eSports
It Is Time To Brawl As ESL One Powered By Intel® Returns to Birmingham, United Kingdom
Announced last week as ESL One Europe 2024 – part of the second season of the ESL Pro Tour (EPT) for Dota 2 – ESL One Birmingham 2024 will feature 12 teams battling it out for the lion’s share of the $1,000,000 total prize pool.
The competition will also be awarding 22,520 EPT leaderboard ranking points. With these points, contenders increase their chances of rising on the leaderboard and thereby receiving a direct invite for EPT tournaments as well as the EPT Finals later in the year.
Teams and Qualifiers
The top four squads on the leaderboard will receive a direct invite to ESL One Birmingham 2024. Which teams will fill the remaining eight slots will be decided via a set of Open and Closed Qualifiers taking place on FACEIT, the world’s leading platform for competitive gaming:
- The Open Qualifiers will take place on January 22 – 25;
- The Closed Qualifiers will take place on January 26 – 30.
Stay tuned as more details will be revealed in due course.
Format
On April 22 – 24, these 12 squads will enter the Group Stage of ESL One Birmingham, which will see two round-robin groups featuring six teams battling it out in a two-game-series. The two best teams of each group proceed to the Playoffs Upper Bracket, while the teams placing third and fourth in their groups advance to the Playoffs Lower Bracket.
During the Playoffs on April 26 – 28, these eight teams will then face off against each other in a double elimination bracket. During this final stage of the tournament, all matches will be best-of-3, except for the Grand Final, which will be best-of-5.
Where to watch and tickets
The competition will be broadcast live on the ESL Dota 2 Twitch (Main, Ember, and Storm) and YouTube channels, and via dedicated broadcast partners. Fans looking forward to enjoying the culmination of the competition live at the Resorts World Arena on April 26 – 28 can anticipate the ticket sale commencing on December 14, 2023, at 15:00 GMT.
Wave 1 prices for 3-day tickets start at £62,20 (including service fees; excluding £2,95 administration fee per order). Ticket categories include: 3-day Premium tickets, 3-day Plus tickets, and Regular 3-day tickets. Day tickets will be released during later waves, depending on availability. More details about ticket types and information on how to secure your particular ticket can be found on esl-one.com/birmingham.
Fans visiting the event live can also look forward to multiple on-site side-activities, including Dota 2 cosplay. Those looking to take their experience a step further and anticipating to visit the Resorts World Arena in character can apply for a cosplay ticket which grants them Premium access for two people and access to a dedicated cosplay lounge and dressing rooms throughout the weekend. Furthermore, all cosplayers have the opportunity to show off their costume live onstage during the official Showcase. Regardless of experience level, all cosplayers can sign up here. Additional on-site activities will be announced in due course.
Time to Brawl
Throughout the tournament, ESL One Birmingham’s theme – Time to Brawl – encapsulates Birmingham’s pubculture, while also recollecting and expanding on the competition’s previous editions in the city – live in 2018 and 2019, and online in 2020. Fans, players, and teams alike will be invited to join the open-minded and positively spirited Brewmaster in a daring challenge and prove themselves.
“The Dota 2 community, especially in the UK, has truly proven itself for being fun-loving, engaged with the show, and not afraid to get involved,” said Shane Clarke, Director Game Ecosystems – Dota 2 at ESL FACEIT Group. “Bringing live Dota 2 to Birmingham once again, we are therefore thrilled to create more memorable and electrifying moments for fans, not just for those uniting at the Resorts World Arena next April, but also for those joining us from their homes around the globe.”
Fans looking forward to experiencing the nail biting Dota 2 action sooner can tune in to ESL One Kuala Lumpur powered by Intel® commencing on December 11, 2023, with the final three days of the competition taking place live at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tickets are still available and can be purchased here.
For more details about ESL One Birmingham 2024 and the latest news, head over to the official website, and follow ESL Dota 2 on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook. For more general information, check out eslfaceitgroup.com and follow ESL FACEIT Group on LinkedIn.
eSports
North Star Network acquires Um Dois Esportes
North Star Network are delighted to announce the acquisition of umdoisesportes.com.br, which becomes the latest addition to NSN’s global sports media portfolio.
Born from the GRPCOM merger of the editorial teams of Gazeta Do Povo and Tribuna do Paraná in 2020, Um Dois Esportes provides in-depth sports coverage and analysis for the Brazilian state of Paraná and beyond.
North Star Network co-founder Julien Josset said: “Thank you to the team at GRPCOM for their faith in us to take the brand forward. Um Dois Esportes is an established and renowned site in Paraná State, and we’re excited about the challenge of developing this asset.”
“We’re happy to maintain the collaboration with the existing editorial team, and look forward to working with them, bringing our unique NSN approach, to take UDE forward.” NSN’s signing of Um Dois Esportes is the media house’s fourth acquisition of 2024, following the recent deals to purchase UK-based SportsMole and MrFixitsTips, as well as Chilean site AlAireLibre, which was announced in March.
The latest addition to the North Star media portfolio joins existing assets including Top Mercato, Afrik-Foot, and Vringe. The Paris-based company already oversees a significant Brazilian operation, delivering over 6 million sessions per month, from the likes of Trivela, Premier League Brasil and Lakers Brasil.
