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Jarno Opmeer and Mercedes lead F1 Esports Series Pro Championship presented by Aramco after dramatic Event 1

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Mercedesā€™ Jarno Opmeer in pole position to retain World Championship crown in three-way title race for 2021 F1 Esports Series Pro Championship
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The 2021 F1 Esports Series Pro Championship presented by Aramco got underway with an thrilling Event 1 this week, where Jarno Opmeer and Mercedes took an early lead in the Drivers’ and Teams’ Championships respectively, but with eight different podium finishers in the first three races, the huge $750,000 prize pot is all to play for.

The return of the Pro Championship was more anticipated than ever before following record-breaking viewership last year, the highest ever participation numbers of fans attempting to qualify, as well as several huge moves around the grid with a number of F1 Esports’ biggest names switching allegiances in the off-season.

Much like the 2020 season, drivers are continuing to race remotely from their homes or team facilities, but the hugely popular competition continues to broadcast from the Gfinity Esports Arena in London, with live shows fronted by familiar faces: Natalie Pinkham, Tom Deacon and Nic Hamilton. Following the same Event format as recent campaigns, teams battle it out on the official F1 2021 video game, developed by Codemasters, in two races on a Wednesday, and one on a Thursday, across four broadcasts, which also features qualifiying.

In the first of Wednesday’s two races, the virtual world mirrored reality as the season opener took place at the Sakhir International Circuit, Bahrain, and it was Britain’s Lucas Blakeley who took his maiden win in a historic moment, becoming the first winner for the Aston Martin Cognizant Esports team. Blakeley started in P2 behind Nicolas Longuet but passed him going into the first corner and didn’t relinquish top spot until the final few laps when the lead changed hands several times between the pair, thanks to brave racing and the use of DRS, before the Aston Martin man timed his last attack to perfection. Alvaro CarretĆ³n was with the front two the whole way, ready to pounce on any mistakes, but in the end had to settle for a well-deserved P3 for Williams.

Wednesday’s action continued with a trip to China, and whilst the real-world drivers haven’t raced at the Shanghai International Circuit since the pandemic struck, the popularity of F1, and Esports, continues to flourish, as seen by the success of the F1 Esports Series China Championship. Reigning champion Jarno Opmeer showed his title-winning pedigree with an unbelievable victory, taking a huge risk as the only driver to start the race on intermediates tyres, despite there being torrential rain, after a poor qualifying performance that left him in P14. He fell as far as P18, before the rest of the grid began to pit and switch to the same tyres, allowing him to make his way up the grid. He was soon leading, and despite a brief change of leadership between himself and Fabrizio Donoso, as the Alpine driver became the first switch to softs, Opmeer was able to secure his first win for Mercedes in stunning fashion. Red Bull’s Marcel Kiefer put in an accomplished performance in tricky conditions to get his first podium of the season.

The first Event of the new season was rounded off with a second win for Opmeer at the Red Bull Ring with an emphatic victory as he sent out a message to the rest of the field that he is intent on defending his crown. Frederik Rasmussen, one of last year’s front runners picked up his first podium of the year, ahead of McLaren’s new boy Bardia Boroumand who secured third, and is already living up to the hype around him in the pre-season.Ā 

Event 2 will see the drivers battle it out on a trio of iconic ‘old-school’ circuits as the Pro Championship heads to Silverstone, Monza and Spa, in what is set to be an action-packed two days across 27-28 October.

Following Event 1, the official standings are as follows:

Driver standings

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Team standings

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The live shows are streamed online via official channels of Formula 1 on Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and Huya, as well as broadcast on television via select international broadcast partners.

In the last 18 months, F1 Esports events have achieved over 40 million views across TV and digital, and this popularity led to a record number of people attempting to be a part of this year’s Pro Exhibition, with almost half a million taking part in qualification. This year’s qualification is now open through a challenge in the official F1 2021 video game, with the first event live until 31stĀ October. If you would like to find out more information on how to take part in the F1 Esports Series and for more information on the Pro Championship presented by Aramco, visitĀ www.f1esports.com.

Full race results:

Race 1 ā€“ Bahrain

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Race 2 ā€“ China

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Race 3 ā€“ Austria

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Ben Pincus, Director of Commercial Partnerships at Formula 1Ā®, said:

“It’s great to see the F1 Esports Series Pro Championship presented by Aramco back underway. We’ve been spoilt with excitement in the real-life racing this year and if these first races are anything to go by, we’re in for a treat this season in the virtual world too.”

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John Clarke, CEO at Gfinity, said:

“Last year’s record-breaking participation is a testament to Formula 1’s continuous innovation and expansion, bringing more fans than ever into the world of F1 Esports. Off the back of last year’s success, the F1 Esports Series has returned bigger and better than ever, giving Gfinity the opportunity to utilise its tech IP and world-class production to help F1 fans feel ever closer to the series.

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Paul Jeal, F1 Senior Franchise Director at Codemasters, said:

“We’re into the fifth year of F1 Esports, and the standard continues to get higher and higher, with some blistering lap times and exciting wheel to wheel racing to open the series. A great display from Jarno Opmeer as he tops the drivers’ championship, and it looks like we could have an incredible battle between a handful of teams for the team championship. Roll on the second show.”

Asia

NODWIN Gaming Appoints Atin Suri as the Global Head of Experiential Marketing

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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 Gamingā€™s mission to engage and excite audiences across all ages, worldwide.

Atin will be responsible for leading NODWIN Gamingā€™s worldwide expansion efforts in experiential marketing and continued growth while handling the companyā€™s 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 Gamingā€™s 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. Atinā€™s extensive expertise in crafting bespoke and immersive on-ground experiences will be key in enhancing consumer experience and brand recall.

ā€œFor me, experience is everything, and Iā€™ve always wanted to push the envelope when it comes to the intersection of technology and immersive experiences,ā€ said Atin. ā€œAt 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 Indiaā€™s Largest Offline Gaming Championship.

Building on this partnership, they went on to bring DreamHack, the worldā€™s 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.

ā€œWe are thrilled to welcome Atin to NODWIN Gamingā€ commented Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and Managing Director of NODWIN Gaming. ā€œHaving 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.

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Team Vitality and ALDI collaborate to fight toxicity against women and promote diversity in esports

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  • 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 ā€œDes Failles dans La Failleā€ translates to ā€œRifts 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 Vitalityā€™s 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, ā€œDes 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 womenā€™s esports, including spearheading the creation of Team Vitalityā€™s 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 womenā€™s teams with the same facilities and resources provided to menā€™s 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 Vitalityā€™s women’s League of Legends team. The title refers to Summonerā€™s 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 ā€œVikiā€ Baty: French player and ADC for Team Vitality
  • Madison ā€œCrowmacā€ Coutelet: French player and Toplaner for Team Vitality
  • Alena ā€œTifaā€ 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 theyā€™ve 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.

ā€œDes Failles dans La Failleā€ is available to watch on YouTube.

 

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DATA.BET Celebrates Triumph at EiGE Awards 2024

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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.BETā€™s 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 companyā€™s position at the forefront of the market.

ā€œWe are honored to receive this recognition. This award emphasizes both our achievements and the progress of our products. Throughout the year, weā€™ve 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 teamā€™s 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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