eSports
ESPL ropes in LOCO as Exclusive Digital Broadcast Partner for Season 2
Esports Premier League (ESPL) has roped in India’s leading gaming streaming platform, LOCO as its exclusive digital broadcast partner for the second season of the event which is fast gaining popularity.
All matches of the second season will be live-streamed exclusively on Loco’s app and website (loco.gg).
Loco is a virtual world of gaming communities that provides exclusive space to gaming creators and viewers. In the last few years, Loco has witnessed exponential growth. Daily active viewers have scaled by15x whereas monthly active viewers have seen 8x growth. Monthly active streamers have grown 5x times and live watch hours have scaled 78x times since January, 2021.
The Grand Finals of the league will be hosted via LAN event, making it the league’s first-ever offline Grand Finals.
Esports Premier League has already roped in global premium smartphone brand, TECNO Mobile as its presenting sponsor for the second edition of the country’s first franchise-based esports league. TECNO Mobile plans to promote its upcoming smartphone phone, TECNO Pova 3 through this league. The poised to launch smartphone will give a class-apart gaming experience to the users. It not only offers a super-fast processing speed but also comes with a massive battery.
This year’s league is set to engage esports athletes across the country in a high-voltage action of the most popular battle royale game, ‘BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA (BGMI)’ and carries a massive prize pool of Rs. 1 crore.
Talking about the announcement of the league’s association with Loco, ESPL Director Vishwalok Nath said: “With shared values and a compelling gaming proposition, we are super excited to team up with India’s leading gaming streaming platform Loco.”
“We are pleased to be working together with the team to create interesting and engaging content for the esports fans and the community out there. We are always keen to associate with brands that share the same passion for esports as us and are looking forward to a fruitful association.”
According to a recent FICCI-EY media and entertainment report 2022, content creation and concurrent viewership around gaming saw a massive surge in India and there is also a meteoric rise in esports viewership, from 600,000 hours in 2020 to 2 million hours in 2021.
Commenting on the partnership, Ashwin Suresh, Founder, Loco, said, “Loco will play a pivotal role in growing the fanbase for ESPL and providing yet another entertaining experience for the Indian gaming community. As the exclusive broadcast partner for the league, we will provide fans with tons of exclusive content and a chance to interact with their favourite streamers. We’re excited to partner with the India Today Group on this landmark esports league as we continue to actively support the growth of the esports ecosystem in India.”
Highly active users spend over one hour daily on Loco, making it the gaming community’s platform of choice for a seamless streaming and highly engaging fan experience.
The league will be played in two separate stages in the initial phase—online qualifiers and invitational qualifiers—to shortlist the top 16 teams. The first 12 teams, top-2 teams from the open qualifiers and top-10 teams from the invitational qualifiers, will progress directly into the finals.
The teams ranked from 3 to 10 (7 teams) in the online qualifiers and teams ranked from 11 to 18 from invitational qualifiers will compete for the other two spots available in the finals. The upcoming edition of India’s premier esports league, ESPL has already kick-started their online qualifiers.
eSports
IESF Concludes 16th Ordinary General Meeting in Riyadh
The International Esports Federation (IESF) held its 16th Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) on November 18, bringing together over 150 delegates from the member federations in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Before the official start of the assembly, IESF welcomed representatives from the Saudi Olympic & Paralympic Committee (SOPC) and the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF). Abdulaziz Baeshin, CEO of SOPC presented Saudi Arabia’s progress in Esports and sports development and their vision moving forward. Frank Weber, Director of Corporate Marketing at EWCF discussed the success of the EWCF and highlight upcoming plans for the future.
In his opening speech, IESF President HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud expressed gratitude for the number of delegates who attended the assembly. He reflected on the federation’s success and achievements over the past year, the key areas for improvement, and the necessity of continued close collaboration among members.
The first session of the assembly continued with reviewing motions submitted by the members and voting on their acceptance or rejection. The members also voted to grant Full Membership status to Canada, Germany, Latvia, and Malta.
The second session of the OGM was dedicated to electing key positions within the IESF Board and committees. The results are:
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Board Member: Mr. Samart Benjamin Assarasakorn
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Treasurer: Mr. Daniel Wen Jun Loy
Membership Committee Members:
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Mr. Soufiane El Filali
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Mr. Jaroslav Melishek
Audit, Risk, and Governance Committee:
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Chair: Mr. Tomas Gabris
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Members: Mr. Jacopo Ierussi and Mr. Stevan Nenad Rosic
Regulatory Committee Chair:
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Mr. Ido Orel Brosh
In his concluding statement, IESF General Secretary Boban Totovski congratulated the assembly on a productive and democratic meeting. He expressed his appreciation for the valuable insights shared by members and their dedication to the growth of the IESF.
