eSports
Gaimin Gladiators take the win in DreamLeague Season 19 powered by Intel® and qualify for Riyadh Masters
Season 19 of DreamLeague powered by Intel®, the longest-running Dota 2 league hosted by the ESL FACEIT Group, has come to a thrilling close, with Gaimin Gladiators taking the win over Team Liquid in the Grand Final by 3-2. Gaimin Gladiators will take home the largest share of the $1,000,000 prize pool and qualify for the Riyadh Masters Group Stage at Gamers8 later this year.
This year, DreamLeague Season 19 saw exciting new changes and updates to its existing format and schedule, including changes to the number of teams competing and the different tournament stages as well as returning to its multiregional roots. Commencing on April 9 with Group Stage 1, 16 teams battled for the eight available spots in Group Stage 2, with the top four teams then progressing to the Playoffs.
Featuring elite squads from across the globe – including Lima Major winners Gaimin Gladiators, and reigning The International Champions Tundra Esports – Group Stage 1 began on April 9. The 16 teams competed in a single round-robin format with all matches being best-of-two. In this stage, five teams went unbeaten: Gaimin Gladiators, Shopify Rebellion, Evil Geniuses, Team Liquid, and beastcoast.
In Group Stage 2, all eight qualified teams were put in the same group, where they fought in a best-of-three single round-robin format. Here, the eight teams were whittled down to four, as Team Liquid, Gaimin Gladiators, Shopify Rebellion, and Tundra Esports all made it through. Team Liquid and Gaimin Gladiators dominated this stage, with both boasting 6-1 records at the end of Group Stage 2.
In the Playoffs, the remaining four teams battled in a double elimination bracket, playing in the best-of-three format, with Team Liquid and Gaimin Gladiators making it to the best-of-five Grand Finals.
The Grand Final saw Gaimin Gladiators bag the first-round win before Team Liquid rallied and took round two to tie the scores. However, in game three, Gaimin Gladiators picked up where they left off in the first round to make it 2-1. A stunning fourth game saw Team Liquid dominate, sweeping Gaimin Gladiators away to set up game five, where Gaimin Gladiators secured a 3-2 win.
Gaimin Gladiators topped Group A in Group Stage 1, going unbeaten in a tough group, which included Shopify Rebellion, Evil Geniuses, and TSM, boasting a 3-4-0 record. In Group Stage 2, they finished second, just behind Team Liquid. In the Upper Bracket Final of the Playoffs, they were then beaten 2-0 by Team Liquid, sending them to the Lower Bracket Final, where they dispatched Shopify Rebellion by the same score to set up the Grand Final with Team Liquid.
The DreamLeague Season 19 Grand Final saw nearly 18 million hours watched,* with a peak viewership of over 268,000*.
“Team Liquid are an insanely good team but the third game was such an epic comeback from us,” said Quinn “Quinn” Callahan from Gaimin Gladiators. “[At] the end of a tournament we know we’re going to win [and it] is almost like a victory lap, it’s such a nice feeling to know you’re going to win in a few seconds.”
Soon, fans can expect more top tier Dota 2 action with the ESL One Berlin Dota 2 Major, taking place in Berlin, Germany, on April 26 – May 7. After that, the ESL Pro Tour for Dota 2 will continue with DreamLeague Season 20, taking place online on June 11 – 25. For more information about the ESL Pro Tour for Dota 2, check out the official website, and follow ESL Dota 2 on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
*According to Escharts
Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA), founded in 1984, is the national federation for Board games, Card games, Esports, and Wargames.
MSSA promotes all the different disciplines equally, although each school may pick-and-choose which discipline it wishes to promote at its school. Some schools will promote the whole gambit, while others will concentrate on only one discipline, and/or even just concentrate on one specific title.
The choice is ultimately up to the school.
MSSA has sent teams with full Protea Colours to international events since 1991 for wargames, 1996 for Morabaraba, 1997 for Checkers, and 2005 for Esports. Many members of the national teams have been scholars, and all have benefited from their involvement in the national Protea Team.
There is still the option open for a school to start a full-blown sub-club on its premises, but bearing in mind the tight regulatory conditions under which accredited schools have to operate in the Republic, the MSSA no longer deems it necessary for a school to start a sub-club.
As long as the school club has the approval of the school, and has an Educator-in-Charge, a school may affiliate by merely completing the Application for Affiliation Form and submitting such to MSSA.
