eSports
Danny Lopez Joins Galaxy Racer As Chief Content Officer
Galaxy Racer (GXR), one of the fastest-growing esports organizations in the world, headquartered in Dubai, has announced the appointment of Danny Lopez as Chief Content Officer.
Lopez has over six years of experience at a senior level in esports and gaming, and will lead the development and implementation of best-in-class global content strategy by creating show-stopping entertainment across all areas of the business. He has recently been nominated as a finalist for āEsports Creative Of The Yearā by the Esports Awards, which is dedicated to showcasing top class performance and innovation.
Lopez was previously the Director of Brand and Content at Guild Esports, an esports team co-owned by David Beckham, where he led the creative content development and execution across the board. He has also held Creative Director roles at a number of organizations, including the likes of Fnatic. Further to this, he played an instrumental role in the viral content between Dr. Disrespect (one of the biggest global streamers) & Astralis (4 time CS:GO major world champions).
Galaxy Racer was founded in 2019 with an impressive roster of eleven esports teams in League of Legends, Dota 2, CS:GO, Fortnite, PUBG Mobile and Free Fire, with over 60 male and female esports athletes from 22 countries, with over 20 content creators across Middle East North Africa (MENA) and Southeast Asia (SEA), amassing over 160 million followers and generating over 1 billion monthly views.
Paul Roy, CEO of Galaxy Racer said, āDanny brings along a wealth of experience, which we recognize and value his creative talent. Iāve personally seen his content and heās definitely the best of the best in the industry. As Galaxy Racer pushes forward with our aggressive expansion plans, having a creative leader to spearhead our content across the group is imperative, especially for our esports and content creatorsā verticals. We look forward to having Danny onboard with us. Welcome to our galaxy!ā
Danny Lopez, Chief Content Officer of Galaxy Racer added, āAfter meeting with Paul, I was bought in immediately, his global aspirations for Galaxy Racer were something I wanted to be a part of. The creators that Galaxy Racer work with have unrivalled scale and this is a great opportunity for me to help drive that growth by creating best-in-class content. Iām excited to lead the brand vision and continue to create groundbreaking content on a global platform – so watch this space! As a proud father to twin girls, I admire Galaxy Racer’s commitment to support female gamers and love how passionate the business is about leading the change of the narrative in our exciting industry. ā
Recently, Galaxy Racer joined forces together with Arsenal superstar English Premier League footballer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and his brother William-Fils “Willy” Aubameyang, by hosting the first-ever Fortnite esports tournament between Europe and the Middle East, the Galaxy Racer Aubameyang Cup, with a EURO 10,000 prize pool.
Galaxy Racer has formed a global partnership with Waverider, an IP content creation and management company centred around pop culture and entertainment.
Galaxy Racer is the organizer in Dubai for Girl Gamer Festival – the first and only āEsports Festivalā to celebrate womenās competitiveness in video games, and has organized Australiaās largest independent Fortnite tournament for the esports community and Fortnite tournaments in India and Pakistan, each tournament with a US$10,000 prize pool.
Galaxy Racer has formed a partnership with eLaliga, the top professional football division of the Spanish league system. This partnership is the first time a Dubai-based esports organisation will team up with a significant worldwide FIFA event.
Galaxy Racer is creating a true 360-degree esports, gaming, content and lifestyle brand. Their group company, Riva Technology and Entertainment (RTE), have secured a strong streak of acquisitions, partnerships and brand licensing deals, including the iconic comic book series publisher Dark Horse Comics, with RTE producing multiple mobile games based on the massively successful The Umbrella Academy comic books and Netflix series.
Earlier this year, RTE invested in multiple companies including SUB2r who produce broadcast-quality streaming video cameras, Recast an over-the-top (OTT) platform, BBox Sports an Augmented Reality company, the leading games publisher Rogue Games and OKLetsPlay, the leading platform for players to compete each other in competitions against other players across the world.