“This year’s assembly demonstrated the strength of our community and the shared vision that drives IESF forward. I thank everyone for their contributions to a democratic and smooth process, and I look forward to welcoming more member federations to our family next year and even greater success” said Totovski.
The OGM 2024 in Riyadh was another step forward in IESF’s mission to unite the Esports world under a shared vision. With the growing number of national federations, the IESF continues to cement its role as the largest Esports family.
eSports
Red Bull Media House Announces Global Premiere of Counter-Strike Documentary ‘Memories of CS:GO – The Final Years’
- Emmy Award-winning Red Bull Media House-produced Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) documentary is set to premiere on 4 December
- ‘Memories of CS:GO – The Final Years’ features personal insights from legendary talent, including Casper “cadiaN” Møller, Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz, Alexandre “gAuLeS” Borba and more
- Fans can tune in via Red Bull Gaming’s YouTube channel
Red Bull’s deep dive into the glory years of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) continues with the announcement of ‘Memories of CS:GO – The Final Years’, a brand new documentary set to premiere globally on 4 December 2024.
Produced by Emmy Award-winning Red Bull Media House, the new feature-length film closely follows 2024’s ‘Memories of CS:GO – The Early Years’, which charted the origins of one of the world’s most influential games from its grassroots beginnings to its evolution as a global esports phenomenon. Continuing the saga, ‘Memories of CS:GO – The Final Years’ chronicles an emotional journey from the perspective of its key protagonists, recalling the thrilling rise of Team Liquid as Team Astralis’ reign falls, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, all the way to Team Vitality’s victory at the last-ever CS:GO Major.
Hosted by Freya “Freya” Spiers, the brand new 90-minute film features personal accounts from iconic figures including Astralis’ trio of Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz, Casper “cadiaN” Møller, Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen, as well as Team Liquid’s Jonathan “Elige” Jablonowski and Jordan “n0thing” Gilbert. As it explores fierce rivalries, pivotal roster changes that changed the course of CS:GO history, and the perseverance, teamwork and passion that forged the game’s legends, ‘Memories of CS:GO – The Final Years’ also delves into the fierce dedication of the Brazilian community with Alexandre “gAuLeS” Borba and Wilton “zews” Prado, looking back at Brazil’s first-ever Major.
‘Memories of CS:GO – The Final Years’ is a sweeping tale of toil, triumph, and teamwork that offers an insightful look into the remarkable trajectory of CS:GO and the unwavering support and dedication of its community. It’s scheduled to premiere December 4, 2024 via Red Bull Gaming’s YouTube channel.
Event Details:
- What: Premiere of “Memories of CS:GO – The Final Years”
- When: December 4th, 2024
- Where to watch: Red Bull Gaming’s YouTube Channel
eSports
Guilhoto to lead GIANTX in the LEC
The Portuguese head coach signs a two-year deal to guide GIANTX in Europe’s top esports league and aim for the Worlds. Guilhoto embarks on his third tenure with the organization and returns to the LEC after reaching two finals.
Nico Perez and Emi complete the coaching staff
André Guilhoto will be the head coach of GIANTX in the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC), Europe’s premier esports league. Guilhoto returns to the organization to replace Christophe ‘Kaas’ van Oudheusden and lead its League of Legends international project. His goal is to qualify the team for the Worlds. He has signed a two-year contract for the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
Guilhoto (Portugal, 1994) returns to both GIANTX and the LEC. Between 2018 and 2020, he coached several teams in the European league, including reaching two finals with Schalke 04 and Origen. He entered the European scene after winning the Spanish league with GIANTX, then known as Giants Gaming.
After his time in the LEC, he coached in North America with Immortals and Team Liquid. In 2023, he returned to Málaga to work with Giants, which later merged with British club Excel to form GIANTX. In 2024, he coached in the Superliga with CASE Esports and Team Heretics, where he won the Spanish championship.
Guilhoto is one of the most experienced head coaches in the scene and a well-known figure within the Spanish-speaking League of Legends community. GIANTX announced his return with a video confirming his new role as head coach.
GIANTX looks to Guilhoto to improve its results in the LEC. The team finished eighth in the winter and spring splits and reached the summer season finals, but missed out on qualifying for the Worlds. The organization aims to achieve this goal with Guilhoto leading the coaching staff.
Joining Guilhoto in Berlin, the home of the LEC, are assistant coach Nico Perez (France, 1998) and strategic coach Emanuel Ursachi ‘Emi’ (Romania, 1995). Nico spent the last year with GIANTX, first as head coach in the Superliga and then as assistant coach in the LEC. Emi, now in his second tenure with the company, will serve as the strategic coach.
The LEC season begins on January 18, 2025. GIANTX will announce the roster under Guilhoto’s leadership in the coming days.
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