eSports
BLAST & Solihull Council announces major esports event to take place in the UK next year
Solihull Council is pleased to announce a major esports event taking place in Solihull from 27 to 30 March 2025 at bp pulse LIVE.
The 2025 Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) Season will host its first arena event of the year in Solihull, with thousands of fans expected to attend.
Esports (or electronic sports) is a term used to describe competitive video gaming. Itâs different from standard video gaming in that esports is competitive (player-vs-player) and usually has an engaging spectator element to it, like traditional sports. Rocket League is a sport-based video game (also known as football with rocket-powered cars that fly!).
The event â RLCS Major 1 Birmingham â will have national and international significance, welcoming some of the worldâs best Rocket League players to Solihull and the wider region. 16 teams from around the world will compete for the first trophy of the RLCS 2025 Season in front of a live audience on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 March. Tickets will go on sale via Live Nation from next week.
A few weeks before the main event, members of the public will be invited to take part in an action-packed tournament, the âBritish Esports Cupâ featuring Rocket League. The British Cup tournament, led by the British Esports Federation, will be open to all UK residents aged 13+ and offer a prize pool of ÂŁ5,000.
A business esports summit (WM Esports Unwrapped) is also planned for the event weekend, which will be a chance for key business and industry leaders to network and identify future growth opportunities.
Councillor Ian Courts, Leader of Solihull Council and Lead Member for Business and the Economy commented: âEsports may be a new concept for many of us, but itâs fast becoming an industry of huge economic significance. We are absolutely thrilled to welcome the RLCS Major 1 Birmingham to our borough, in partnership with the British Esports Federation and BLAST.
âIt is expected to attract thousands of fans from across the world to the arena, with millions more watching the global broadcast online. The economic benefit to the hospitality and visitor economy in the region is unrivalled with the majority of fans expected to attend the event from out of the area.
âThe event will put our borough on the world stage and promote Solihull, the West Midlands and the NEC event campus as a national and international hub for gaming and esports championships.â
Chester King, President of British Esports said: âHosting the RLCS Major 1 in Birmingham is a landmark moment for UK esports, and weâre thrilled to see another world-class event hosted in Great Britain.
âBritish Esports is proud to support the UK esports scene with our own Rocket League tournament running alongside the Major, providing a platform for aspiring players across the UK to showcase their talent. This collaboration underlines the strength of the UKâs esports ecosystem and British Esportsâ ongoing commitment to creating opportunities for grassroots players to engage with professional esports athletes.â
People visiting the borough for the event are encouraged to check out the Visit Solihull website for information on where to eat, drink and stay in the borough.
The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the UK Government is supporting the organisers of the event with funding from the Commonwealth Games Legacy Fund. This is being used to boost trade and tourism sectors and bring vital footfall to local businesses in the region.
Solihull Council is working in partnership with BLAST, British Esports Federation, NEC Group, West Midlands Growth Company and the University of Warwick.
In 2023, the UK was placed fifth in the world for esports revenue generation. Esports is growing at a rate of 13.8% a year. The video game market is worth an estimated $282 billion and there are approximately 3 billion active gamers worldwide.
eSports
LEXUS PARTNERS WITH THE ESPORTS AWARDS AS TITLE SPONSOR FOR THE SIXTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR
- Lexus returns as the Title Sponsor and Official Automotive Partner for the Esports Awards
- Viewers should expect an impressive line-up of Lexus cars during the ceremony, alongside unique activations
The Esports Awards, the most prestigious night in the esports calendar, is honoured to announce that luxury automaker Lexus is returning as the official Title Partner for the 2024 Esports Awards. This marks the sixth consecutive year that Lexus has partnered with the Esports Awards and demonstrates their ongoing efforts towards recognising and celebrating the talent that has made a significant impact in the esports and gaming industries since their initial partnership in 2019.
Lexus continues establishing its commitment to enhancing the esports and gaming spaces with its contributions and this year, will be presenting the winners with their awards for the âEsports Content Creator of the Yearâ and âEsports Organisation of Yearâ categories.
Previous years saw some incredible vehicles on display, including the LC 500 and the NX 350 (Thieves NX), and this year promises to be just as impressive, with Lexus once again bringing some of their finest custom vehicles to the Esports Awards ceremony broadcast live on 21st November.
Guests will be invited to the Lexus Loungeâwhich will play host to the red carpet, Esports Awards Glambot and other exciting activations, giving guests the perfect place to relax, network and grab a drink as they arrive, elevating the experience for all attendees. This will of course all be accompanied with a showcase of one of Lexusâ incredible custom vehicles as a centrepiece to bring the room to life.
âWeâre honoured to have such an important partner return for the sixth year in a row. and Lexusâ commitment to empowering our community is truly remarkable.â said Michael Ashford, CEO of the Esports Awards, âThey have and continue to be an excellent partner; we are honoured by their ongoing contribution to raising our event to new heights every year.â
âLexus is proud to join forces with the Esports Awards to once again recognize the highest levels of achievement in competitive gaming,â said Lisa McQueen, Lexus Media Manager. âWe look forward to celebrating the passionate people and teams who make an impact in the esports community through top-class performance and innovation.â
The Esports Awards presented by Lexus is back for its second ceremony of the year, following a successful ceremony in Riyadh this year. With incredible viewership figures of over 30 million, the Esports Awards is set to deliver a spectacular second broadcast for all to enjoy on Twitch, X and all major platforms on the 14th November.
The important dates for the awards ceremonies are as follows:
- Voting for Esports Awards presented by Lexus closes: 14th November
- The Esports Awards presented by Lexus ceremony: 21st November
Following the reveal of the finalists, voting is now open and fans can vote for the finalists of their choice every 24 hours at esportsawards.com/vote until 14th November.
The Esports Awards presented by Lexus is brought to you in partnership with Oakley and the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF).
eSports
Team Vitality academy team wins the League of Legends tournament, Banque Postale Coupe de France
Today, Vitality.Bee, the academy team of the leading esports club, Team Vitality has emerged victorious at the Banque Postale Coupe de France League of Legends against fellow French club, Solary 3-1.
Showing outstanding teamwork, the team dominated the tournament in front of a live audience at Paris Games Week and solidifies Team Vitalityâs status as a leader on the French competitive scene.
This victory marks the end of an exceptional year for the Vitality.Bee team, with the young players dominating throughout the season and reaching the final of the EMEA Masters Summer 2024 against BDS Academy. The team also finished top four in the spring segment and top three in the summer segment of the LFL rankings.
With the flawless performance during the Coupe de France, the Vitality.Bees fulfilled their ambition to unveil new, ultra-competitive talents for the League of Legends scene.
Asia
NODWIN Gaming Appoints Atin Suri as the Global Head of Experiential Marketing
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 Gamingâs mission to engage and excite audiences across all ages, worldwide.
Atin will be responsible for leading NODWIN Gamingâs worldwide expansion efforts in experiential marketing and continued growth while handling the companyâs 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 Gamingâs 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. Atinâs extensive expertise in crafting bespoke and immersive on-ground experiences will be key in enhancing consumer experience and brand recall.
âFor me, experience is everything, and Iâve always wanted to push the envelope when it comes to the intersection of technology and immersive experiences,â said Atin. âAt 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.â
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 Indiaâs Largest Offline Gaming Championship.
Building on this partnership, they went on to bring DreamHack, the worldâs 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.
âWe are thrilled to welcome Atin to NODWIN Gamingâ commented Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and Managing Director of NODWIN Gaming. âHaving 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.â
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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