of players and fans with the Esports World Cup.”
With the Esports World Cup, EWCF has created an unprecedented celebration of competitive gaming and esports fandom. This summer, top esports organizations will face off in Riyadh, to compete in a unique cross-game structure for the largest prize pool in esports history. Recently, the EWC has announced the addition of ten popular titles – Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Honor of Kings, PUBG, PUBG Mobile, Overwatch, Free Fire, Fortnite and Rainbow Six Siege – as participating games. More games will be announced soon.
eSports
NEW YORK ISLANDERS REPRESENTATIVE ERIK ‘EKI’ TAMMENPAA EARNS HIS SIXTH EUROPEAN TITLE AT THE EA SPORTS NHL 24 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP
In a rematch of last year’s European Championship, Erik ‘Eki’ Tammenpää, representing the New York Islanders, again prevailed over Teemu ‘Temppanen’ Karvonen representing the Anaheim Ducks to win the EA SPORTS NHL 24 European Championship title. The win marks Eki’s fourth-straight and sixth-overall European Championship title (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) and another $15,000 USD in earnings. Temppanen placed second in the competition that took place at the Copenhagen Media Facility in Copenhagen, Denmark on Sunday evening. For a second year straight, both players will represent Europe in the EA SPORTS NHL 24 World Championship taking place in April in New York.
Eki is a full-time YouTube and Twitch content creator and EA SPORTS™ NHL® 24 expert and 24-year-old native of Helsinki, Finland. He remains the most decorated esports player on the NHL competitive circuit and will try once again to capture the World title after capturing runner up at last year’s EA SPORTS NHL 23 World Final.
During the competition in Copenhagen today, Temppanen and Eki qualified for a spot in the World Final by competing in a semifinal best-of-three round. Both players split their first two games, with Temppanen ultimately overtaking NikkeDanglesin a tight competition and Eki defeating Eken45Jr with eight goals in a Game Three shutout.
The Championship series saw a rematch of last year’s EA SPORTS NHL 23 European Final with Temppanen and EKI facing off once again. While Temppanen took the lead with an early goal in Game One, Eki scored three quick goals in a three-minute span during the second period and a game-winning goal in the third period by Vincent Trocheck (New York Rangers). Eki continued his goal streak and dominated Game Two, ultimately scoring six unanswered goals, including tallies from Jaccob Slavin (Carolina Hurricanes), Bo Horvat(New York Islanders), and Cam Atkinson (Philadelphia Flyers). Eki’s
6-0 victory solidified his sixth European title and status as “the one to beat.”
EA SPORTS NHL 24 EUROPEAN FINAL STANDINGS
1st: Eki, New York Islanders
2nd: Temppanen, Anaheim Ducks
3rd: Eken45jr, Pittsburgh Penguins
4th: NikkeDangles, Washington Capitals
5th-8th: Alphaborje, Detroit Red Wings
5th-8th: Kibeeex, Toronto Maple Leafs
5th-8th: Launonexx, Tampa Bay Lightning
5th-8th: Teemuyy, Colorado Avalanche
The EA SPORTS NHL 24 North American Championship will be contested on March 24 at the NHL Flagship Store in New York beginning at 1 p.m. ET on the NHL’s Twitch channel. For more news, fans can visit www.nhl.com/NHL24 and follow the conversation on social using #NHL24WC.
eSports
Supported by Access Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Investment Office, KALM opens global headquarters in the emirate
KALM, the world’s first sports and esports consultancy focused on player development and performance, has launched its new global headquarters in Abu Dhabi. KALM aims to revolutionise the landscape by offering a blend of expertise from both traditional sports and esports, including innovations, technology and academic partnerships to develop first-in-class services for athletes.
Powered by Access Abu Dhabi, an initiative by Maven Global Access and supported by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), KALM will provide its services to organisations, global brands and individual athletes in and out of their sporting endeavours.
KALM utilises proprietary performance technology from Stanford University to identify key traits and talent of athletes by evaluating perceptive, physical and mental capabilities. It is focused on creating a best-in-class performance centre dedicated to optimising player health and recovery. KALM harnesses data science and AI applications to understand peak player performance and lifestyle factors affecting performance and develops methods to extend the longevity of an athlete’s career.
Massimo Falcioni, Chief Competitiveness Officer at ADIO, said: “Abu Dhabi is steadily emerging as a regional sports and esports centre, and KALM is joining a solid lineup of global players who are setting up their operations in the emirate. Boasting a positive investment environment, enabling regulations and cutting-edge infrastructure and connectivity, Abu Dhabi continues to be a destination of choice for innovators. We are confident that KALM will drive further growth for a key sector in the emirate, through offering unique and innovative services.
Dr Melita Moore, Managing Partner at KALM, said: “At KALM, our mission is to put the player at the centre. Esports athletes compete at the highest level and their physical, mental and overall wellbeing deserves the same level of care as traditional athletes. We chose Abu Dhabi as the location for our headquarters because of the incredible support and opportunities offered by this vibrant city. Access Abu Dhabi played a pivotal role in bringing us to the region initially. Abu Dhabi’s strategic location, world-class infrastructure, and unwavering commitment to innovation in the gaming industry made it the ideal choice for KALM to thrive.”
KALM has established an athlete-centric development model through education, brand-building and commercialisation focused on protecting, managing and leveraging athlete brands. Through its global headquarters, the company will engage with government, the private sector, federations, teams and key stakeholders to create, drive and deliver its athlete health and wellbeing strategy.
Dr Melita Moore, renowned in sports medicine, brings her global leadership from serving as team physician for NBA and WNBA, to a leading role at the Global Esports Federation as a Vice President. Dr Khizer Khaderi is a visionary in neuro-ophthalmic surgery and technology, contributes expertise in AI, VR and AR. Ali Al Ramahi, a leading sports scientist and performance coach, specialises in developing wellness programmes for esports athletes, while Luke Fedlam, a distinguished sports attorney, shapes the regulatory landscape of sports and esports and provides athlete development and education.
KALM’s initiative will elevate the Middle East’s presence in the global sports and esports arena, providing a platform for young aspirants to achieve international acclaim. The timing of the launch aligns with the region’s growing interest in digital sports and entertainment, marking a significant stride in the development of a robust esports ecosystem.
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