Advantages of having a MSSA affiliated club: There are many advantages of having a MSSA affiliated club, such as:
-
Being part of a community where your club has a real say in how things are done
-
Being able to apply for National Lottery Funding – MSSA member clubs can apply for up to R800,000.00 in funding
-
Being able to get assistance from your local government
-
Experience increased media exposure of your events and your gamers
-
Become part of the international community through the MSSA Registered players are able to become internationally recognised umpires, etc.
-
Enable your gamers to take part in MSSA events, which may qualify them for Regional, Provincial, and National colours, overseas trips, and even sports bursaries at university.
- Private clubs: one vote per every five registered players, and
- School clubs: one vote per every ten registered players.
MSSA’s General Regulations
The General Regulations comprises of decisions made by both Council and Executive Committee Meetings. The General Regulations deals with how sub-committees operate as well as to how teams are selected and development funding is distributed. Please refer to Schedule 10.12 in regard to the rights of clubs in hosting events.
MSSA’s Discipline Specific Regulations
The Discipline Specific Regulations deal with rules concerning the different disciplines. The Disciplines that the MSSA caters for are; Board Gaming, Card gaming, Esports, and Figure Gaming.
When a club applies for membership, the applicant club must complete such form and return the same to the MSSA.Fee note for 2025
The fee note details the Affiliation Fees and Registration fees that are payable.
Player Registration Form
The Player Registration Form needs to be completed by every player that is a member of a club and intends to participate in MSSA affairs.
MSSA’s Letter of Undertaking
The Letter of Undertaking is for all registered players who sit on any MSSA committee.
Asia
Revenant Esports and Team XSpark Join Forces to Form Revenant XSpark, ScoutOP Revealed as Brand Ambassador
Revenant Esports and Team XSpark, two titans of Indian esports, have announced a strategic merger to create Revenant XSpark. This new super organization is set to redefine the esports landscape, combining the resources, expertise, and dedicated fan followings of both organizations.
United under the Revenant XSpark banner, the collaboration aims to compete in multiple popular esports titles, establish original community IPs, deliver engaging fan activations, drive innovative brand partnerships, and expand internationally.
As part of this joint venture, Revenant XSpark has introduced its BGMI lineup, featuring the lineup of Sarang, Spraygod, Shadow, and Joker, with Osmium serving as the team’s coach. These players recently captured back-to-back victories at the BGMI Pro Series and BGMI India Series, making them the only team in the history of the game to win two official BGMI LAN events.
In addition to its BGMI team, Revenant XSpark has been chosen as one of only 10 partnered organizations by The Pokémon Company to compete in the newly launched Pokémon UNITE ACL India League 2025. Fans can look forward to an exciting roster announcement soon.
ScoutOP Joins as Brand Ambassador, Expanding Revenant XSpark’s Reach
Tanmay “ScoutOP” Singh, a legend in the Indian gaming community with over 10 million followers on social media, has officially joined Revenant XSpark as its brand ambassador.
Scout was the mastermind behind the Team XSpark roster, mentoring and nurturing them to their historical back to back victories in BGMI esports. Now, as the ambassador for Revenant XSpark, Scout will bring his vast following, which not only covers India but also extends internationally, to the united brand.
Commenting on the partnership, Tanmay “ScoutOP” Singh, brand ambassador of Revenant XSpark said, “I’ve known Rohit for a while, and I’ve always been a fan of Revenant’s unique approach to content—it’s witty, filled with banter, but still subtle. It’s exactly the kind of vibe I wanted to bring to XSpark. Beyond that, our shared vision for expanding esports with multiple rosters across India and internationally made this partnership a perfect fit. Joining forces to take the Revenant XSpark name global was a no-brainer for me.”
Rohit Jagasia, Founder and CEO of Revenant Esports, commented, “Scout and I have a strong personal connection, and our brands, Revenant and XSpark, naturally share a similar fan base and values. This partnership feels like an organic next step. Scout’s holistic approach to content, spanning gaming and entertainment across multiple platforms, makes him the perfect ambassador for our brand as we aim to establish Revenant XSpark as India’s leading esports organization and expand our footprint globally.”
To celebrate this partnership, Revenant XSpark, including the BGMI team and ScoutOP, will host an exclusive meet-and-greet event in Mumbai in November, giving fans a chance to interact with their favorite players and ScoutOP himself. Stay tuned to Revenant XSpark’s social media handles for more information.
Revenant XSpark will also be working to build esports IPs. Recently, Revenant Esports also partnered with IPL team, Gujarat Titans, to bring BGMI Titans, an open-for-all esports tournament.
