eSports
Le Mans Virtual Series, 500 Miles of Sebring– Post Race Report
![Le Mans Virtual Series, 500 Miles of Sebring– Post Race Report](https://europeangaming.eu/portal/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/LMVS_R4_Sebring-53.jpg)
- The 500 Miles of Sebring, the fourth of five rounds of the Le Mans Virtual Series, kicked off Saturday 18th December with 114 drivers across the LMP2 and GTE classes taking to the start line. Star drivers including the likes of ex-F1 and IndyCar star Felix Rosenqvist who battled against the bumps of the infamously challenging circuit as the last opportunity to display their skill, experience and knowledge ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual final in January.
- Conditions were clear in Florida, and all eyes on team strategy with the race being run to 500 miles instead of a set time on the Sebring International Raceway, with some cars including #966 Team Fordzilla pitting early after firing up the grid in the opening laps. James Baldwin in the #49 YAS Heat also pitted early to fit new soft compound tyres that largely paid off as the car continued to set purple sectors throughout and eventually recorded the race’s fastest lap time with Isaac Gillissen at the helm.
- In the LMP Classification, the race began with Erhan Jajovski in the #8 R8G Esports leading the grid in pole position, and initial skirmishes saw the pack leaders still largely intact, with the #22 GPX Rebellion Williams driven by Marcell Csincsik on the hunt in second. Drama occurred on lap 38, after the then-championship-leading #123 Team Redline received a drive-through penalty for causing a collision with the #888 TESLA R8G Esports GTE amid packed traffic, dropping the car down the rankings and away from the podium. With the Le Mans Virtual Series championship at stake, the team produced an impressive comeback performance to finish in sixth place and only drop to second in the championship rankings.
- The top three entered a tense battle going into the final third of the race, with tremendous driving from third-place Nikodem Wisniewski in the #1 Rebellion GPX Esports, who produced a quick double-overtake to assume the lead for the first time. Having dropped down to third, catastrophe struck #22 GPX Rebellion Williams driver David Pittard when he hit the barriers on lap 106 and lost the car’s rear wing to force an unexpected visit to the pits and plummet down the rankings. The #1 Rebellion GPX Esports car continued to extend its lead at the front of the pack, eventually taking its first win of the championship. The #8 R8G Esports crossed the line in second, with the #70 Realteam Hydrogen Redline rounding out the podium in third. The #10 MAHLE RACING TEAM quietly had a blistering race and soared up the rankings, securing fifth behind #4 Floyd ByKolles-Burst.
- Over in the LMGTE Classification, the #71 BMW Team Redline and driver Kevin Siggy took pole position on the grid, but was quickly overtaken by Joshua Rogers in the #92 Porsche Esports Team, with the other #91 Porsche Esports Team close behind as the three battled for first for most of the race. After the halfway mark on lap 83 the #51 FDA Esports Team’s Ferrari – which was surging up the standings – was at the centre of drama. Struck by #55 BMW Team GB, the Ferrari then spun out and made contact with the #65 Panis Racing LMP, triggering drive through penalties for both GTEs.
- In the end, the #71 BMW Team Redline’s unique fuel saving strategy worked to dramatic effect as the BMW M8 eventually secured a dominant win over its Porsche rivals, who were forced to refuel more. The #91 Porsche Esports Team finished some way off in second, while the #88 Proton Competition secured the final podium place place after a time penalty for Nestor Garcia – who had stayed in the car for too long – meant the #111 Red Bull Racing Esports car dropped from third to seventh.
- Isaac Gillissen for #49 YAS Heat recorded the fastest lap time in the LMP2 Classification, with a blistering 1:45.341 on the 132nd lap during a tense battle against Bono Huis in the #123 Team Redline. In the LMGTE Classification, Dayne Warren for Proton Competition secured the fastest lap, recording an impressive 1:57.835 in the 30th lap.
- Augustin Canapino from GPX Rebellion Williams said: “It was a great job from everyone on the team and I enjoyed every lap of the race. It was a great drive from Niko [Wisniewski] to finish so strongly and now the car is in a really good position to fight for the championship in the final round.
- Rudy van Buren from BMW Team Redline, said: “We felt our strategy was very sensible and thought others would adopt that to make it closer. It was a great race and our preparation paid off…This week we’ll get going at [the Le Mans 24], and set ourselves up to be as good as we can be for it.”
Sebring presented the final challenge to teams and drivers before the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual race, which will be held entirely online on January 15/16, 2022.
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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