NSN will retain Curitiba-based journalists from the Um Dois Esportes legacy team to maintain the asset’s unique tone and popular coverage of the Paraná sports scene across site and social.
“We were surprised by the interest, and initially had no intention of selling Um Dois, but as the conversations evolved, we realised this was a serious group with good intentions,” said GRPCOM Director Rafael Mello. “We were very happy to see our project being valued by a large international group and going global, demonstrating the quality of the content we produced.”
“We’re also proud that North Star inherited our journalists, who are truly responsible for the success of the product we offer readers every day.”
eSports
GIANTX Promotes LVP Superliga Toplaner Th3Antonio to the League of Legends EMEA Championship Roster
Today, GIANTX is excited to announce an update to its LEC competitive roster. Antonio”Th3Antonio” Espinosa Bejarano is recognised as one of the most successful LVP Superliga players in the history of GIANTX, and he has now reached a pivotal moment in his career to compete in the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC).
The LEC is the most important League of Legends competition in Europe and one of the most relevant in the international esports scene. The Barcelona-born ‘toplaner’ will be part of the lineup kicking off the LEC Summer split season in Berlin, which starts in June. As the community quotes; ‘Th3LEC’ is finally a reality.
Commenting on his new role, Th3Antonio said:
“This is the dream I’ve been working towards since I entered esports. I always wanted to compete at the highest level to face the best, and finally, I have this opportunity. I never stopped striving, and thanks to that and the work we’ve done together with all my teammates, we’ve achieved great things in Spain, but the LEC has always been my ultimate goal. Going to the LEC with my lifelong club, GIANTX, is a double dream. Everyone knows what GIANTX means to me”.
Sports Director at GIANTX, David Alonso, added:
“Th3Antonio deserves this opportunity, both in recognition of the level he’s at and all the work he has put in over the past few years. We are convinced of this decision and that he will give everything to succeed in the LEC. He has always been characterised by sacrificing himself for others, and lately, he has taken a step forward by leading in crucial moments, a clear sign of his maturity as a player”.
Having joined at a young age in 2017, Antonio ‘Th3Antonio’ Espinosa has become one of the most decorated players of the LVP Superliga and of GIANTX history. During his time with the team, he has won four Superliga titles, two Iberian Cups, one Copa, and has reached an EMEA Masters final, as well as other national competitions.
The decision to promote Th3Antonio reflects GIANTX’s need to implement changes following the results of the LEC Winter and Spring split seasons. In both splits, the team fell short in the first round of playoffs. The Summer split season is the main shot at Worlds for all teams, and the aim of the club was to make the necessary changes to achieve this goal. After a period of reflection and numerous trials, Th3Antonio has been chosen for the toplaner position.
eSports
L&G esports team founded by Alona Shevtsova won the national Dragon EC Cup tournament
Ukrainian esports team L&G won the Dragon EC Cup tournament, held on the 20th of April by Dragon Esports Club. Four teams competed in the tournament’s final: Lazer Cats, L&G, which received a direct invitation to the final stage, EsportsBattle, and ThunderFlash, which had open qualifiers. During the Grand Final, the L&G team competed with Lazer Cats on Mirage, Anubis, and Vertigo maps.
“This victory is a testament to the exceptional talent and commitment of our players, as well as the collective effort of our coaching staff and support personnel,” said Alona Shevtsova, founder of L&G Esports. “We are immensely proud of their accomplishments and grateful for the unwavering support of our fans.”
L&G is among the top 5 Ukrainian teams in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. It was founded in 2021. The previous name was Leogaming, and it was created on the initiative of the famous Alona Shevtsova from the fintech sector.
The team began competing in top tournaments and almost immediately made it to the Advanced division of the ESEA League Europe competition. The team also participated in and took prizes in European tournaments such as the SCL League, WhiteBit Crypto Open, Phoenix League, and local competitions. The team players are marat2k, r0ublE, kr1vda, kL1o, OneUn1que, rji (coach).
The winners received a 50,000 UAH prize. Dragon Esports Club also prepared a 15-skin giveaway for the broadcast’s viewers.
It is worth mentioning that the L&G team created its merch items, which are available for order worldwide. To get more information about the team, visit the L&G Instagram page, Twitch, or Telegram Channel.
-
Latest News5 days ago
THE UNIT APPOINTS ADAM NOBLE AS CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER
-
Gaming5 days ago
The German Games Industry Association congratulates all winners of the German Computer Game Awards 2024
-
Baltics5 days ago
MARE BALTICUM Gaming & TECH Summit Announces Final Agenda for 2024 Event
-
Africa5 days ago
NE Group powers 888bets launch in Angola
-
Latest News5 days ago
INSPIRED LAUNCHES VIRTUAL SPORTS WITH COMEON GROUP
-
Industry News5 days ago
Wazdan set to gain more ground at Casino Beats Summit Malta
-
Asia4 days ago
Indonesian Govt to Form Task Force to Tackle Online Gambling
-
Central Europe5 days ago
Apparat Gaming and edict egaming announce partnership