Additionally, Revenant Esports has a strong history within the Indian esports scene, having won the VALORANT Challengers 2024: South Asia – Split 2, to be the lone Indian team in the VCT Pacific Ascension. Furthermore, it is the only esports organization to represent India internationally in the Pokemon UNITE World Championship and the Brawl Stars World Finals.
The ‘eFootball Diwali Showdown’, a special influencer tournament organised by NODWIN Gaming, a leader in new-age youth entertainment, gaming, and esports, and Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. (KONAMI), the leading video game developer and publisher from Japan culminated with S8UL Aman being crowned as the champion.
Eight of India’s prominent gaming personalities including Dreamboy, Yes Smarty Pie, Ezio18Rip, Sid, Senpai Spider, K18, Binks, and Aman, competed in both group stage and knockout formats.
In addition to the tournament, KONAMI has also announced special in-game rewards to celebrate Diwali with Indian gamers. Players will have the opportunity to log in to eFootball and earn exclusive Diwali-themed rewards.
This includes unique player packs featuring popular Indian football team stars, giving fans the opportunity to play with homegrown talent while celebrating the festival of lights. Alongside these packs, players can unlock special Diwali-themed jerseys, available only during this festive period.
Tournament participants K18, Senpai Spider, and Yes Smarty Pie will also be streaming the game extensively and hosting matches for fans on an integrated YouTube stream from their individual channels.
These Diwali-focused initiatives are a testament to KONAMI’s commitment to catering to India’s fast-growing mobile gaming market. As a free-to-play title, eFootball provides open access to casual as well as high-level competitive gaming, eliminating any financial and accessibility barriers for gamers from all backgrounds.
Recently, eFootball was selected by FIFA as an official title in the FIFAe World Cup, with India among the 18 countries invited to participate. Additionally, eFootball is also set to be featured in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s WAVES Esports Championship 2025 (WESC), further solidifying its relevance and appeal in India’s gaming landscape.
Earlier this year, Konami announced that eFootball has surpassed 700 million total downloads worldwide.
Springbok Casino’s Wild November Feature ‘Backyard Gangsters’ Offers 25 Free Spins on new Clue Chronicles: Mirror Mansion slot
Play’n GO celebrates multiple win at 5 Star Media Awards
Procedure to be followed by school clubs affiliating for the 2025 season
hinterzimmer.io Partners with Tangelo Games to Deliver Engaging Social Slots Content to Sweepstakes and RMG Casinos
QiH Group completes C-suite hiring spree with new CFO appointment
VIRGIN BET AND PRESENTING STAR NATALIE PIKE BRING ‘WOMEN’S DAY’ TO DONCASTER RACECOURSE
NSW Govt Appoints New Board Members to ILGA
TaDa Gaming Reaches New Heights in Engaging Play with Coin Infinity Surge Reel
IAG’s Andrew W Scott Announced as Latest Conference Chair for 2025 Regulating the Game Conference in Sydney
SOFTSWISS Steps In to Assist Southern Poland After Severe Flooding
Asia Pioneer Entertainment Holdings Limited appointed Maria Garcia to its Board of Directors
Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – September 30-October 6
Amusnet Expands in Romania with LuckySeven Partnership
SOFTSWISS Gets Certification for Its Jackpot Aggregator in Bulgaria
Endorphina Announces Partnership with Ukrainian Online Casino Casino.ua
Altenar: Boosting revenues with engagement tools
-
Asia5 days agoSkillhub Online Games Federation forges strategic partnership with IESF to bring International Esports Championships to India
-
Asia4 days ago
Red Bull M.E.O. returns in 2024 to India: BGMI qualifiers lead to thrilling LAN National Finals in Chennai
-
Latest News5 days ago
TRUMO LAUNCHES INSTANT OPEN BANKING PAYMENTS FOR FINNISH IGAMING REFORMS
-
Industry News5 days ago
International Accolade for Campaign from the Danish Gambling Authority
-
Asia4 days ago
GG.BET is inviting BLAST Premier: World Final attendees to the GG.BOOTH to take part in some fun activities
-
Asia5 days ago
DreamHack India 2024: A complete guide to the esports tournaments with INR 45+ lakh prize pool on the line
-
Asia3 days ago
NODWIN Gaming partners with Japanese gaming company KONAMI for ‘eFootball Diwali Showdown’
-
Industry News5 days ago
Betsson Group Triumphs at the EGR Operator Awards 2024, Securing Five Major Wins
