Heritage apparel brand, Champion has collaborated with Fnatic on a capsule collection fusing together the worlds of fashion and esports.

The limited-edition collection is comprised of four hoodie designs, each inspired by the ancient elemental concepts of Earth, Air, Fire and Water. With a drop of just 400 hoodies, the elements represent different playing styles and character personalities commonly found in the world’s most popular games.

Representing each of the themes is an entourage of Fnatic ambassadors bringing their own flavour to the capsule collection from a variety of mediums including music and gaming.

Embodying the Water faction is Che Lingo, one of South London’s most credible musical names. With his critically acclaimed, award nominated album “The Worst Generation” (released on Idris Elba’s 7Wallace Label), a litany of tracks featured in leading games such as FIFA 22 and NBA2K, and featuring thrice on the Jujutsu Kaisen Anime Soundtrack; Che’s vocals will be familiar to regular gamers.

Talking on the importance of self-expression in creative formats, Che Lingo commented “Making music and finding new ways to present real tangible stories is what drives me creatively. The pathways can seem linear a lot of the time, so being able to speak my truth and continuously reshape the landscape is exciting, not just for myself, but also adds to the innovation we all seek.

“There is a huge crossover of this in the gaming space, which is why this collection carves out a positive space for players to bring their virtual personas into a real-life forum and genuinely engage beyond the screen.”

Fronting the Earth element is Jay-Ann Lopez, CEO and Founder of Black Girl Gamers™; an online safe space and platform that heightens the visibility of Black Women in Gaming and advocates for Diversity & Inclusion.

In a statement on fashion and gaming Jay-Ann Lopez said “Fashion has always juxtaposed with gaming but it’s something that many gamers from all walks of life enjoy. Fnatic’s collaboration with Champion is taking an exciting step in carving out a space for people to unite over a shared love of gaming and fashion.”

The Fire element is respresented by Tekkz, a FIFA pro-player champion for Fnatic, often referred to as the Lewis Hamilton of FIFA. Taking the lead for team Air is Boaster, a Fnatic gaming superstar famous for his stage presence and high-level skill within Valorant.

The intersection between gaming and fashion is a concept the esports company consistently explores. Fnatic Founder, Sam Matthews said in a statement “Bridging the gap between fashion and gaming is something we’re intent on exploring. The Champion x Fnatic collaboration is our opportunity to give back to the gaming community by giving fans different ways to express their virtual fandoms in the real world too.”

Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) has confirmed that it will be attending iGB Live! (5-8 July, Amsterdam RAI) with a sharp focus on supporting start-ups and smaller businesses on every aspect of their compliance journey.

GLI VP of Sales EMEA, Chris Davies explained: “iGaming continues to grow, and there are opportunities for companies of all sizes. We work with many start-ups and smaller organisations, and we have the expertise to simplify the process of testing and certification and support them every step of the way. Our Integrated Compliance Solutions approach has been meticulously designed to support our clients’ needs wherever they are on their unique compliance journey and wherever their business goals take them: we’re excited to share that approach with the digital gaming industry at iGB Live.”

Chris Davies added: “iGaming is a fast-moving sector with different expectations around speed of delivery and getting to market. The market tends to be a younger demographic and they want to move faster to maximise the opportunities that are there today. That’s both a challenge and an opportunity for our clients, and we have proactively prepared by expanding our teams across the globe to meet additional demand and help organisations get to market faster without compromising on standards. As is the case with land-based gaming, there are nuances in the various jurisdictions, and we help our clients understand those nuances so that they can be successful wherever they choose to go.

“We live in an increasingly global world and our global vantage point allows us to see opportunities ahead of anyone else. What also helps our clients is the fact that our EMEA team live and work in jurisdictions across EMEA. This means they have the local expertise and knowledge to understand the complexities and challenges of individual markets as well as the backing of a global team of experts who can deliver for the client. For us success is about helping our clients take full advantage of the exciting opportunities, avoid the alarming pitfalls and grow their businesses.”

Three municipalities that are frequented by various calamities recently unveiled the Multi-Purpose Evacuation Centers (MPECs) funded by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).

The towns of Binmaley, Pangasinan; Tagudin, Ilocos Sur; and the city of San Fernando, Pampanga held the inauguration rites of the PAGCOR-funded MPECs on June 24 and June 27, 2022. Each recipient local government unit received P50 million for the construction of two-storey emergency structures, which were completed in over a year.

Said MPECs boast of amenities like kitchen and storage areas, toilet and shower rooms for male and female, and lactating rooms for nursing mothers, among others.  They are designed to augment the recipient municipalities’ existing emergency facilities such as schools and basketball courts.

PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Andrea Domingo led the inauguration of the brand-new evacuation center in San Fernando City. The PAGCOR chief also inspected with Bacolor town Mayor Eduardo Datu the newly-built three-storey, 15-classroom school building that the agency funded in Bacolor Central Elementary School (BCES).

“PAGCOR’s effectiveness in regulating gaming resulted in the proper collection of revenues. So during our six years in office, we were able to record more than P300 billion, of which P234 billion went directly to the government and mandated beneficiaries while the remainder went to our social responsibility projects,” Domingo stated.

Meanwhile, PAGCOR President and COO Alfredo Lim, who unveiled the MPECs in Tagudin and Binmaley, said that the newly-built facilities were built in accordance with the specifications and requirements provided by the Department of Public Works and Highways. “Ang mga evacuation center na ito na magiging sanggalan at proteksyon ng ating mga kababayan upang sila ay protektado sa ano mang kalamidad na tatama sa kanilang lugar,” Lim said.

Tagudin Mayor Roque Versoza, Jr. said the new evacuation facility will not only help ensure the safety of his constituents during extreme calamities and other emergency situations but will also provide extra space where they can hold various programs and activities.

Tagudin local Gema Sanchez, 44, is also grateful for the new evacuation facility donated by PAGCOR. She recalled how locals like her feared for their lives when Typhoon Lawin ravaged their town in 2016. “Natutuwa po kami na nagkaroon dito sa aming bayan ng isang mas malapit na evacuation center kasi po kapag may bagyo, malayo po ang pinaglilikasan namin. Noong huling binagyo kami, kahit mataas ang bahay naming, eh inabot pa rin ng agos ng tubig mula sa dagat na may kasamang buhangin at kahoy. Hiwa-hiwalay po kaming lumikas noon ng pamilya ko dahil kinakailangang may maiwan sa aming bahay dahil mga alaga naming baboy at manok,” she narrated.

Apart from inaugurating the MPEC in Tagudin, PAGCOR also distributed hundreds of food and non-food relief items to indigent families who were severely affected by the previous typhoon that hit the town.

Meanwhile, Binmaley Mayor Simplicio DL. Rosario stated that the brand-new evacuation structure they received from PAGCOR will be instrumental in their promotion of different projects that seek to improve the lives of the town’s residents. “The structure that we received will not only serve as an evacuation facility but also as venue where we will conduct some activities that will boost the welfare of our people,” he explained.

The state-run gaming firm has allotted a total of P3.5 billion for the construction of MPECs in 76 approved sites nationwide. Aside from Ilocos Sur and Pangasinan, MPECs in Tarlac, Albay, Capiz and the towns of Sagñay, San Jose, Tigaon and Ocampo in Camarines Sur have been completed. #