RTE also owns a majority stake in global games producer Firefly Games, who have experience working with major studios and brands for world-renowned intellectual properties (IP) from Dreamworks Animation, NBC Universal, Skydance Media, and now MGA Entertainment, a consumer entertainment products company, to produce and publish mobile games based on their hit properties L.O.L Surprise!ā¢ and Rainbow High, both featured in Netflix.
RTE has recently invested in My LADS, an Augmented Reality (AR) technology engagement firm which powers fan engagement.
Galaxy Racer has recently brought onboard former Disney executive Guenther Hake, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Disney Consumer Products in Greater China and CEO at Oriental DreamWorks, who will be assisting in an advisory role with Galaxy Racerās brand partnerships, consumer products, apparel and merchandising endeavours.
Galaxy Racer has also recruited āMarketing Innovator of the Year ā Finalistā in the Marketing Excellence Awards 2020, former AirAsia and EVOS Esports marketer, Allan Phang as their Chief Marketing Officer, who will be leading global marketing initiatives.
Galaxy Racer is on hyper-growth mode and is actively hiring executive roles, including esports and gaming talents across the globe.
Asia
NODWIN Gaming Appoints Atin Suri as the Global Head of Experiential Marketing
NODWIN Gaming, a leader in new-age youth entertainment, gaming, and esports, has announced the appointment of Atin Suri as Global Head of Experiential Marketing. With a track record of delivering disruptive, immersive brand experiences across diverse markets, Atin brings a wealth of expertise to help further NODWIN Gamingās mission to engage and excite audiences across all ages, worldwide.
Atin will be responsible for leading NODWIN Gamingās worldwide expansion efforts in experiential marketing and continued growth while handling the companyās white-label events and activations. His ability to formulate marketing strategies and well-crafted market messaging for a global audience ties in seamlessly with NODWIN Gamingās vision as the company continues to expand its footprint in the industry and deepen its engagement with audiences.
A key focus for NODWIN Gaming is providing holistic entertainment to the global youth with its diverse range of intellectual properties that spans esports, gaming, pop culture, music, and comedy. Atinās extensive expertise in crafting bespoke and immersive on-ground experiences will be key in enhancing consumer experience and brand recall.
āFor me, experience is everything, and Iāve always wanted to push the envelope when it comes to the intersection of technology and immersive experiences,ā said Atin. āAt NODWIN Gaming, I see endless opportunities when it comes to experiential marketing especially when the company is expanding further towards youth-focused experiences across the world.ā
Before joining NODWIN, Atin founded The Experiential Hub, a disruptive agency known for crafting innovative brand events and activations. His experience as a pioneer in experiential marketing includes leading several landmark campaigns.
A decade ago, Atin recognised the untapped potential of esports in India, a foresight that led to his successful collaboration with Akshat Rathee, Co-Founder and Managing Director of NODWIN Gaming. Together, they worked on Dew Arena and made it Indiaās Largest Offline Gaming Championship.
Building on this partnership, they went on to bring DreamHack, the worldās largest gaming festival to India. This groundbreaking project won the award for Best Intellectual Property at the prestigious WOW Awards Asia 2019. Atin also played a pivotal role in organising major esports events with the NODWIN Gaming team in India including ESL One, PUBG Club Open, PMPL South Asia and many more.
āWe are thrilled to welcome Atin to NODWIN Gamingā commented Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and Managing Director of NODWIN Gaming. āHaving worked with Atin on previous projects, we have always admired his ability to bring fresh and bold ideas to the table. His passion for tech-driven, experiential events makes him the perfect fit for our vision of creating unforgettable gaming experiences globally.ā
Atin has also been the recipient of multiple honours like the JWT HiP Club Rising Star, the CEO Award from PepsiCo, and the Tech India Award.
eSports
Team Vitality and ALDI collaborate to fight toxicity against women and promote diversity in esports
- Team Vitality and ALDI have collaborated to fight toxicity against women and promote diversity in esports through a powerful video launched today
- The video titled āDes Failles dans La Failleā translates to āRifts in the Rift,ā referencing the League of Legends battlefield, where a significant amount of online toxicity stems from, highlighting the impact of cyberbullying on gamers who are women
- The video features Team Vitalityās women’s League of Legends team, the Rising Bees, alongside TV Host and presenter Marie Palot, and League of Legends Shoutcaster, Nox.
- The video is now available to watch on YouTube
Today, French esports club Team Vitality and ALDI have announced their collaboration to fight toxicity against women, break down stereotypes and promote diversity in esports through a powerful video titled, āDes Failles dans La Failleā. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the daily online harassment received by women in the gaming industry and its impact on their lives. In sharing their experiences, they reveal how certain messages undermine their confidence, harm their mental health, and negatively impact their in-game performance.
Online harassment and sexism are prevalent in gaming, and damage the development of the female esports scene worldwide. While 50% of worldwide gamers are women, only 7% compete in esports (France Esports Barometer 2023). A 2022 Ipsos study also showed that 84% of people harassed online are women, with 51% under the age of 30.
For over four years, Team Vitality and ALDI have prioritised the development of womenās esports, including spearheading the creation of Team Vitalityās women’s League of Legends team, the Rising Bees, in 2023. Together, both organisations are championing the development of a more equal and diverse ecosystem in esports, advocating for esports clubs worldwide to train womenās teams with the same facilities and resources provided to menās teams, as well as raise the overall skill level, allowing more women to pursue professional careers in esports.
The video “Des Failles dans la Faille” centres on the Rising Bees, Team Vitalityās women’s League of Legends team. The title refers to Summonerās Rift, the in-game battleground where players compete and where many women often become targets of hateful and toxic messages.
Appearing in the video to share their experiences include:
- Velouria āVikiā Baty: French player and ADC for Team Vitality
- Madison āCrowmacā Coutelet: French player and Toplaner for Team Vitality
- Alena āTifaā Maurer: German player and Midlaner for Team Vitality
- Marie Palot: TV Host and presenter
- Nox: League of Legends Shoutcaster
- Anne Banschbach: Director of Esports at Team Vitality
In the video, they take turns reading and reacting to various online messages from gamers, covering issues like body shaming, death threats, misogyny, and more. Alongside this, they share their personal stories and emotions, which range from sadness and anger to feelings of isolation and hopelessness. They also discuss how these messages affect their daily lives and ultimately impact their performance, even though they admit theyāve become “accustomed” to these misogynistic attacks.
In the second part of the video, they read messages full of kindness and encouragement, which often get overlooked and lost among the many hateful messages. Team Vitality and ALDI aim to highlight the power of positivity in boosting morale, even amid the often harsh and hostile messages in the esports community.
Throughout the year, Team Vitality also produces and shares content following the Rising Bees’ journey, aiming to break down stereotypes and create inspiring role models for the next generation of gamers.
āDes Failles dans La Failleā is available to watch on YouTube.
eSports
DATA.BET Celebrates Triumph at EiGE Awards 2024
DATA.BET, a distinguished leader in esports betting solutions, was recognised at the European iGaming Excellence Awards, which took place on 15 October in Warsaw, Poland.
The EiGE Awards 2024, organised by Hipther, gathered vital industry leaders to celebrate the achievements of the most influential companies in the iGaming sector all around Europe. Held as part of the European Gaming Congress, the awards served as the highlight of the event, honoring the best-performing companies across the region. The congress itself offered a dynamic format of panel discussions, presentations and workshops, allowing attendees to explore the latest trends, challenges and growth opportunities in the sector.
This award highlights DATA.BETās significant impact on the esports betting landscape, and showcases its ability to deliver reliable and advanced solutions that meet the needs of both operators and bettors. As the popularity of esports continues to grow within the European betting market, this achievement reinforces the companyās position at the forefront of the market.
āWe are honored to receive this recognition. This award emphasizes both our achievements and the progress of our products. Throughout the year, weāve introduced a range of new offerings, including Bet Builder and Widgets, such as Scoreboards and Pitch Tracker. Notably, the Player Props, launched in 2023, has quickly become a favorite among bettors. This acknowledgment reflects our teamās hard work and dedication, continuously striving to deliver top-tier esports betting solutions in the European market,ā said Otto Boning, Head of Sales at DATA.BET.
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